Blame Culture

In these supposedly enlightened times, there seems to be one area where we as a society seem to be taking a huge backward step. It's engrained in our dealings with each other, fed to us by regular ads on the TV, reinforced by our legal system. It's the 'blame culture' we find ourselves in.

We are repeatedly told every day that 'where there's blame, there's a claim'. This constant search for compensation appeals to our base nature, encouraging us to seek material gain where we can; we see ourselves as victims, who can then seek compensation whenever we are injured. My mum and dad's generation survived hardship and gunfire when they fought during World War Two. It would appear that my own generation can only think of suing someone if they trip over a paving slab.

Yes, sometimes things happen in life that aren't your fault. However, scripture encourages us to forgive, not to blame. Yes, I know it's difficult - I've been working through some issues in my own life, deep wounds that have not healed despite many years. What has become clearer lately is that some of those wounds were clearly caused by others. And I have to forgive those who caused them before I can move on. And I have to forgive myself, too! Sometimes, dealing with these things takes so much out of us that we can't do it without Christ within us. But He wants to deal with these things too...

However, perhaps we have to consider there's issues where there's no-one else to blame - we have to accept responsibility for our own actions. If we are late for work, is it your fault or the train's? We blame the train company more often than not. If you haven't got a clean shirt in the morning, who do you blame for that? Run out of money? Perhaps you should look at some of the things you've been buying... There comes a point when you can't keep blaming other people. Remember the Serenity Prayer ? Can you easily identify the things that you can change?

Galatians 6:7 (New International Version)
A man reaps what he sows.