boundaries

Those people who know me realize that I am not a person who enjoys many rules in life. The cliche` “rules are made to be broken” is a phrase that I like to use.

But in ministry, I chose to keep boundaries in tact. There are many little rules [official and unofficial] that I am unwilling to give up on. My biggest fear is that one day my ministry will end because of an allegation of sexual misconduct. Ministry tends to be intensely personal, and when a person seeks to destroy you, they tend to go for the jugular. For that reason, I have clearly drawn lines that I won’t cross in regards to the opposite sex. (I’m not so worried about same sex since everyone knows what a homophobe I am!)

But every once in a while a student will push those boundaries. She will want me to cross a line that I am unwilling to cross. And, just like this week, I’ve had to draw the boundary clearly. So, the role I hate, an enforcer, I have to become in order to protect something I love as much as anything else in the world.

So, to anyone who cares. You need to know that I am a man who has boundaries. I don’t always like them… But they are there and I will not cross them.