Diligent Protection

...given the option between a perfect superstar on a pedestal and some schmuck not much different than the rest of us, evangelicals are likely to continue choosing the former. If we want culture change, we need to strategize about how to make that happen. Additionally, we need to stop focusing nearly exclusively on the pastors caught in scandal, and give at least equal attention to their victims and their congregants....

Adults, too, can be encouraged to tell the truth, trust their instincts and suspicions, and give total trust and obedience to no person. How wonderful, if our churches could be characterized by critical thinking, diligent protection of the vulnerable among us, and skepticism toward power structures and personality structures that mimic the culture. We'd be culture-makers, helping create a world in which both the powerful and the powerless are made more safe.

[via The Paris Project]