The game is played using real people as pawns. When a person fails others in some way, the guilty party is to quickly point at a game colleague and place the blame on them; he didn't tell me, she didn't remind me, or they changed the plans. The goal is to escape personal shame.
Society is like this. We are like this. Okay...I am like this; always on the hunt for a legitimate sounding excuse hoping our self-defense takes the fault-monkey off of our backs. And, this is a despicable cowardly act.
It went on in Jesus' time. The gospel narratives make it clear that Jesus filled the role of scapegoat. The innocent lamb was slain. His blood shed. He took the blame. He bore the sins. Our sins seemed to translate Jesus from lamb to goat...scapegoat.
Brian Zahnd penned, On the cross Jesus took the blame. All the blame. Our sinful addiction to blaming others--Jesus took upon himself. He was innocent, but he took the blame away. Caiaphas blamed Jesus; Pilate blamed Jesus, Herod blamed Jesus; the crowd blamed Jesus---and Jesus took the blame.
The art of scapegoating continues to break out in passing the buck here and there.
- Our day is bad because of others.
- My health is bad because of another.
- I would have made it farther; but someone interfered. It's their fault.
- I woulda/coulda/shoulda if it weren't for the neglect of insert name(s) here.
Instead, may we find that expressing words of hope, potential, and possibility ring from our conversations. May we no longer imaginarily hide behind others by transferring our inadequacy over to another in the name of assumed ill-intent. Let us burrow in with determination to be strong and courageous....and not be afraid.
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