See the flowers

What is it that is so hard about being able to admit that you’ve done something wrong? Is it fear you’ll look stupid? That you’ll be punished? Or that you have seriously convinced yourself into believing you did nothing wrong?
Now this condition – believing that we haven’t done anything wrong - is not a new phenomenon. Way back in the biblical text, in the Garden of Eden, when Adam was caught on stealing some apples by God,  he blamed Eve. “She made me do it!” Not to be outdone, Eve blamed the snake. “He convinced me it was ok”. It’s not my fault boss! I didn’t sin.
Evasion and avoidance have long been tools in the armoury of those who deny responsibility for their actions.  Fast forward many millennia. 
I remember working with some young children, when one reached out and pushed his friend. “What did you just do?” I asked. Quick as a flash I was faced with a classic theological defence from the lips of that 4 year old.  He simply replied “The Devil made me do it!”. Wow. Out of the mouths…..
In times past, people might have been able to get away with saying and doing things that caused problems for other,  because there was no evidence of their guilt, they were effectively secret acts.  They took place  without CCTV, mobile phones and in the absence of the gaze of the world’s media. Now the dark places wherein people can try and hid from responsibility are much fewer, but this hasn’t increased the number of people accepting responsibility for what they do. 
We have created new ways to deny our culpability. At worst, it’s all fake news. At best, when caught out in making false statements, we now claim we that we “mis-spoken” but want to “put the record straight”. We might add that we are sorry that others misunderstood and that, with hindsight, we could have been clearer at the time. Anything at all to avoid accepting blame. Admitting guilt.
Recently we have become aware of the damage being done to our planet by our passive response to climate change and the active damage we do through discarding stuff of all types. We know it’s happening, but still we deny any responsibility for what’s taking place, far less accept any culpability for the state the planet is in. We feel compelled to  justify our actions. “Sure that’s too small to recycle.”  “The car is easier than the bus for me today” “No one will notice my empty can alongside all the others beside that full waste bin. The Council should have emptied it”
 Jesus suggested one solution – what we if we practiced grace and honesty? In his words, what if  we could let our Yes be Yes and our No, be No. No flannel, no mis-speaking, no evasion of responsibility. What a difference that would make. Why not try it? It is liberating.