Juan McFarland, ek samay par Montgomery, Alabama ke Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church ke prabhavit karne wale pastor the. Unka naam tab surkhiyaon mein aaya jab 2014 mein unhone apni congregation ke samne ek chaukane wala khulasa kiya. Unhone maana ki ve HIV-positive hain aur apni bimari ke baare mein chhupate hue, church ke kai members ke saath sharirik sambandh banaye rakhe. Yeh sunte hi poora samudaay hila uthaa. Trust aur faith jahan ek pastor ki pehchaan hote hain, wahin McFarland ka yeh swikaarna church aur samudaay ke liye ek bada dhakka tha.
McFarland ke is khulase ke turant baad church ne unke khilaf kadam uthaya aur unka pastor ka pad chheen liya. Unpar na sirf dharmik netritva ke galat istemal ka aarop laga, balki vishwas todne ka bhi ilzaam laga. Unke is vyavahar ne church ke logon ke beech ek vishwas ka sankat khada kar diya, jisme kai logon ne dharmik netritva par hi sawal uthana shuru kar diya. Yeh ek aisa maamla tha jisme na sirf unka apmaan hua balki unke church ki pratishtha bhi daav par lag gayi.
Jab McFarland ko church se nikal diya gaya, tabse unke jeevan ke baare mein bahut kam jankari saamne aayi hai. Kayi reports ke anusaar unhone apna jeevan media aur public se door rakhne ka faisla kiya. Na toh unka kahin koi public statement aaya aur na hi unhone kisi naye dharmik sangathan se judne ki koshish ki. Aise maamle aksar samudaay mein lambi charcha ka vishay bante hain, lekin dheere-dheere yeh mamla lokpriya media se gayab ho gaya.
McFarland ki kahani ek bada sabak deti hai ki imaandari aur dayitva ek neta ke liye kitne zaroori hote hain. Jab ek dharmik neta apne samudaay ka vishwas todta hai, to uska prabhav sirf ek vyakti tak simit nahi rehta, balki poore samudaay par padta hai. Is ghatna ne ek ahem mudde ko ubhara – ki kya dharmik netaon ki accountability ko aur majboot banane ki zaroorat hai? Kya ek baar ek pastor ya dharmik neta ka vishwas todne par unhe dobara mauka diya jana chahiye?
Aaj, Juan McFarland kahan hain, yeh ab bhi ek raaz hai. Shayad unhone apni galtiyon se seekh kar ek naya jeevan shuru kiya ho, ya phir wah ab bhi apne ateet ke bhutkal se jujh rahe ho. Jo bhi ho, unka yah ghatna ek misaal hai ki imaandari aur dayitva har jagah, har samay zaroori hote hain.