While out on a walk in the first week of April, as we passed one house, I noticed a dog standing silently, watching us go by. Typically as we walk through the neighborhood, a cacophony of canine alarms are triggered as dog after dog senses us approaching their homes. They appear at their fences, running, ramming, and at times nearly jumping them; they charge down their driveways – some into the street – to warn us away; they even pop up in their windows from inside to add their muffled noise to the outdoor uproar. And they keep up this vigil till we’re well out of sight. But this dog just stood, silently, watching. Was something wrong with this docile doggy? It was one of those moments when the Lord used a seemingly insignificant situation to begin downloading significant revelation that I’m still trying to unpack.
The leaders who are to guard the people [His watchmen] are blind; they don’t know what they are doing [lack knowledge; are ignorant]. All of them are like quiet [mute; or muzzled] dogs that don’t know how to [cannot] bark. They lie down and dream and love to sleep. Isaiah 56:10 EXB
As many are aware, the Body of Christ has been through shock wave after shock wave in the past few years as well-known leaders have been exposed. For some, the exposures have unmasked them as wolves who’ve preyed on the flock for decades. Others have engaged in decades long cover ups, evading the full confession, repentance, and accountability to victims and the church for past preying that should have taken place long ago. Impact after impact has left many shattered and sifting through the fallout, and a cry from the ashes has ascended from those bravely advocating for victims, “WHERE ARE THE TRUE SHEPHERDS AND LEADERS!? WHY ARE THEY SILENT!?”
I deeply empathize with their scandalization.
I’m sure many of us have been crushed by the silence, absence, and lack of care and prayer from others in the midst of crisis. In such times, the Lord has profoundly ministered to me from the accounts of the Good Samaritan, Jesus’ own test when faced with slumbering and forsaking friends in His time of greatest need, the sheep and goats of Matthew 25, and the unfaithful shepherds of Ezekiel 34. These accounts, among others, teach us that Jesus takes personally and seriously not only sins of commission, but also sins of omission – though this is something we may rarely, if ever, hear taught.
Of course, most believe there’s not just one answer to this question of why many leaders have been silent; it’s complicated. One advocate I respect recently asserted that there are only two choices – either people are silent because they haven’t heard what’s happened, or they HAVE heard, but just don’t care. But I don’t believe it’s that simple. While I appreciated his passionate plea for people to stand up for the victims, it may be helpful to consider other reasons people may not speak.
Lack of Knowledge
The prophet Isaiah affirms this advocate’s point that ineffective watchdogs are at times mute because they lack knowledge or are ignorant. While this could mean they’re legitimately clueless about what’s happening, we might also apply this to those who have heard, but remain silent because they don’t have all the facts. Though more than enough information may be released, many don’t have time to sufficiently research, listen to all the testimonies, and read all the posts and articles to adequately assess and discern the truth of each situation. With so many simultaneous scandals, it seems like it would be more than a full time job to keep up with it all. So rather than rush to judgment and speak to things they feel ignorant about, some silently watch what they can from a distance… and hopefully pray.
Some declared this silence would only be temporary, stating their intent was to wait for the findings of the investigative reports (where available), hoping a professional could gather all relevant facts in one place and help discern their credibility. But even these lengthy compilations have been imperfect – leaving out important details, lacking comprehensive scope, and resulting in frustrations or disputes. When victims and advocates say these investigations understate the problems, and those protecting the accused say they overstate them (then reject the findings and rewrite their own), those trying to discern truth may still be left uncertain of what to believe. In some cases, this has provoked victims and advocates to release even longer, more comprehensive compilations of testimonies… but few have had time to read them all.
