Responsibility
In early 1942 Winston Churchill faced unprecedented burdens. The home islands remained under threat of invasion. British and Axis forces were clashing in the Atlantic, Far East, and North Africa, with setbacks on every front. A steady stream of decisions had to be made on the priority of effort and the allocation of scarce resources. Churchill had to deal with all of this as well as a constant barrage of criticism from his own Parliament and press. At one point he lamented,
“I must confess to feeling the weight of the war upon me even more than in the tremendous summer days of 1940.”121 As criticism peaked over losses in Asia and North Africa, he went before the House of Commons to address the issue of blame:
I take the fullest personal responsibility. If we have handled our resources wrongly, no one is so much to blame as me. If we have not got large modern air forces and tanks in Burma and Malaya tonight, no one is more accountable than I am. Why then should I be called upon to pick out scapegoats, to throw the blame on generals or airmen or sailors? Why then should I be called upon to drive away loyal and trusted colleagues and friends to appease the clamour of certain sections of the British and Australian press…?122
We can only imagine Churchill’s temptation to shift the blame for these catastrophes. Many of his ministers and generals certainly contributed to his plight. The Bible relates how the very first man and woman succumbed to this urge. When confronted by God about the forbidden fruit, Adam responded, “The woman you put here with me she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” [Eve responded,] “The serpent deceived me, and I ate”(Genesis 3:12–13). Thanks to our Savior, we no longer have to play the “blame game.” We know that through Jesus Christ we will be forgiven the wrong things we do or things we leave undone, once we fully accept responsibility and ask for forgiveness in his name.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
—Psalm 32:5