One of Bob Malm’s favorite phrases is, “Let go and let God,” a hackneyed and trite bit of jingoism. Leaving aside the inherently suspect nature of pseudo spiritual babble of this sort, it is ironic to see how little credence Bob places in his own advice.
In the instant case, few would contend with a straight face that there is, at this point, any possible upside for Bob or Grace Church. Bob’s repeated misconduct and abuse of power has forged an ardent alliance of opponents, none of whom are going to ratchet back their opposition any time soon. Meanwhile, details of Bob’s actions are well known to the public, and will reflect badly on The Episcopal Church for years to come.
In his most recent moves, Bob has shown an utter lack of scruples that has only exacerbated the situation. Family members have found renewed energy, and more than one major news outlet is now looking into the story. Additionally, the time, stress, pressure and drain on resources caused by Bob’s actions can only serve to further erode the increasingly shaky paradigm at Grace Church.
Yet Bob continues to pretend and try to bluff his way through things. In so doing, Bob leads the church into an increasingly unhealthy situation—one that will prove damaging to the parish over time.
Maybe it’s time for Bob to take his own advice and simply give it a rest.