It Could Happen to Anyone

My first response was one of indignation. More immoral behavior by people in the public sphere. It was another sign of decay in our cultural mores.

As more information leaked, I felt like I was watching a Junior High romantic triangle unfold before my eyes. Although it was more complicated than things are in Junior High. Paula Broadwell, a married, 40 year old West Point graduate with an advanced degree from Harvard and who is working on a PhD from King’s College in London, England, had an extra marital affair with General David Petraeus, Director of the CIA. She suspected that Jill Kelley, a socialite from Tampa, Florida, was doing the same and Broadwell had written numerous emails accusing Kelley of being inappropriate with General Petraeus. I am not sure exactly what the content of the emails may have been. Maybe something like, “Keep away from my man. I was having an affair with him first!” Reports of the content of the emails was “cat fight kind of stuff.”

Seriously? Grown, mature women in a Junior High like cat-fight over a married man?

If it wasn’t so sad, it would be laughable.

Much of the reporting has been over the concern whether or not the security of the United States had been compromised.

After a while, I began to reflect differently. A 60 year old highly educated, highly decorated and highly respected career military leader had an inappropriate relationship with a 40 year old highly educated, high achieving, respected woman, who in turn wrote threatening emails to another woman. How does this happen?

Television programs began trotting out psychologists and counselors all offering their theories of what leads to this kind of thing. Power, invincibility, ego needs, and thrill seeking are all offered as reasons. I listened with interest.

Then I began to personalize the whole situation. Am I sure I would never do anything like this? I bet David Petraeus thought that was the case before it happened to him. Intelligence, education, achievement and high moral standards are not assurances against lapses in judgment and immorality. The bible is full of people who engaged in similar behavior. David is the most obvious example. His personal byline in scripture is that he had a “heart for God.” He still failed morally.

We all need to be aware that we are vulnerable to this kind of behavior and should never be naive enough to believe “this could never happen to me.”

Once I got over my “moral outrage” and my cynicism about “Junior High” behavior by mature, educated and successful people, I had to look in the mirror and say, “God help me. Protect me, O Lord, from walking down that path, and deliver me from the illusion that I might be immune.”

It could happen to anyone, including us!