Yesterday the identities of the parents of Baby P were revealed. A lot of the news coverage however did not centre on those two individuals but rather on the way that many other ‘individuals’ have reacted towards them with a mob mentality. Apparently a group has been formed on Facebook callng for them to be tortured. What does it say about us as a society that a) we have ‘produced’ these individuals and b)that we then want to demonise them? The naming of Tracy and Peter will only serve any purpose if, in the light of their experiences,the story for many other potential ‘Tracy’s’ and ‘Peter’s’ currently in the care system can be changed. The mob mentality that calls for ‘eye for an eye’ is not a mark of civilised society. (Remember that Jesus totally overturned that attitude in the Sermon on the Mount?) If we want inhumane retribution we have lowered ourselves to a brutish level. Somewhere today there are prison offices, prison chaplains, psychologists and counsellors who are working to try to restore humanity and dignity to these two individuals whose lives were trashed at a very early age. Pray for those individuals. Perhaps there are conversations to be had around how God holds justice in one hand and forgiveness in the other?
