Video of the speech
Tragically cringeworthy
I have generally defended Justin Welby and when Ian Hislop remarked that he appeared unrepentant I had dismissed it. There is a clear defence for Welby's lack of interactions with the police which are covered in this article, the police were told by others but failed to act. Welby wasn't a first hand witness so it makes it difficult to discern whether or not he should have interfered. What isn't in question, however, is that Welby failed in safeguarding.
Humility and Humour are always a difficult mix for Christians, as to lean one way or the other is unpleasant to the audience: Too much humility can become dire and difficult to listen to, on the other hand too much humour is irreverent.
Humour in the form of self-deprecation, or as a rhetorical device is a very useful and helpful but this speech isn't that.
Whilst humour isn't necessarily wrong for Welby's speech, his placement of it was purely to carry the speech and conflicted with his tone. Humour to carry a speech is sometimes useful but it is often cringeworthy.
A head to role, not a scar on the Church
"There comes a time that there comes a time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility, where the shame of what has gone wrong, whether one is personally responsible or not, must require a head to role and there is only in this case one head roles well enough. I hope not literally."
This wasn't the time to make light of the consequences of the situation, and the remark 'if you pity anyone, pity my poor diary secretary' is really just wrong. There is a sad almost CEO side to the way Welby responded to this challenge, this speech he took his aspect of a former businessman in the oil industry rather than a preacher.
To a certain extent I don't care what Welby had to say, all that mattered is he is the a member of the body of Christ. As the head of the denomination he should have been apologising on our behalf, and how we have failed as a whole.
A Christian doesn't exist as a vacuum, we exist as the Church, and whilst I might contest to the degree he is responsible to, as a Church we are all responsible.
Those who suffered should have been apologised to, and as the mouthpiece of the C of E Welby should have been the one to say it. Now what should have been said can never truly be said, the time has past.
Humility Lost
The place of a Christian is to accept their failings, even if the failing is only by extension, indirect, by mistake, or unavoidable; we should still seek forgiveness and humble ourselves.
Now as the Church failed to show humility the people of the church must be humble as a whole. It seems that Welby sees himself as the scapegoat or at least that's what his words imply that, and to a certain extent appearances matter as much as anything.
It is good, no it is vital for a Christian to be humble but now it is time that we are all humble; for we have been humbled. In the face of the Christian nationalists and by the crimes committed by those in our midst we must redouble ourselves in the seeking of humility and show the world what it means to truly be Christian.
留言