Church and State

At Church today, the lesson was about the man who called together three of his servants and gave one man 5 talents, the second 2 talents and the third 1 talent. When he returned, the one with the 5 talents had used the money wisely and returned 10 talents, the one with 2 talents also used the money wisely and returned 4 talents; however the one with one talent was fearful and buried his talent in the ground and had nothing to return to his master. The first two were suitably rewarded, but the third was cast into outer darkness.

The minister, in his sermon pulled no punches. He said the lesson was about financial management, and related this to household management and the financial management in this country by the banks, the financial institutions and the government.

The rise in house prices was a bubble that was inevitably going to burst. How did the banks and building societies not realise that sub-prime mortgages was a strategy doomed to failure? He was also highly critical of the Prime Minister and his actions as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

This all also relates to what is happening in the management of the National Health Service, the Education of our young and the Police – all the victims of top-down mis-management.

In the end the government is bound to be rewarded in the same manner as the servant with 1 talent – they will be cast into outer darkness.