Church Leadership and Covid

 

Weakness breeds disdain.

People who get pushed around bring on more bullying. Why? Because it’s an easy way for bullies to enforce their authority at very low cost. We understand this dynamic from grade school. Bullying gets rewarded when kids let themselves get pushed around. Compliance is an understandable reaction to implied force. “Give me what I want or I’ll punch you” is a direct exchange. But with every threat to violence the bully gets stronger and the compliant becomes even more compliant. It’s a tough cycle to break. Most kids experience it as some point and probably even understand the implications for future interactions. If I don’t stand my ground here I probably won’t later. It's more subtle in adulthood but still there.

This looks to be the situation in a lot of churches around the world. They’ve let the authorities tell them how, and how often to hold services. It’s despicable that after a year of “15 days to flatten the curve” (March of last year) that some countries are still cracking down on gathering, mask wearing and distancing. Even worse than that are these soft headed clergy, putting in the requisite complaints about ‘unfairness’. Are these even good faith complaints anymore? Are they just putting their objections on the record, making sure the faithful know they don’t approve? If church leaders can’t see how ridiculous and uneven the restrictions they should be replaced.

I can’t feel much sympathy for these ministers (elders, pastors) that don’t tell the authorities to leave. Respectfully but forcefully, any nanny state police or constables or bureaucrats need to be shown the door. If the state is really aggressive to the point of arresting, let them. They can’t arrest everyone. Imagine Black Lives Matter being told they couldn’t meet or march because it violated the distancing rules; how about Antifa? Would they put up with it? I think you know the answer. We know this stuff is unfair and specifically targeted at Christians. 

Get over the unfairness of it all and start pushing back. I can’t take any of these silly articles anymore where some dopey pastor lets the state tell him off.

At what point do we stop blaming the bully for their ‘unfair’ behavior and start taking initiative. It’s way past time. In the UK the police shut down a Catholic service. Look at the pictures from the mass. Citizens dutifully walking out the door as the priest is told to shut it down. It is of course despicable and absurd, but you can’t keep blaming the bully. It’s what he does.

Pushing back doesn’t mean violence either. I remember seeing a Dateline (maybe 60 Minutes) profile on NBC maybe 20 years ago. The best way for other kids to break up an ongoing fight between 2 others was to just object to it. Anyone who shouted “Hey! Knock it off!” or “That’s enough!” or “You guys quit right now!” was likely to stop it. I was floored when I saw that. Just objecting to the fight, in most cases, stopped it. The problem is when kids do the opposite; they feed the anger or encourage violence. Forcefully objecting turns out to be a statistically good idea. Dear church official, take notes. Start shouting "Leave!" or "You aren't welcome!".

I’m not saying this to pick on clergy or pastors or teachers. And their lack of grit presents the rest of us with an opportunity to take charge in the vacuum. But too many of us are used to thinking institutionally, or with the least amount of risk. The corporate structure of modern churches is as bland as it is ineffective. Time to go to the scriptures for direction instead of the board. Time to stand on the truth of Christ and His resurrection. Time to spread the gospel and stop overthinking how it might play in Peoria.

“The wicked flee when no one pursues but the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1)

There is good news though. A pastor in Calgary tossed the police out in an angry tirade, calling them “Gestapo” and “Communists” and “Evil”. It was beautiful. It was the voice of a man who recognizes this authoritarian menace for what it is. He shouted “Out!” and filmed the whole thing. When we are united in Christ and strong the disdain goes away.