A Cacophony of Complaints

People are always complaining. Last night’s news included…

…Complaints from train drivers, continuing their long-running dispute over pay and conditions. This industrial action (or inaction) includes two more strikes days and an overtime ban…

…Complaints about the proposed 112-mile line of 50 metre pylons, across three counties, carrying offshore wind power from Norwich to Tilbury in Essex. National Grid say that the alternatives are not “technically feasible or economic”.

…Complaints about American XL bully dogs following a number of recent attacks in England – including one in which a man died… difficulties with banning the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act…

In school I was always dealing with complaints… bullying, school uniform, gossip… too much homework, not enough homework… teachers were too strict, teachers were too lenient…

And church complaints… song choices (too old or too new), sermon length (too long or too short), service style (too formal or too relaxed)… not enough prayer, community action, teaching, social events…

Complaints, from the trivial to the life threatening, sometimes arrive in an overwhelming cacophony…

I love the police sergeant’s song in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ with the refrain: ‘When constabulary duty’s to be done, to be done, A policeman’s lot is not a happy one, happy one!’

I confess that sometimes, when I hear someone ‘going off on one’ with a complaint that I consider trivial, I imagine them as part of this song…

This morning I read about the early church leaders…

Complaint… They were confronted with a complaint – discrimination against the Greek widows.

Consideration… They listened carefully to those bringing the complaint. They didn’t label the complainants ‘troublemakers’.

Confrontation… They confronted the complaint. They didn’t deny, avoid or ignore it; they weren’t defensive; they didn’t delay a decision or action.

Commission… They appointed trustworthy, respected Greek men – who understood the problem – who could have been ‘troublemakers’; they delegated their power to them to fix it.

Closure… They dealt with the complaint and moved on.

I think there’s wisdom there worth musing on…