FROM THE EDITORS February 19, 2007 Issue

TO REDEEM AND PREVENT THE FALL FROM GRACE

THE PAST YEAR has included plenty of news about the politician, the clergyman, the celebrity, caught in less than honest or moral behavior. And the cry that goes out for those who "fall from grace" is rarely one of compassion.

But society may set itself and its leaders up for that fall. We expect much of those in the spotlight. We look to them to solve our problems and serve our needs for leadership, counseling, entertainment. We see them as larger than life, only to be disappointed when they struggle, just as we all do, with human failings.

Consider the reality shows on television such as American Idol that focus on finding the perfect singer/dancer/model. These imitators of the British series PopIdol have sprung up around the world. That use of the word idol—"an object of extreme devotion"—suggests there's a big market for the adulation of personalities. But this type of adulation has long proved to be a two-edged sword, placing people on pedestals from which they may fall. Since time began, the same privilege and rank that licensed sovereigns to decide the fate of others has all too often been a source of burden and abuse.