What Is A Good Man?

Yesterday we learnt of Len Goodman’s death. Len was a judge on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ when it  was launched in 2004, joining the American ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in 2005…

He was respected and loved by many as a competitor, adjudicator, and by ordinary people who watched him on TV. Many paid tribute to him… summed up by one star who said ‘Len had the right name; he was a Good Man.’

As a teenager, daughter-Jo had various boyfriends… She went to Brazil… met a Brazilian man called Allan… She was intending to marry him…

We wanted to know about him… most especially – Is he a good man?… Will he ‘love and cherish her… for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…’

Over the past 23 years, we’ve discovered that Allan is a good man!

When I was teaching I was involved in many interviews to appoint teachers to our school. We asked questions about candidates’ experience, skills, teaching philosophy, safeguarding awareness…

The most important questions I asked myself were: ‘Will they be a good role model for the children?’ ‘Will other staff benefit from their presence in the school?’ ‘Is this a Good Man (or woman)?’

When I was involved in church leadership I was involved in the appointment of several ministers-pastors. We wanted to know about their theology, beliefs, preaching style… experience with children, youth, community projects… views on controversial issues.

I’ve concluded that what is most important is not actions and style but character. We learn about Christian faith not by theory but by the example of a ‘Good Man’.

The Bible starts: ‘And God created man in his own image… God saw all that he had made and it was very good.’ … I’m grateful that I’ve known many Good Men.

St Paul writes: ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…’

I pray that God’s Spirit will continue to make me a Good Man…