Sleaze sleaze sleaze

What a day yesterday was for government politicians. We had the home secretary in an embattled defence of his (growingly untenable) position, related to foreign nationals due for deportation being released from prison. The deputy prime minister announced (or had announced for him) he's been having an affair with a woman who was born the day after he married his wife. The former leader of the Labour party was handed a 6 month driving ban after collecting 15 points on his licence. And these are only the ones we found out about yesterday.

I remember being genuinely thrilled in '97 when Labour swept to power. After 18 years of Tory bullying, they were seen as a great fresh hope. People, and I was one of them, sincerely believed it when Blair et al promised there would be no repeat of the Tory sleaze years. I shook Tony's hand the day before he became PM, on a pre-election walkabout in my home town, which had shamefully been the safest Tory seat in Scotland for years. I was, in those days, a card carrying member of the party. I nailed my political colours to the mast, having worked in a continuingly beleaguered NHS for eleven years.

Now, though, it seems that power has corrupted all but a few of the key players in New Labour. I still remain hopeful of Blair and Brown, in terms of their own individual convictions. But the rabble behind them have disappointed sorely. For Mellor, Hamilton and Parkinson, now read Blunkett, Byers and Prescott.

Politics is not to blame for marriage break ups and sleaze however. Anyone who fails to prioritise their lifestyle so that fidelity and honesty are their watchwords make themselves vulnerable to calamities. Not everyone, of course, is stalked by the scrutiny of the national press. We are all though prisoners of conscience, and have been, ever since Eden. (Garden, not Anthony)

We can all hear the voice inside that guides us as to whether we are erring or not. Choosing to ignore that voice is a choice based on selfishness, or unwillingness to forego a 'forbidden' pleasure. The Bible would call that 'sin.'

Ironically, we sin because God loves us enough to let us. God hates sin. But He loves us enough to allow sin to exist. He doesn't permit it. He cannot abide sin. He cannot be in the presence of sin. God wants us NOT to sin. But He didn't create little robotic people who had no choice but to obey. He gives us choices. I was particularly struck by a comment this week in Rob Bell's brilliant book, 'Velvet Elvis' where he said that just as Heaven is full of people that God loves, so is Hell full of people that God loves. Jesus died for the sins of all the people in Heaven, and He died for the sins of all the people in Hell. The only difference is the choice that the person makes as to how to regard God and what He's done. God has given us the choice. Us. You and me.

Make the right choice. Today.