Don’t Make Excuses – Take Responsibility!

In last night’s BBC documentary ‘Growing Up Jewish’ we followed four Jewish 12/13-year-olds preparing for their transition to adulthood – Dylan for his Bar Mitzvah, Ayala, Talia and Eve for their Bat Mitzvah… studying Hebrew texts, embracing their Jewish values, faith and culture.

Although the influence of their families was clear, it was good to see young people making decisions, acknowledging, owning and identifying with their Jewishness, stating clearly what being Jewish means to them, and taking some responsibility for their lives.

One entertaining aspect of my teaching career was hearing children’s excuses for not doing their homework. I enjoyed detailed stories involving dogs, hamsters or goldfish, the interference of younger sisters, grandparents, or the boy-next-door, weather-related disasters, medical crises…

Taking responsibility: ‘I’m sorry I haven’t done it. Please may I bring it in tomorrow morning?’ was always quicker and easier.

Of course it isn’t only children who make excuses. Since I’ve retired I hear older folks excusing themselves with, ‘I’m not as sharp as I used to be,’ ‘That’s just the way I am,’ ‘Last time I tried it, it didn’t work,’ ‘I think I’m probably past my sell-by-date’.

I often identify with author and priest Brennan Manning:

‘When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.’

That gives me an excuse for most things.

This morning I was reminded of St Paul’s words: ‘Be prepared in season and out of season…’ Whether or not I feel like it, want to do it, or it’s convenient, whether or not I think I have the gifts or capacity. Whatever my past experience or future concerns… Don’t make excuses; take responsibility.