I got a great lesson in political survival recently. Always have a story. Others recommend that there is a common plot. Key elements include the following. Things were out of your control. You tried everything. Nothing worked. Even extreme measures were not successful. What else could you have done?
The point seemed to be to have a story ready no matter what. Clearly it is helpful to have a scapegoat but that is not really necessary. The core requirement is to have a situation that others see as a problem and “so do you”. You saw the problem and alerted everyone. Of course everything possible has been tried so how can you be held responsible for what has occurred?
The bad news is that I am not an exceptional story teller. I think some stories have a clear fact line for learning however accountability should rest where decisions were taken. Make a decision, be accountable. Fail to act, be accountable. Make the wrong choice, be accountable.
Within a story there was s second story. “The sick man said, ‘Sir, when the water is stirred, I don't have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in.’” (John 5.7)
Responsible? Accountable? Perhaps. Regardless the sick man paid the price of the result.
In today’s world many of the people I work with have a very different take on what relationships mean. Some behave as if the words responsibility and accountability do not apply. Others suggest that everyone wins no matter what actually occurs. A few even go on to suggest that unless everyone wins no matter what that the situation is rigged or unfair. I think this is a world foreign to the God I know.
God is fair, so much so that mercy wins! God is accountable, paying the ultimate price so that others could understand divine character, love, and desire. God is responsible, doing everything to bring out the best is you and I. Today is our opportunity to be this and more for each other.
