Think of all your current heroes and imagine them as villains

We live in an unstable world.  Well, truth be told, it’s always been unstable, but our world has changed irrevocably now, where truths that were once “safely” hidden (i.e. suppressed in silence) spread now like wildfire in a post #MeToo age.

Just in the past 24-hours, I’ve seen three “heroes” exposed, and their reputations are crashing down around them.  What made them famous now stands for nought.

Now think of all our heroes—all those men and women who have won acclaim in many fields that came with it the expectation to be a role model.  Oh, of course, it never used to be, but praise God, we now live in an age where truth can be revealed in lightspeed ways.

Fame is wonderful, but it comes with the same strings as every life is connected with.  It is no protection to break laws or cavort with abuse.  And horror the thought that people would protect a “hero” just because they’re protecting themselves from having to undo a false image they have of that hero!

Not many famous people I’m sure actually foresee the unwritten and yet now exposed weight of moral expectation.  They may have been able to get away with it in bygone eras.  Not anymore.

If you’re going to be lauded, even worshipped because you do what you do in world-class ways, you not only need to be great at what you’re famous for, but you also need to be impeccably beyond reproach, well at least not an abuser.

Here is the question that should be on each of our lips.  Which of our heroes is next to be exposed?

Is he (or she) the next Christian leader—that charismatic preacher who mentored you—who used their dark side for evil?  What will we do with the books they wrote that we purchased, read and loaned to others?

Will it be a sports star that dazzled us on the court, field or track?  What happens with all those terrific tapes of their best-of’s and MVP performances?  

Will it be one of our movie stars?  What will we do with those DVDs they’re in within our collection? 

What if it’s a politician?

And should we be surprised?  Well, we shouldn’t be!  Only Jesus himself is “good enough” to be worshipped.  The very best any of us can do is be honest about our failures and frailties.

And this is all abuse advocates are asking for.  Just be honest, tell the truth, trust the process.

Psalm 51 stands as testament to the power of true repentance.  David, whether you see him as an adulterer or rapist, wasn’t perfect.  He knew it!  We do well and we honour God when we confess our sins.

But better not to do our sexual assaults and spiritual abuses in the first place!

One thing we can do right now is expect more stories to break in time.  We’re on the cusp of a wave that will see all “heroes” tested for the mettle all heroes should have.  When we’re disappointed in our heroes being exposed, does this say just as much about us and the fact that we placed our alliances and allegiances in unwarranted places?

If we’re Christian, we could do a lot worse than imagining our heroes have a dark side just like we do. If we herald them less for their achievements, we will expect less of them regarding who they are.  But, of course, we expect everyone to be truthful.

When it comes to abuse, it’s the “least of these” who count most.

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