To move from humor to vocational suicide may seem a radical shift, but I don’t think so.
In response to an article on the suicides of a couple of pastors in a recent issue of Presbyterian Outlook, Deanne A. Kemper, interim minister at Dorchester Church in Summerville, S.C. raised the issue of vocational suicide. Deanne says, “I’ve known far more who committed vocational suicide. rather than pulling a trigger, draining a pill bottle, or going off a bridge, they engaged in some egregious violation of ministerial protocol guaranteed set in motion the disciplinary machinery of presbytery. …”Suicide by presbytery” is all too common and results in tragic consequences for ministers and ministers’ marriages, families, and congregations.”
The connection I see is that humor, as I mentioned yesterday, is a possible antidote to despair. I think what Deanne is pointing to is very real at a variety of levels among clergy. Many times the result is that clergy leave the profession, but sometimes the pressures and guilt surrounding such decisions is too great. Vocational suicide sets forces in motion that are beyond the control of the individual but have an inevitable conclusion. As Deane notes, “I’ve seen sexual misconduct cases in which the offenses were so blatant it was obvious that the offender was expecting, and even wanting, to get caught.” I’m not sure that they would be able to consciously say they wanted to be caught but the result is the same.
An appropriate engagement with humor might help us all to keep a better perspective on what is happening in our lives and not allow conditions to get so bad that we engage in such desperate behavior. It might also help the accusers to avoid cruel self-righteous judgment in such cases and exhibit the type of compassion and grace that we see in Jesus’ ministry.
Ministry for some may not be all that it is cracked up to be but it shouldn’t be a way to be cracked up.
