Years ago, not long before #MeToo got going, some friends of mine listed some men in public life they thought could be abusers behind the scene. One felt particularly vindicated when Matt Lauer, at the top of her list, was exposed and fired.

We also heard the accusations from a string of women who worked with Harvey Weinstein, who was found guilty this week of sexual abuse charges brought by two of his victims. His verdict is now considered a landmark case in the #MeToo movement. But for years, Weinstein’s behavior—to some extent—was supposedly an “open secret” in Hollywood.

Sadly, we’ve come across a few cases in the church where people apparently knew about misbehavior and either didn’t do anything to address it or weren’t in a position to push for accountability. When the allegations around John Crist came forward in a Charisma article, some Christians admitted it wasn’t the first time they heard that the comedian went too far sexting and pursuing his female fans.

“My friends are telling me this was known a while ago about John Crist. It’s not that women who were damaged by his behavior have been hiding somewhere or sweeping this under the rug. They were speaking up, but very few people were listening,” wrote Ed Stetzer last fall. “It is crucial that we listen now— and sooner next time.”

In other cases, the allegations have come as a shock to the Christian world, where we want to be able to trust our leaders, their character, and their responsibility to steward their people well. I don’t think any of us on the outside had L’Arche founder Jean Vanier, known for his inclusive communities bringing together people with and without disabilities, on a list of suspicious or potentially abuse Christian leaders. In fact, he was celebrated for his theology of Christ-like love and honoring the humanity in others.

But a lengthy investigation by the organization he founded, which began just months before his death last year at age 90, found that the late Catholic lay leader had coerced at least a half dozen women into sex, often under the guise of spiritual counseling. We grieve for the victims he hurt, almost more so knowing that the man who caused them such pain was being venerated as a near-saint.

I have read posts from people on Twitter as well as CT writers trying to make sense of Vanier’s abuse, why we didn’t know about it earlier, and what lessons our neglect could reveal for us. Remember all of us have a sinful side? Trust no one? Be cynical about your heroes? I hope there’s a way for us to be realistic about evil and sin—and to take all measures to keep even those we trust in check—without losing hope in our expectations that the church embody the character of the Savior we follow. (We have more coming on this topic in CT, so stay tuned.)

Kate