LETTER FROM THE PULPIT FOR AUGUST 2008

 

 It seems to me that modern British Society is characterised by two distinct, and unhelpful attitudes.  We are very quick to blame and we are very slow to take responsibility for anything.  Such attitudes we might expect to be found amongst the young.  I am sure that we are all familiar with the cry, ‘It wasn’t my fault, he/she made me do it !’ It was on the lips of Adam and Eve in the creation story.  More often than not it is on the lips of children..  It is something that previous generations expected a child to grow out of, as they matured and were able to accept responsibility for their actions. 

 In modern British Society there seems to be no such sense of growing up and reaching maturity - quite the contrary.  All around us we see evidence of the blame culture, people making excuses for their behaviour and looking for a scapegoat to blame for their actions.  Endless excuses are offered as a means of explaining behaviour, and very few people seem prepared to own up, to accept what they have done.

 It would seem today, that all that is bad in the world, can be lain at the door of some unfortunate group or individual.  The role call of those, other than ourselves, who are responsible for our actions can be quite exhaustive!  However such an attitude destroys trust and undermines the foundations of a just and fair society.   The erosion of trust removes the very cement that holds society together.  There is no cohesion and so society crumbles to dust.

 As a nation we have not yet arrived at that point when society collapses, but it seems to me that we are not many miles away from that reality.  As with Global Warming, once a certain point is reached, there is no way that we can go back. 

So whilst there is still time, whilst we can still turn the clock back, step back from the abyss, let each of us take responsibility for our actions and behaviour, and in so doing change society for the better.

Nigel