While the victims and advocates invite all to stand with them and speak up for what’s right, I believe their primary call has been directed to those who are close to the situation, who personally know the leaders involved. It’s to those who have “laid hands” on these leaders and their ministries, whether literally or by platforming and/or promoting them, and who therefore “share in their sin” (I Tim 5:22) – especially if they continue to protect and promote them rather than protecting victims and the church. These leaders have a responsibility to pursue an unbiased knowledge of the facts “without prejudice” or “partiality” in order to help bring clarity, to promote proper church discipline and accountability, uphold the qualifications for elders, and hopefully offer help and healing for victims (I Tim 5:19-22). And sadly, the victims aren’t limited to those directly abused, but also include all who have been deceived – many of whom are deconstructing their faith and turning from the Truth (The Person, His Word, and church) due to disillusionment from being deceived by His supposed representatives.
No Perceived Conviction or Calling
I heard one minister who was being encouraged to speak defend his silence by saying he doesn’t jump into such situations unless He believes the Lord specifically directs him to. That sounds like wisdom…. Yet I also wonder what the “priests and Levites“ told themselves as they passed on the other side of the road. We probably all have some idea, since we’ve likely all been guilty of it at some point.
“I don’t have time to get involved,” “I’m too busy with what God called me to do,” “This is none of my business,” “I don’t know that victim,” “This isn’t my jurisdiction,” “This looks messy,” “Getting involved would be too costly (in various ways),” etc.
I’ve also heard advocates say they believe they were called to do what they’re doing. Some have even said they were called to stand up precisely because the leaders who should have spoken were silent. The parallels to the parable of the Good Samaritan should not be overlooked. While many well respected “priests and Levites” have not stopped and stooped to help the victims, a handful of “Samaritans,” looked down on, disregarded, and rejected by the elite ministerial class, have compassionately intervened.
Certainly it’s wisdom to ask the Lord what He would have us do or say. (I’m only speaking now because I’m persuaded He’s confirmed to do so.) And really, we should hope and pray it’s only those the Lord is actually compelling and calling who will stand and speak. This should be painfully apparent after witnessing others jump into the fray who don’t appear to have sincerely sought the Lord, nor possess accurate knowledge. We’ve likely all experienced and observed how zeal without knowledge can cause more harm than good (Prov 19:2). Interactions with “Job’s friends,” who offer ill comfort and poor counsel, can often end up in victim-blaming and adding insult to injury. Though I’m sure they meant well, I wonder whether Job would have ultimately preferred if those friends had just remained silent, as they had in the beginning, despite how hurtful silence can be. Here, lack of knowledge can apply to the lack of trauma-informed training and care still present in far too many churches.
I imagine victims and advocates would agree that it’s better for those who are “ignorant” and “lack knowledge” to stay seated and keep their mouth off the situation, rather than to jump in ill-informed and make a bigger mess of confusion and pain – as we’ve seen in tragic ways with those who’ve re-victimized the victims and defended the offenders. Ideally, though, the hope would be for all to seek wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and be able to offer appropriate care and prayer.
For those who actually know enough to be responsible to help (In God’s estimation), but stand aloof like some in Job, or pass by the broken and bleeding and neglect to reach out to the least of these, the reasons could be many: Busyness – Self-absorption – Self-preservation – Indifference – Feeling Inadequate to Help – Deception – Prejudice – Misjudgment – Fear, to name a few.… Isaiah said, some are ineffective watchdogs because they lie down, dream, and love to sleep, representing apathy and complacency. This category is where the advocate’s assertion – that those who know yet remain silent must not care – may find merit in certain cases.
If you [profess ignorance and] say, Behold, we did not know this, does not He Who weighs and ponders the heart perceive and consider it? And He Who guards your life, does not He know it? And shall not He render to [you and] every man according to his works? Proverbs 24:12
But I believe others do care.
For those who perceive no calling because they feel they’re insignificant and their voice is inconsequential, we should learn a lesson from the little dogs in the neighborhood. They don’t sit silently by, leaving it up to the big dogs in the area to make enough noise to protect their house from threats. They are undeterred by their humble size and take their responsibility to sound the alarm seriously.
“Speak up [ Open your mouth] for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of all those who have nothing [vulnerable/fragile people]. Speak up [ Open your mouth] and judge fairly [with righteousness], and defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9
