The danger of not knowing

I uploaded the link to WhatsApp for today's Morning Prayer as soon as I woke up just after eight. After breakfast I went to the Eucharist at St John's. There were eight of us present. After lunch I collected my prescription from the surgery got the medication at the chemist's opposite. The pharmacist who handed it over asked me if I'd like a lateral flow covid test pack and gave me one to take home. It's a small shop and well placed as a pick up point, but I imagine the staff need to reduce stocks pretty rapidly as the boxes take up a huge amount of storage space when just delivered. Then I went for a walk in the park. Clare followed me out of the house after her siesta fifteen minutes later, and we finished our walk together as the sun set. The sky was beautiful again, so romantic.

Then I recorded next week's Morning Prayer audio and reflection and edited them before supper, and that felt like enough work for today. I didn't feel like another evening of photo negative digitzation, so I spent the evening watching episodes of a Norwegian crimmie, about a young female profiler who specialises in identifying perpetrators of violent crimes against women. A very sharp portrayal of institutionalise sexism in criminal investigations, particularly in deeply rural areas where change comes slowly.

The controversy over Downing Street drinks parties continues to divide the Tory party against itself, while support for Boris Johnson is eroding, He has admitted making mistakes, errors of judgement, but is still in office and not talking about resigning until the investigation into conduct in top government offices during covid restrictions is published. He doesn't seem to recognise that admitting he didn't know about the rules governing conduct in his suite of offices is to my mind a revelation of his unfitness for office. 

The same can be said about former Pope Benedict, who in his days as Cardinal Archbishop of Munich had several known sexually abusive clergy deployed in his diocese. This has been revealed as the result of an an investigation into historic cases. He says he was not aware of it. In the same era it may be said, Archbishop George Carey declined to investigate sex abuse allegations against the charismatic Bishop Peter Ball. Or in both cases did both prelates exercise the benefit of the doubt unjustifiably and regrettably with hindsight?

Since then a change is culture has developed in the churches, and now as well as sexual abuse, bullying and manipulative behaviour is being faced up to and treated as unacceptable, an offence against the Gospel. An environment in which safeguarding the health and well being of others is seen as necessary is laudable. It's not entirely natural when society as a whole is still over tolerant of violence in sport and entertainment. Safeguarding must be learned through a raising of consciousness in looking out for each other. It's a challenge to maintain the effort.