Last week a scandal rocked the banking industry in England as it was discovered that certain traders in a particular bank were carrying on with illegal behaviour to gain a profit. The implications of the scandal has lead to officials high up in the organisation resigning from their positions. To get a little more of an insight you can read on a significant resignation here and also on the timeline of events over yonder.
First of all the reaction to the news has made me smile. Not maliciously. It’s just that why should it be a surprise that the people in a business where profit is everything should do anything to get a profit? Why is that so surprising and shocking? (Of course then some would argue that this is a victim-less crime, but that’s certainly not the case as small businesses and other individuals will testify.) And as countries struggle to get to terms with the financial crisis and banks need more bail outs, isn’t it intriguing that we cannot upset the banks because they are the very same people who we need to get us out of this trouble. Apparently.
What’s of more interest to me is the sort of alarmist reaction it’s got from politicians. Take the leader of the opposition Ed Miliband and his comments.
A scandal hits and the demand is made for heads to roll. The dudes on top get it in the neck and are under pressure to quit, the organisation insist it will have an internal inquiry to clean their act up, external authorities come across stern and urge for punishment and then after the initial storm little else changes. Maybe a lovely document comes out showing what changes have been mde but is all there is to it?
I’m not even talking about organisations. Things happen in life to us as individuals. They highlight some deeper issues that need resolving. Perhaps there are character flaws that have to be addressed, maybe drastic change needs to take place. Yet it is easier for us to deal with the symptoms than to get to the root cause. It’s a lot easier to take the medicine once the illness has hit, rather than establishing the proper precautionary measures to prevent the illness ever coming in the first place.
Our habits, desires and heart-pursuits often say much about us. The concept of an overhaul can appear daunting. Much better to salve that with statements like I’m not what I want to be, but I’m not what I used to be. As though we’re taking the necessary proactive steps to changing the internal culture within – our mindset – so that it won’t hit scandal after scandal.
If that’s a challenge for the individual, then it’s no surprise that it’s a challenge that some see as insurmountable. Even harder than changing the direction of a tanker at sea. Yet if Jesus Christ is at the Head – these changes are possible, at individual and corporate level. If we have the faith, trust and patience to go through that hard process of change.
That is a big ‘if’.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 