But one bungler destroys much good.

Today as I read the passages set for the daily office's morning prayer I was challenged by some words from Ecclesiastes chapter nine:

'Wisdom is better than weapons of war,  but one bungler destroys much good.'

Ironically I turned on the radio to hear that the Secretary of State for Education was making an(other?) 'embarrassing turnaround' over his plans for a British baccalaureate. It seems that once again the man with his hands on the future of our children's education (and therefore it follows, their futures) has once again been a bit of a bungler.

No sooner had this news passed that we turned to a report on a Mid-Staffordshire NHS trust by Robert Francis QC. The report explained how nurses were being investigated and how some would find their careers ended - and having read the abstracts I sure this is right) and yet throughout the report not one person pointed the finger of guilt at those who managed the place and surely set the condition by which patients and their families were so sorely treated. It seems that at the root of the problem is a multitude of bunglers - and despite the NHS featuring large in the Olympic celebrations as a jewel in the crown of our nation - many bunglers are destroying that which is good!

When I worked in industry we used to refer to people being promoted to the level of their incompetence - the greater the bungler the higher they went until they were placed somewhere where their incompetence was minimised (and conversely their salaries maximised).

Reading complaints of the Staffs debacle it appears that many of those running our hospitals, rather than be censured, have been rewarded - how on earth can this be justified or defended?

The ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is to be found in many places and sectors - the politician and NHS executives whilst being the creme de la creme of bungling are not isolated places - so when you see bunglers - bin them!

And of course this goes for Church too - let's hope the new ABC is up for the task as we seek to bring an orthodox, effective and inclusive church to the fore - A church that will criticise those who abuse the system (Well done for the banking comments Boss!), who oppress the poor, who seek to legitimise injustice and to reward the bunglers.

Pax