Barnabas File

Were you alive when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on  January 28, 1986?  The crew of seven all died including a civilian,  Christa McAuliffe, the first “teacher in space.”  The investigation that followed indicated that the fatal flaw that caused the disaster were rubber “O-ring” seals in the shuttle boosters that deteriorated due to the cold temperatures prior to launch.  Although this design concern had been raised earlier, no one took it seriously until the explosion of the shuttle and the deaths of all on board.   During this Coronavirus pandemic, we are faced with challenges that we have not faced before, both personally and professionally.  As we seek to respond, we find flaws not only in ourselves but in the organizations in which we work.  These flaws were always there but did not rise to the surface until the crisis.   To think specifically about faith-based organizations such as churches,...