Defending the Reputation of Others
I’ve been doing podcasts for some time now. They are fun. I learn a lot, and still have a lot to learn.
Sometimes I ask questions that lead people to mention LCMS leaders by name.
Sometimes people may say hard statements about others that I’m not prepared to respond to.
Sometimes this takes me off guard, and I don’t defend the person being named, largely because I don’t know the person well, or do not know the story behind why the guest has struggled with a fellow brother or sister in the LCMS.
Whenever this happens, violations against the Eighth Commandment get thrown around. Here is the Eighth Commandment with Luther’s Small Catechism explanation:
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.
It will not surprise anyone that sometimes I enter into relational triangles. One person has sinned against another, or been sinned against, and I hear the story. Sometimes reconciliation has occurred, other times it has not. Nonetheless, the person is still processing the effects of sinning, or being sinned against, and I hear the story.
Here is my commitment: I want to work to protect and defend the reputation of everyone. I want to encourage brothers and sisters to pick up the phone and talk to someone they may be struggling with based on something they may have heard on social media or on a podcast. This requires courage. Ask the Holy Spirit for help. Forgive. Reconcile. Unite in mission to make Jesus known.
I’ve heard some people make the excuse that the LCMS is too big for people to talk to one another. It is not. Here is my final caution: please do not engage a brother or sister that you don’t know with a spirit of self-righteous pride. You could be wrong, or at least not know the entire story.
I’ve received multiple emails recently from friends in the LCMS who disagree with either me or a guest on some point of doctrine or practice. There are two different types of emails I receive from members of the LCMS:
Emails from people humbly looking to learn and/or clarify what was shared. I respond to these emails, and often set up zoom chats.
Condemning emails of me or a guest. These emails do not get a response.
No brother or sister in the LCMS is my enemy. We are united in baptism to Christ, and the Lord’s Supper unites us in a common union with one another. We need more relational courage in the LCMS. Every time I’ve spoken to people with whom I disagree, I’ve discovered we agree on way more than we disagree on, and I actually enjoy their presence. I see how their “difference” is a gift to me and the wider Church.
Here is my prayer: There may be people in the LCMS whom you would label in a different “missional” or “confessional” camp. Please don’t let this label keep you from developing a relationship with them. Then, if you ever hear others speaking poorly about this person, you will have made a friend, and you’ll be able to defend their reputation.
I am pleased because I see more of a humble spirit among LCMS leaders at every level following the 2026 Convention. Unlikely people are talking and praying about how we can more specifically unite in mission to plant churches, revitalize churches, all for the sake of reaching the lost with the Gospel. This will allow us to more specifically protect the reputation of our brother or sister. Praise Jesus.
We would do well to live by Paul’s words in Romans 12:16: Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Comments