Can justice be done in a society that no longer accepts responsibility for its wrongdoing?

In a week that has seen the end of the 28-year campaign for justice on behalf of the 95 football fans who lost their lives at the Hillsborough disaster, it’s a good time to reflect on the issues of blame when something goes wrong.

Back in the 1980s and 90s when I was minister of a church in London, I used to exchange churches (and our house and car) for a month in the summer with the minister of a church in the USA. I would just preach once on a Sunday morning and in return we would have a holiday in California or Vermont or some other State. One year we took a church in the Bronx where there was a murder almost every day, which made us happy to get back to the East End of London where, at least, we understood the culture!

One of the things that surprised us was that Americans went to law over the slightest dispute. One of the church members in Los Angeles was sued by a delivery man who tripped on the front garden path which he claimed was uneven. Law firms would advertise to represent anyone who had an accident on a ‘no-win-no-fee’ basis, which encouraged people to sue their neighbours on the slightest pretext.

That ‘blame game’ culture has spread to Britain where law firms specialise in getting compensation for victims of road accidents – fake or genuine – with whiplash being the favourite complaint. It is because of the huge increase in such insurance claims that we all have to pay such high premiums. The Government is preparing legislation to try to deal with the blame game culture that is spreading in Britain.

Change in British Character

Is it my imagination, or has there been a fundamental change in the British character in recent years? We used to be known as a stoic nation. People coped with adversity and accepted personal responsibility when things went wrong. Nowadays when anything goes wrong we look round to see who we can blame! We certainly don’t accept any personal responsibility. If we have an accident our car insurance tells us never to say ‘sorry’, even if we know we were to blame. We must never admit we made a mistake!

American blame culture has spread to Britain and changed our national character.

It is this kind of culture that lies behind the saga that has followed the Hillsborough tragedy. If the policeman in charge of crowd control had immediately admitted that his decision to open the gate to relieve the crowd pressure outside the ground had caused the pressure inside the ground, we would never have had this 28-year enquiry. It would appear that he made an error of judgment, but he is now being charged with manslaughter, which will require proof that he deliberately sent 95 people into mortal danger.

Even if he is sent to jail, it will not bring the dead back to life, but will it give satisfaction to those who have lost loved ones? Is this really what they want – just to be able to blame someone and punish them for their human error of judgment? Of course, there were lies and ‘cover ups’ involved in this particular incident which have complicated the whole tragic affair. And the relatives of the dead are perfectly justified in demanding the truth and punishment of those who lied.

From Hillsborough to Grenfell

My concern about ‘the blame game culture’ is that it is going to be with us for a long time to come in settling the latest tragedy, the Grenfell Tower inferno. We are now learning that the heat inside the building was so great that those who lost their lives will never be found so that their relatives can have the satisfaction of burying them.

This is tragic for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. There are bound to be calls for the punishment of those who were responsible for the construction and maintenance of the building, which only had one staircase. There was no emergency lighting on the night of the fire and the fire appliances did not have the capability of reaching the top floors to rescue those trapped.

There are so many things wrong with this terrible tragedy – and so many who could in some way be held responsible for it - that the enquiry now starting is likely to last a long time and be highly complex. But in calling for injustice to be exposed and those responsible to be held to account, we also need to temper the righteous public anger that is being widely expressed – lest justice be lost to vengeance and public order be lost to anarchy.

We need to temper the righteous public anger that is being expressed, lest justice be lost to vengeance.

There is a difference between seeking justice and simply trying to deal with deep anger and sorrow by finding someone to blame; but that is what is happening as the ‘blame game culture’ spreads.

Taking Responsibility

In Britain, our biblically-based personal and corporate values used to put God first, ‘others’ second and ‘self’ last. In our modern era, however, we have dropped God and reversed ‘others’ and ‘self’. We never admit to personal error. It’s always someone else’s fault when things go wrong.

Is it because we are so insecure that we cannot admit any personal failings? Do we lack the self-confidence to be able to say “Sorry, I messed up”? It takes what Christians know as ‘grace’ (loving-kindness and favour we do not deserve) to be able to deal with issues where we know that we’ve made a mistake, or done something wrong.

The reason that Christians can handle these things better than non-Christians is due to our relationship with God, whom we know is infinitely better than we are, which makes us humble in his presence. Additionally, we know that God is a loving Father who created each of us in our mother’s womb and knows us better than anyone else. He knows our weaknesses as well as our strengths and he loves us despite our failings.

It takes what Christians know as ‘grace’ to be able to deal with issues where we know that we’ve made a mistake, or done something wrong.

It is his grace that covers our wrongdoing. He holds us accountable for our actions but, when we confess wrongdoing, God is always willing to forgive us and to restore us to right relationships with himself and those whom we have offended.

Life-Changing Grace

This is basic Christian teaching – but it is what is lacking in our society today and what is at the root of the ‘blame game’ which is so damaging to individuals and to the whole community. It would be life-changing if we could each exercise grace and so reverse this culture that destroys our relationships.

We can begin by saying ‘sorry’ silently to God next time we make a mistake. He will then give us the courage and strength to say ‘sorry’ to others. Psalm 51 is our guide – verse 12 says “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Saviour,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.