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Good Morning

There isn鈥檛 a day goes by without a story about accountability. It鈥檚 been quite a week, this week: with questions being asked of the candidates standing in the Presidential election in France, English police forces, British Cycling and, of course, the organisers of the Shoreham Air Show.

But these examples are just the tip of the iceberg of course. I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 true in many of the organisations that you represent or know: accountability has to be embraced. If it鈥檚 not, turbulence can result and even more complex questions are raised?

It is the Latin word responere which is often translated as 鈥渢o be accountable鈥�: thus, perhaps the intrinsic and inevitable link between accountability and responsibility. Which is why a lack of accountability always makes news.

I suppose you could say that all those well tried and tested jokes about St Peter at the gates of heaven are the easiest way to start to understand a Christian theology of accountability. Is what I have done enough? Have I covered all the relevant areas? What haven鈥檛 I said?

This is certainly a key theme of St Paul writing letters to churches popping up throughout the 1st century. Using vivid language he suggests that we will be rewarded 鈥渁ccording to what we have done in the body, whether good or evil鈥�. But this is just the start!

Reflecting on our personal accountability is also a great theme of the Christian Season of Lent which is now underway. These days for Christians are imbued with notions of self-examination, remembering and reflection.

Part of the problem of course, in our own day, is all the modern technology we increasingly rely on. As Aleks Krotoski said in a recent Digital Human programme here on Radio 4, 鈥渙ur generation might be losing the ability to remember because we don鈥檛 have to anymore鈥�. But then, suddenly, to be accountable, we do. The paper trail is needed. Our actions need to be justified. This is not an easy path.

To be accountable is to be responsible. To account well for our actions is not comfortable; it demands discipline and reflection. And then, all being well, we see the truth and the truth, if the New Testament is right, sets us free.

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