What Billy Can Teach Jack(o)
Category: Faith...
Posted Saturday, December 06, 2003 at 10:10 PM [GMT-6]

As I watch with less than rapt attention the unfolding of the predicament that Michael Jackson has created for himself, I can't help but marvel at the sheer stupidity of the man.

I don't know if Jacko did the things he's accused of, and I will readily acknowledge that someone like him is an attractive target for such accusations, false or otherwise. But that's not the point, at least not for purposes of this post.

The point is this: it takes only a smidgen of common sense, coupled with a pinch of self-control, to keep from putting oneself in a position where the simple appearance of wrongdoing opens the door for all kinds of accusations.

It's instructive to observe how another incredibly well-known man accomplishes this. Billy Graham has appeared in front of more people through the decades than Michael Jackson can even dream about. Dr. Graham is careful to avoid situations that have even the appearance of impropriety; his refusal to ride on an elevator alone with a woman who is not his wife is well documented. He understands that his life is under a microscope, and behaves accordingly.

I'm no Billy Graham, but his example has influenced me. For example, I work from a home office and while most of my clients have their own offices, occasionally one of them will also be home-officed. When those clients are female, I always make sure that our meetings take place in a public setting...at a coffee shop, for example. (And even that makes me a little nervous, as I also understand that that setting could give rise to speculation.) If a female client drops something by the house when my wife is not at home, I go outside to visit with her and, impolite as it may sound, never invite her inside.

This precaution may seem obvious to some, and paranoid to others, but it's for my client's protection as well as mine. This is one way I attempt to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing.

Michael Jackson would be in a much better position had he exercised some of the same common sense. Even the most innocent of motives doesn't justify allowing children to spend the night in your house (let alone in your bed) without their parents. A man of his resources could easily have arranged to have the parents always present, along with someone from his own retinue. The fact that such a simple precaution was never employed makes one think that Jackson is either clueless or guilty, or both.

Regardless of how this current mess plays out for Michael Jackson, a little "avoidance behavior" could have prevented a lot of grief. I'm sure Billy Graham would be happy to provide Jacko with some valuable counsel.