The Baby and the Bathwater

My maternal grandmother was a devout Christian, but her husband became a skeptic. “Ahhh”, he’d say. “They’re a bunch of hypocrites.”

That was a long time ago. Fast forward to today, and it’s getting easier and easier to come to my grandpa’s conclusion.

Some are calling this “a season of cleansing”, as several well-known pastors have been exposed for moral failings. 

Investigations by theologian and Youtuber Mike Winger in recent months have brought reckoning to Shawn Bolz and Todd White. Bolz’s misdeeds include faking words of knowledge, while the accusations against White include embellishing and even making up stories of healings.

Last year, the big story involved Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris, who stepped down after admitting to inappropriate sexual behavior after facing decades-old allegations of child sexual abuse. 

These sorts of things can be devastating, not just to the people directly affected, but to the church as a whole. The Catholic Church, especially in places like Newfoundland and Ireland, suffered severe long-term decline as a result of clergy sexual abuse scandals.

I can empathize with those who feel like giving up on the church in light of such terrible news reports. My own father, who was a pastor for half a century, had at least one extra-marital affair. When God’s representative falls, it can lead to a lessening of faith in God Himself.

But that is something we as Christians must not let happen. As referenced in the title of this reflection, the old saying about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater urgently applies here.

Simply put, it makes no sense to let the failings of people interfere with the most important thing we have, our relationship with God.

Actually, the Bible tells us many times to expect this sort of thing.

In 2 Peter 2:1 (NIV) we read, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” In Matthew 7:8 (NIV) Jesus Himself says, ““Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

Unfortunately, there are always going to be some clergy members who will be guilty of bad behaviour. But it is also important to remember that the majority of pastors lead exemplary lives.

And it’s even more important in this season of cleansing to keep our eyes on God, not on man. We serve God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, not Shawn Bolz, Todd White or Robert Morris.