Students in an art school, learning to paint pictures, soon see the necessity of having to hand all the colours they require. If, perchance, they omit one vital colour, such as white, they soon realise the impossibility of producing a good picture.
As we think of this week's theme, "The serving community" - the Church - we might ask ourselves: "What essential is missing from the picture of the Church being presented to the world?" There would be many and varied answers given to such a poser.
A lot would agree that a big lack in Church life is the good atmosphere of esprit de corps - loyalty to the society to which one belongs. The rare quality of true loyalty is rated highly - "God so loved the world" that He sent His Son. Jesus taught the disciples to know who He is and to establish in them the esprit de corps - loyalty and the sense of belonging of which the Creed can say: "His kingdom will have no end."
A glorious moment in the Gospel is when Jesus and St Peter welcome the restoration of esprit de corps: "Lord, you know everything; You know I love you." Later on, St Peter in his epistle expresses concern that loyalty be maintained when it is threatened: "Awake! be on the alert! Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, prowls round looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him, firm in faith." It is obvious that the Devil's cleverness can get control of faithful members of the Church, be they lay people or clergy. It needs to be noted that those condemning those who have erred may easily be sitting targets themselves.
C. S. Lewis, in his book The Screwtape Letters, shows up the Devil's deceptive ways of undermining faithfulness and loyalty. Almost without realising it, our loyalty in practising membership of the Body of Christ can be at risk.
A person called John Bradford was wiser than those around him, and better schooled in loyalty to love and faith. On seeing some criminals being led to their execution he said: "But for the grace of God, there goes John Bradford."
There is nothing new about scandals in the life of the people of God. The Bible account is full of such dark events. It is also full of wonderful signs of esprit de corps. Moses had to live with scandal, yet he was chosen to lead. King David had to live with his scandal, yet we value the spirituality of the psalms he wrote.
Jesus' disciples had their faults, just as their successors have their faults, and know too well the hidden scandals of the sins of the spirit as well as those of the flesh. But we are held in loyalty to our Lord, knowing we belong to Him who said: "Go thou and sin no more."
"Thus provided, pardoned, guided, Nothing can our peace destroy." Amen.