So I was in a Safeguarding training day yesterday. Depending on your personality you are either pitying me or you are jealous! It really was a helpful day and I learnt a lot but it did cause me to think.

The trainer gave us different scenarios and our job was to talk through whether they were safeguarding issues, what our course of action would be etc. As you can imagine it created some interesting discussion in the room because there wasn’t always a clear right or wrong – there was a lot of grey!

One of the things that stood out to me throughout the exercise was the fact that so many things we do in the church could be interpreted in ways that ‘seem’ harmful. For example teaching on money and generosity could easily be interpreted by someone who has had negative experiences in this area as a pressure or even worse abusive. As I was listening to lots of the discussions I definitely began to think “maybe I’ll never teach on anything or try to do anything again”

I think there is definitely a danger of church of playing it super safe because of the fear of getting it wrong or causing offence.

It feels our world is looking for a story of oppression, cancel culture looks for something to tear down and quieten. Being part of anything organised or anything that is perceived to have some form of power feels like a disadvantage in these days. We’re waiting for the next iPhone video that catches something that has been said or done completely out of context.

Truth feels like a concept not valued as highly as perception.

The right thing to do is not the question that people ask as much as what will other people thing is the right thing to do. This will cause us to make cautious or biege decisions.

But we are the church – we are called to speak out (in love) when no one else will. We do not keep silent when the gospel is at stake. I think of Peter and John being warned to preach no more (the Roman cancel culture) but they go out and do it again.

This is sensitive and we of course must exercise wisdom but let’s not let wisdom masquerade as silence and fear.