Accountability

Society likes the idea of power; more, bigger, and broader.  Machines need to be more powerful.  Favorite sports teams need to dominate all others.  Politicians talk of control, power, and status.  Corporations revolve around power.  Parents and children fight for control, determine to prove they have more power.  Yet each run, often avoids any connection with the word accountability.
 
Machines are not accountable, it is those who operate them (assuming they have the capacity).  Failure in sports is always due to something; at best the other team was better on the day, in the worse case the game was decided by the refs.  Corporations, parents, and children all strut and posture, determine to convince anyone, especially themselves that they are in charge.  Reality doesn’t matter!  Perception is the key to this game, or so we think.  If something bad happens obviously “I” did everything possible to avoid it; so I am not accountable.
 
We like to bask in the clich? that the “buck stops here”.  The question I sit mulling over this morning is a simple “does it”?  How responsible are we for what happens to the people in our lives?  Do we fight for their rights?  Do we honor their choices?  Are we there for them when they need it or when it fits our schedules?
 
Even if one ignores others, the same questions apply to our souls.  Are we taking care of our souls?  Are we nurturing our hearts, minds, and bodies?  Are we intentional in moving towards our objectives? 
 
It is far too easy to answer “no” to every question and simply begin/continue the spiral into a state of depression and despair.  We all fail at one time or another.  The better challenge to grabble with is this; what we do what we have been given stewardship over?  We have the same mandate given by Divinity to Jesus – “You put him in charge of everything human so he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.” (John 17.2)  The question is this; what will this accountability look like today?