It’s now been about 3 weeks since my tenure at Romeo ended. And I’m only now starting to realize something that really stunk. We lived under a microscope.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just pastors and it’s not just in this small town. There are a lot of people in the public eye in their communities that suffer from this. And it’s not right.
It happens so subtly that you barely notice it. And yet as the weight of prying eyes on myself and my family gradually releases we realize that we were surrounded by unrealistic expectations.
I think there is a general fascination in our culture with people in the public arena. How many television programs daily broadcast the personal lives of “celebrities?” It really is a sick and demented segment of our society that does this to individuals and families.
So let me speak on behalf of church staff everywhere. It’s perfectly acceptable to put your pastor under the microscope. It really is part of the job as you try to determine if that person is who they say they are. When we enter into public ministry we accept that responsibility that our every move can and will be scrutinized. But leave families out of it.
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