Dear Bishop Long
Dear Bishop Long: As a fellow pastor, I am glad to see that you are studying scripture and praying as you confront the allegations of pastoral misconduct from four of your young followers. I see that you are comparing yourself to David as a young man in battle with Goliath. I appreciate your identification with David, a young man battling powerful odds. However, you might find it interesting to study the older David, the flawed and imperfect leader we read about in II Samuel.
As a fellow pastor, I am glad to see that you are studying scripture and praying as you confront the allegations of pastoral misconduct from four of your young followers.
I see that you are comparing yourself to David as a young man in battle with Goliath. I appreciate your identification with David, a young man battling powerful odds. However, you might find it interesting to study the older David, the flawed and imperfect leader we read about in II Samuel. David, the powerful king, who, upon seeing Bathsheba, decided he would take her. David, who impregnated Bathsheba, then tried to manipulate her husband to believe that he was the father. When that failed, David had Uriah, her husband, killed in battle so that then he could “have” Bathsheba with no interference.
This is the David who did everything necessary to have what he wanted. He took advantage of one of his subjects who was given no choice in the matter. He misused his considerable power. Sometimes it is difficult to see ourselves in this story and to see how easy it can be to lose sight of the boundaries in our roles as pastoral leaders.
When you study this passage, be sure to include II Samuel 12:1-15. This is the important part. This is where David’s friend, Nathan, risks telling the King the truth about himself. Nathan uses a metaphor about a rich, powerful man who takes a lamb from a poor farmer in order to serve his guest. The King took what he wanted and took advantage of the poor man. David is outraged at this injustice and suggests that the rich man should die for it. Then Nathan speaks truth to power: “You are the man.”
Finally, David sees through the mirror clearly and realizes he is the man, that he has sinned against God and his neighbor and that God is not pleased. If you are fortunate, you will have a Nathan in your life who can help you see clearly that when there are boundary violations in pastoral relationships, it is the misuse of power.
Your sister in Christ,
Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune
FaithTrust Institute
www.faithtrustinstitute.org
To Bishop Long