Embarrassment

After this incident recently, David Camerons response was ""If any other politician got stuck on a zip wire it would be disastrous.With Boris it's a triumph... London is lucky to have him.". It made me think, why is is so good to have a politician who seems to be immune to embarrassment?

The response of so many MPs to the expenses scandal was similarly nonchalant. "We were only claiming what we were entitled to" they seemed to say. In so many cases, there was no embarrassment at what had gone on. there was no sense of having let people down. Some of them did, and credit to them, but not all, and even some of those who were prosecuted wanted to argue that these were not affairs that the courts should have jurisdiction over.

I may be out of step here, but I want my politicians to have a sense of shame when they do something that is wrong, a cause of embarrassment, to attempt to hold up the dignity of their office. We seem to have lost that, rather, so many seem to think that they are entitled to run the country, and get lots of money for doing so. There is something about our political system that seems to encourage this, not least because it is endemic in all of the main parties. I wish I had answers, but I think we need to ask the questions.

It is also sad that I see some of the same problems in the church, worldwide. Church leaders who do not know what embarrassment is, and make the church look stupid. They speak on subject that they clearly know nothing about, because, obviously, as Gods people, they are right on every subject. They make claims on subjects that they should know about, and demonstrate their ignorance and prejudice. They issue statements without, apparently, any understanding of how they will be received.

Church leaders, even more than other Christians, need to be learners. Actually, we should all be learners, whatever our situation, but for those who call themselves Christians, the drive should be because we need to learn more of God in new and different ways, in ways that challenge us. Before we make public declarations on topics, we should be prepared to learn - and as a blogger, I would include myself in this. And all Christians who might make public statements should make sure they know about how the media works. Leaders of all sorts should, I believe, be involved in social media, an understand the effect that this can have.

And I am sorry, but Boris should hold his head in shame for getting caught trussed up like that, in the middle of an Olympics that are showing that the UK can organise global events with a relaxed efficiency, and deliver a stunning Olympics.