Posted July 9, 2010
It's so easy to see flaws in others instead of ourselves! But if we're that busy looking for fault in someone else, we likely have a much larger issue of guilt to deal with first!
There's a lot of talk in the media lately about BP—British Petroleum, that is. As the crisis drags on, coverage has deteriorated into mudslinging about who's to blame for the disaster involving Deepwater Horizon, the oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20.
The bandwagon of blame
Several weeks ago, when effects of the spill were still being assessed, there was some hope for containment. But when the "top kill" method of plugging the leak failed and the oil continued to gush, nerves became frayed, and many jumped on the bandwagon of blame.
When public discontent turned to the White House and U.S. President Obama's apparent lack of emotional response to the disaster, the president responded with an uncharacteristic on-record expletive, demanding to know who to blame.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee joined the blame game by pointing fingers at BP's safety policies, internal communications and fiscal attitudes. All that may be true, but as one article recently noted, "Shoddy oversight clearly contributed to the spill" ("Obama v BP," The Economist, June 19-25, 2010).
BP blames TransOcean, the owner of Deepwater Horizon, for a malfunctioning piece of safety equipment. TransOcean claims the fail-safe machinery was working properly just before the disaster and that Halliburton is really to blame for not properly sealing the well in the first place. Halliburton, the company commissioned to seal the pipe from the oil source to the rig, claims it merely acted on BP's instructions and blames TransOcean for an incident that could have been averted ("The BP Blame Game," The Week, May 13, 2010).
Guilt trip
What an absolute mess! In the weeks to come, as more evidence surfaces, we're likely to find not one guilty party, but several.
I'm reminded of the phrase, "When you point your finger at another, three fingers point back at you."
Jesus Christ had a very specific response to those who sought to drum up charges against others. During His famous Sermon on the Mount, He said:
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5).
It's so easy to see flaws in others instead of ourselves! But if we're that busy looking for fault in someone else, we likely have a much larger issue of guilt to deal with first!
Take it on the chin
This concept certainly isn't easy to apply. But later the apostle Peter, following Christ's example, ups the ante: "What credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God" (1 Peter 2:20). He thus made direct allusion to Jesus, who had paid the ultimate sacrifice for us all, though completely guiltless.
So what's the takeaway? In a world that seems increasingly intent on shifting the blame, reflect on your Christianity and try another tactic: No matter who is to blame , admit your mistakes, take them to God and seek His forgiveness. If you've wronged others, then go about seeking their forgiveness too. The Vertical Thought article "Calming the Waters" provides some positive guidelines.
Let's clean up this mess.
