Guarding Noah

Should we cover the ‘nakedness’ of leaders who embarrass us?

by Matt Green
from The Ministry Report, January 3, 2007

Once again, a Christian leader who has otherwise accomplished much to advance the cause of the gospel in the past five decades has issued a cringe-inducing public prediction--much to the glee of late-night comedians and faux news anchors. The situation made me think of the often overlooked account of Noah's post-flood lapse found in Genesis 9--one of the strangest stories in the Bible.

For some, the patriarch's drunkenness serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of wine-bibbing. Others have used it as substantiation for the so-called "curse of Ham" and justification for the oppression of the African peoples (who some believe descended from Ham). In its setting immediately following the flood, the account stands in parallel to Adam's first sin and the consequences it brought to his descendants. It serves as further reinforcement that, even after the cleansing effects of the flood, the potential for human wickedness had yet to be effectively dealt with.

However, a secondary application of this narrative seems to be this: We share responsibility to guard the reputations of our elders--even in their most embarrassing moments. This principle is vividly countercultural in a society of voyeurs and gossips who delight in the downfall of the high and mighty--from dictators to CEOs and televangelists. But where are the Shems and Japheths who will "cover the nakedness" of respected leaders who say and do foolish things? When high-profile leaders make bizarre predictions and threats, where are the family members and staff who will gently help them reconsider their actions and preserve their reputations in their later years?

In practical terms, perhaps leaders should surround themselves with people who have the intestinal fortitude to ask them whether they really want to make that prediction about the tsunami, the nuclear bomb or God destroying all the homosexuals with fire. Perhaps these leaders should hire a media adviser to help them communicate to the secular press without sounding like religious nutjobs. Maybe leaders should submit their more unusual or risky prophecies to a group of their peers before airing them publicly.

I'm not suggesting we use a different set of standards for fathers in the faith, or that we make a habit of justifying the actions of an embarrassing few. And I'm not absolving the guilt of those who should know by now how to guard their tongue in front of a microphone and TV camera. However, we should do everything in our power to help and encourage those with a broad hearing to more effectively represent the Body of Christ.

copyright 2007, Strang Communications