Stupid Boy Syndrome

Yesterday we learnt of the death of the actor Ian Lavender, who’s best remembered for playing Private Frank Pike in the classic wartime BBC sitcom ‘Dad’s Army’.

Pike was the naïve, hapless, youngest member of the Home Guard platoon. He’d often get in trouble with its commander, Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe), who frequently referred to him as ‘stupid boy’.

At our Men’s Shed some gents have skills and talents that have been practiced and refined over many years.  ‘Measure twice, cut once,’ is second nature. They can make a table lamp or a garden seat that would be welcome in any home.

Others of us measure once, cut twice, get it wrong and need another bit of wood. On the fifth attempt we’re still learning. ‘Stupid boy’ syndrome is alive and well.

 One of the things I love about Christian faith is that human standards of strength, wisdom and success are turned upside-down. Jesus says ‘Blessed are the meek’; the winners are the humble not the assertive.

 Paul says: ‘God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.’ I reckon that makes ‘stupid boy’ syndrome acceptable.

Nick Cave’s faith-journey through music, fame and addiction is refreshing but challenging:

‘To me the greatest gift of God is that He provides us with the space to doubt, For me at least, doubt becomes the energy of belief… Since when has belief in God had anything to do with logic? For me personally it is the unreasonableness of the notion, its counterfactual aspect that makes the experience of belief compelling…’

Is this ‘stupid boy’ syndrome?

Alternatively… It’s fifty years since the Wombles were on Top of the Pops. Secretive, teddy-bear-like creatures, living in burrows under Wimbledon Common, they appeared harmless, ineffective, bumbling. They actually did a lot of good, recycling of other people’s rubbish – green environmentalists before it was fashionable

The Wombles showed that ‘stupid boy’ appearance is misleading.