THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Rural communities thrive on local news and stories travel quickly by word of mouth and on social media, especially if they are embellished or exaggerated for effect. Establishing facts isn’t always a priority.

We can all be guilty at times of judging others or taking part in conversations that include local gossip. It sometimes feels when people make mistakes, no matter what they do next, they are not allowed to forget their past crimes.

People who live quietly might avoid being the subject of scandal, but is this living well?

Perhaps we should encourage people from a young age, to question, explore, experiment and push boundaries? Getting creative and trying new things or having another go at something that previously hadn’t worked out. Surely this is a richer, if not always perfect, life. Learning is never easy, and for it to be successful it must be risky; mistakes are an important part of the process. We can’t expect to get things right first time and every time, otherwise we aren’t trying to push beyond our comfort zone and develop our understanding.

It’s important for everybody to judge their own behaviour first and be allowed to experience consequences without fearing external judgement. While trying our best to live well and learning from our mistakes, if we find ourselves at the centre of village gossip, who can judge us?

Ultimately, the only approval we should all be seeking on our thoughts, words and actions is from God.

Mrs Laura Henshall, Children, Youth & Families Worker, West Highland Region, Scottish Episcopal Church.