Trust Isn’t Transitive
I read an interesting post from someone who works with computer security. He uses the example of a pilot who shot a hole in a plane cockpit by accident.
There is an interesting statement in the original story, “if somebody who has the ability to fly a 747 across the Pacific wants a gun, you give it to them.” I would not agree. Someone needs to be good with a plane before I trust them with a plane, and they need to be good with a gun before I trust them with a gun.
This issue pops up continually in church security and safety. There are many people that I trust at the church to do certain things, but that does not mean they get the master keys or alarm codes. I saw a list of people who have been entrusted with master keys over the years and we know in hindsight that several of them were far from trustworthy.
When trusting someone with a security responsibility, you cannot immediately assume that their spiritual status gives them the discernment necessary for every other task. Judge an individual according to the job to be performed, not by their success in unrelated areas.
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