Meddling vs. Accountability

One of my FAVORITE movies is The Princess Bride. It is probably as close to perfect as a movie can get. I will fall on this particular sword on any day that ends in "y." Here is a clip from the movie that sets us up for today's discussion.

Accountability and interference are two different things. Accountability and meddling are two different things. I recently approached a person with the position and power necessary to inject some much needed accountability into a situation that has long since passed the point of lunacy. I was told "we simply cannot interfere in their governance." In other words, "We can't meddle." I agree. I'm not asking for the daily consumption of sticky notes and paper clips to be monitored.  I am asking for someone with the appropriate amount of investment and involvement to stand up for what is right. That's the difference...this person represents an organization with a long term, vested interest in this situation. Not some random individual from off the street. Someone who has skin in the game...someone with personal and professional credibility on the line. Someone who could probably bring this uproar to a close.

Meddling requires no investment or involvement and it is anything BUT helpful. Accountability is everything that meddling isn't...requires the things that meddling doesn't. Accountability can do things that meddling can't and never will...like preserving credibility and integrity, protecting one's Christian witness. It provides a set of guard rails and expectations that keep a relationship in good order. All relationships need accountability..marital, familial, those with friends, those with our jobs, those with ministries/organizations that we support financially. Accountability provides a barrier against the things that can distract and destroy a relationship. 

Clarity, commitment, and courage are required for accountability. I wish I had come up with that on my own, but I didn't. Here's the link to the article. Think about it....you have to understand the purpose of the relationship and the players involved. What's happened and to whom? That's clarity. Sorting through the details and information isn't always an easy task. Looking for truth and defending it isn't something for the faint of heart. You can't stop when things get hard or when you don't like what you learn. Commitment and courage. Maybe the problem with accountability is that these basic things are lacking in modern society. We are so distracted by how easy...how disposable...how on-demand everything is,  that we don't like it when the going gets tough. 

In case you missed it, life is tough. Period. Back to The Princess Bride, The Dread Pirate Roberts instructs Princess Buttercup that "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something." We make it tougher by the things we do and the things we say. Or, in the case of my call for accountability, those that we don't.