Was there a party in Ten Downing Street during lockdown? Or 2? Or 10? Did the Prime Minister mislead the House of Commons? While the vast majority of people stayed at home, and experienced severe loneliness, and grieved alone, and died alone, were the elites living it up and breaking the rules they put in place and expected us to keep? What will be the verdict?
Everyone has a view on this. I do. But the issue which really catches my attention is this: there needs to be an inquiry / report to discover if people in government broke the rules. Now, unless they are illiterate or insane, they already know. They wrote the rules. They knew what they could / could not do. But, the attitude is “let’s see if someone uncovers the truth”.
Why does it need an inquiry? Why can’t they be honest? Ah, but that’s the problem, isn’t it? For, as soon as we demand they own up to what they did, we have to be honest too. We have to own up to our own errors, sins, rule-breaking. And none of us want to do that. None of us want our secrets publishing. None of us want our secret desires to be known by those closest to us. None of us want our pasts to be put on display.
Those in government are responsible for their actions. They are to be dealt with in accordance with the law. They are accountable to God for their actions. And so are we: we are responsible to God for the things we do. Even those in secret. Even those in the past. But, praise the Lord, we don’t have to hide behind an inquiry or try to deflect eyes on to something else. We can come to our Saviour Jesus, who knows all of our secrets, all of our rule breaking, and has paid the price for them. We can be honest with Him. And knowing His forgiveness means we can begin to be honest with one another.
It has been said that the truth hurts. But the truth also sets us free. And the only way we can be free is to kneel at the foot of Jesus and plead for His mercy. And it’s a glorious joy that He freely gives us forgiveness. And He declares us righteous, because He has suffered for us. And He gives us new life, because He has risen from the dead.
Yes, the rules were broken in Downing Street. But, the most important rules have broken by every single one of us. We are sinners. But by trusting in Jesus, we are set free. And that’s the verdict we need most of all!
Baz the Pastor 