Lewis “Scooter” Libby

One of my favorite questions for my kids is, “Why?” I want them to be critical thinkers. I would like them to be able to look around them and ask that Kennedy question, “Why not?” When they are dishonest about their actions, or at least “less than honest,” I always want to know why.

When a person is convicted or convinced of their sins, its healthy and helpful to ask, “why did I do that?” Applying that logic to the recent conviction of Scooter Libby results in more questions than answers.

Though the jury found no evidence of a smear campaign, one must remember that such was not their task.

As a pastor, I’m very much interested in the notions of temptation, transgression, repentance, and forgiveness. So I’m curious as to what tempted him to lie? What possible reason would a respected government official possess to commit the felony of perjury?

Now that we have seen a jury determine that he indeed lied to the Grand Jury, one has to ask, “why?”

The jury didn’t buy the notion that he “forgot.” His notes indicate that the Vice-President was the initial source of the information, with the information supported by Armitage and Rove. 1 Juror Denis Collins revealed that the jury didn’t buy the notion that he had forgotten the information. “Mr. Libby either was told by or told to people about Mrs. Wilson at least nine times,” Collins said. “You don’t just forget what you know.” 1

Every week, our congregation participates in a prayer of confession and pardon to celebrate the forgiveness that Christ has provided for us. Forgiveness and pardon aren’t the same thing. Forgiveness is the re-establishment of right relationship. Pardon is the removal of blame and punishment. Forgiveness is unconditional, in my mind. Pardon is not.

The fact that our prayer of confession and pardon is corporate indicates that many of our wrongs, mistakes, and sins are accomplished with help. Could this be an isolated sin? Absolutely. Is that likely? No.

Many of our sins in life are a result of broken relationships; relationships that encourage misdirection and falsehood under the guise of subtlety and discretion. Or relationships that are based on using and discarding one another when inconvenience sets in.