Accountability is a key functioning requirement — a foundation upon which community is built – not unlike the requirement for commitment to community of its members, obedience of the individual to the community and the community to the individual, as well as capacity to “stick to it” so to speak – a sense of providing a stabilizing presence to nurture the good creative forms of conflict required for community and individual growth. Without this form of functioning accountability, trust erodes and the ability to manage and adjudicate expectations within community becomes lost. This is one reason why confession is very important and is at the heart of accountability – the ability for the individual to say “I’m sorry” to the community and for the community to say the same back to the individual.
Just as we strive to praise others for the good that they do and to seek such praise by way of finding affirmation that “we” are on the correct path, so too is the need for correction to helping us not stray too far from the path we have committed ourselves to – that in the end we might learn through both our successes as well as our failings. This is the way character is built, both in individuals as well as whole communities.
Thus it is apparent that accountability is a two way street or like a two sided coin. Just as the community demands accountability of the individual for the good of community, so too is the individual to make the same demand on the community – the community is to be held accountable to the individual (whether this be one person and / or small grouping of people). But here is the “rub.” The “functioning of accountability” is usually directed by the community towards the individual, without any corporate self-examination as part of the accountability process. Biblically speaking, this is like trying to remove a speck from another’s eye while trying to look around the log stuck in your own eye.
I once overheard someone say: “nations do not see their reflection in the mirror too clearly.” As is the same with small groups or individuals, so it seems it is with larger community groups all the way up to national bodies. Maybe it is easier to set aside or sacrifice a smaller portion of the larger group for the greater good (utilitarian ethic of scapegoat-ing). Maybe this is why the concept of confession is so important, because it aides in our seeing more clearly. When we sit across from one another in confession (truth telling) we are putting out on the table our successes as well as failures to be seen and examined. Sometimes this will necessitate a more private and intimate non-judging process such as more private confessor. This, to initially ensure harm is not done to both community as well as the person. Nonetheless, this does not negate the power of confession.
Two things are important here: to know one’s self that “we” may understand how to master ourselves. The first is the beginning of becoming wise and the second to understand how to engage in discerning together the correct path leading to greater and more wholesome community as well as individual. This is the good fruit of accountability.
Posted by John Fair 