The Blame Game

Blame as a response to crisis ...


Blame is closely related to bitterness. Blame is the perverse consuming need to attach a name, personality, or institution to the cultivated anger which is bitterness. We have asked the question; “Why would we ever cultivate feelings of anger when they produce such bitterness?” In the same way we can ask the question; “Why would we ever focus so much on establishing blame when it produces an ever deepening bitterness.

In blame, nefarious motives are assigned to the blamee, whoever or whatever that may be. In a self absorbed way, we foster a sense of, “my life and happiness are important” and he/she, they, God, (fill in the blank) has no right to disturb that. Can you see a pattern developing where a faith-less response turns us inward and away from the resources of God and toward the poverty of self sufficiency? Whereas, a faith response turns us away from the sink hole of self focus and toward the love, grace, and strength of God himself.

Did I mention, to let me know when you are tired of my personal stories? My son Jonathan is presently in Nairobi, Kenya for six months of volunteer service. He is teaching in the African Nazarene University, consulting with student government leaders and helping in any way he can.

We got a note just last week, “Hey Mom I am very sick. I don’t know what it is, but it’s bad.” That is not what you want to hear from a son on the other side of the world. He had fever, aching, nausea, loss of appetite and was expelling remnants of human ingestion from all directions. Our biggest fears were malaria which would be with him for the rest of his life and typhoid fever which could be 4-6 weeks of high fever, pain, and weakness. The good news was that it was neither of these diseases. The bad news was that he had an amoeba.

I googled amoeba disease and the first headline I saw was:

“6 die from brain-eating amoeba after swimming”

PHOENIX - It sounds like science fiction but it’s true: A killer amoeba living in lakes enters the body through the nose and attacks the brain where it feeds until you die . . .

These amoebae are one cell protozoa that are ingested in the drinking water especially in developing countries. They set up homestead in the digestive system for an incubation period and then reproduce and make their way to the liver, pancreas, kidney and brain. Fortunately the amoebae in question were of the less virulent strain and have been routinely treated with amoebacide medication.

If these invasive parasites were not eliminated they would have multiplied and affected the whole body. Bitterness is an invasive parasite that will reproduce and infect every area of life. By establishing blame, we setup a target upon which to direct our anger. The result is an environment for the unwelcome invader of bitterness to multiply and intensify. We do not face the facts, rather we spend our time and energy blaming rather than responding in faith. Purposely turning away from the blame game and turning toward a faith response is a necessary step in facing the realities of life with grace, strength, and resolve.