Cover ups from the Roman Catholic Church, European dilemmas for the Conservative Party, and drug-taking scandals in sport are three which come to mind. So the news isn't that new.
But as human nature hasn't changed much over the centuries, maybe we shouldn't be surprised.
Most of our lives run to pretty familiar routines of repeated habits, of strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures.
And yet the Scriptures teach us to keep returning to God, from whom we regularly stray, like lost sheep.
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
now he will bandage our wounds.
2 In just a short time he will restore us,
so that we may live in his presence.
3 Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.” (Hosea 6.1-3)
He has torn us to pieces;
now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
now he will bandage our wounds.
2 In just a short time he will restore us,
so that we may live in his presence.
3 Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.” (Hosea 6.1-3)
I love the image here of the gentle and tender healing hands of the Lord, attending to those broken and bruised places in our lives, where we have strayed into trouble again. He knows, and He longs for us to know, that the only good place for us to be is close to His heart and will.
As I rejoice in this morning's sunshine, and the coming warmth of spring, so I pray that I will find in Him my spiritual life and health.
But this is what I need to keep doing daily - with relentless repetition. Anything else will lead to drift and disaster.
Best wishes,
Richard
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