Scapegoating-- Or the failure to say, "it me, O Lord."

Rene Girard has always been one of my favorite philosophers. In the work of Rene Girard I have been able to find the mimic characters of our lives. That is to say, in Girard, I have often seen both myself and those whom I relate to on various levels. In one of his more famous, and certainly one of my most favorite works, Girard unpacks the human penchant of creating scapegoats and giving moral character to the scapegoating efforts.

I am one of the members of the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. Yesterday, as we were interviewing candidates we faced the harrowing reality that one of our interviewees was not yet fit for Christian ministry within the United Methodist Church. Please understand we did not believe that this candidate could never be ready, just simply that at this moment they are not ready.

Now it is true that on several levels I was the one who asked this candidate the tough questions. Furthermore, I was the one who suggested that we needed to see significantly more growth and thought put into the answers. However, as the committee cast its ballot it became very clear that this candidate would not pass muster during this cycle. Each person in the room was pained to know that we had to share with this one that we did not vote affirmative for them. However, we also knew that the church was what was at stake-- not just the emotions and feelings of the candidate!!!!

We voted, we shard, she exploded! I must tell you I wish that someone else in the room had asked the tough questions, I wish that someone else in the room had pointed out her weaknesses. However, such was not the case! Our candidate became myoptically convinced that one member of the committee was at fault. One member of the committee needed to be replaced, removed, elimanted. To be honest, while I am glad that I do not have to meet with this very immature person again my confidence in our system is a bit shaken. Not shaken to the core, not even shaken beyond believing in our ability to make good decisions. Just simply shaken!

There is an old African American hymn that I think of often in the midst of life. I generally do not like personal pronouns in hymns. However, this hymn is an exception because this hymn suggest that the one holding the bag of broken-ness is not the one I point at but is me. I suspect that if Christians and particularlly those studying for the ministry could remember the proclamation "its me, its me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer . . ." It might be profoundly helpful.