There are a lot of feelings about Lillian Daniels’ new memoir and about my previous post about it. Feelings are important. I titled my post “Read This Book Unless You Can’t” and I meant that. I wasn’t promoting the book for everyone. But frankly it was a helpful read for me to process my own experiences. Maybe I should have called that post “Read This Book Unless You Can’t or You Won’t.” Anger and pain continue to simmer when someone we know to be a @$%! continues to be tolerated much less respected by people who don’t know what we know.
There are things I know about certain colleagues that make me want to poke my eyes out especially when I learn that they just got a sweet promotion or they got a slap on the wrist for something that broke the hearts of countless innocent people into shards. And so I share this link from United Church of Christ leaders. They are asking for:
- A new fitness review of Rev. Lillian Daniel.
- A new process of repentance and repair to be engaged for and by the author.
- The author to remove the book from circulation.
I’m grateful we serve a church that tries to hold people accountable. I especially love this part of the letter’s introduction:
We encourage people to act from their ethical and spiritual obligations.
This was the point of my last post. We all have spiritual obligations. Some of us are obliged to sit with the outcast. Some of us are obliged to sit with the victims. Some of us are obliged to hold colleagues accountable. Some of us are obliged to keep confidences. Some of us are obliged to preach hard truths. Some of us are obliged to offer compensation to victims. This is Church. We can always do better. And I apologize if I gave you the impression that offenders should not be held accountable much less benefit from their misconduct. Knowing what I know now (that LD self-published her book against the wishes of the victim) I agree that it should be removed from circulation or all proceeds should go to the victim.
