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Until the news broke about the behaviour of a group of their aid workers in Haiti, it was hard not to be impressed by the sheer goodness of the development work undertaken by Oxfam. The charity places its staff in the most troubled regions, it offers practical help and support to the world’s poorest and through its research and communications it is a passionate voice for justice.

Why then have the recent revelations of staff using prostitutes done Oxfam quite so much damage? I think it is because of the widespread cultural abhorrence of hypocrisy. If a charity claims to stand up for truth and justice and fairness, people understandably feel extremely shocked when its staff are undermining those values through their moral choices.

But it all gets messy when we seek ways to express our anger and disapproval. As a result of the news some individuals may be thinking of stopping their donations to Oxfam. Government has also suggested that it may halt its own funding. But who would ultimately suffer as a result of these decisions? It won’t be those known to have taken sexual advantage of the vulnerable because they have left Oxfam’s employment. As so often the poor will end up paying the cost of the sins of the rich because the victims will be Oxfam’s beneficiaries. It will be the hungry and the thirsty and that sits ill with me.

Perhaps today offers a more productive way to think through such situations. It’s Shrove Tuesday which brings with it pancakes, carnivals, high jinks and fun. But the word ‘shrove’ comes from the old English ‘shriven’ which means to be forgiven. On this day the church bells would ring loudly to call the faithful to confession. Today, as they prepare for Lent, Christians are called to take stock of their lives, accept their own fault and hypocrisy and reset their moral compass through the gift of God’s forgiveness.

Whilst the actions of those Oxfam staff in Haiti are reprehensible, there is a danger that we rush to condemn others precisely in order to deflect the need for the sort introspection that Shrove Tuesday demands. Sadly it’s all too easy for anyone to lose track of the values of the organisation of which they are a part. The imminent appearances of Churches, amongst them my own, and other organisations in front of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse will be stark reminder of that.

It’s not surprising that many people at the moment are calling for stronger moral leadership. But Shrove Tuesday reminds us that moral leadership only has substance when we start by looking honestly at ourselves. Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.

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