Accountability

As details of the appalling suffering of Baby P emerged in recent days, shock and disbelief gave rise to questions of accountability. Quite rightly, no one doubts that the men who inflicted such horrific injuries on the 17-month-old caused his death, but could social services have acted to prevent it? Could the government have acted to address alleged failings in Haringey social services’ child protection?

It’s in order to answer these kinds of questions that various inquiries into the tragedy have been launched. ‘If there are failures,’ commented children’s minister Ed Balls, ‘then there’s got to be accountability.’

Similarly, we might view the suspension of Jersey’s police chief as the natural consequence of his being accountable for the now discredited investigation into alleged abuses in the Haut de la Garenne children’s home. Elsewhere, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has been informed that he must account to both the police and the FA for his altercation with members of the crowd at a recent match.

This week’s readings see Jesus hold the teachers of the law and Pharisees accountable for their pastoral failings of God’s people. As we’ll discover, Jesus doesn’t mince his words – a biblical precedent for taking issues of accountability seriously.

Several times over, Jesus labels their failings as hypocrisy – a charge often levelled at Christians today. Hypocrisy is play-acting – an outward charade that consciously and deliberately masks the inner reality. This is what Christ so savagely condemns.

Doubtless we can be guilty of hypocrisy, and these readings might well give us cause to repent. We need to be careful, however, that we don’t allow misjudged accusations to cause us to interpret as hypocrisy the honest mistakes that are inevitable as we journey and grow in faith.

Like us, Jesus’ first disciples were far from perfect, yet our readings this week close with Jesus assuring them that those who persevere in the faith will be saved.

Nigel Hopper