Debacle

A word used frequently by analysts and reporters to describe the discomforting events in Afghanistan following stunning successes of the much-despised Taliban – DEBACLE. For example: “But what is clear is that a predictable debacle is now unfolding under Biden’s watch in Afghanistan.” said Peter Bergen, CNN, 12 Aug. 2021

Even more recently employed by Mark Spencer, of the “i” newspaper, in reference to a botched attempt to rip up anti-sleaze legislation in the House of Commons he describes it as ‘the Owen Paterson debacle’.

According to Google’s English dictionary the word signifies ‘a sudden and ignominious failure’. Merriam-Webster defines ‘debacle’ as: ‘a great disaster’ or ‘a complete failure’, and further explains its etymology: “Debacle derives from the French noun débâcle, and from the verb débâcler, meaning “to clear,” “to unbolt,” or “to unbar.” The verb is from Middle French desbacler, a joining of the prefix des- (equivalent to our de-, meaning “to do the opposite of”) with the verb “bacler” (“to block”). In its original uses, “debacle” meant a breaking up of ice, or the rush of ice or water that follows such an occurrence. Eventually, “debacle” was used also to mean “a violent, destructive flood.” Naturally, such uses led to meanings such as ‘a breaking up’, ‘collapse’, and finally ‘disaster’ or ‘fiasco’.

Undoubtedly, my well-experienced readers will be all too familiar with personal and corporate ‘debacles’ of which they’ve been a part, and we could spend many an hour debating the accumulative ‘debacles’ of the political, religious and business fraternity (just for starters)

The older I get the more I am confronted by childhood memories – and here are four of my finest debacles:

• Lying to my best friend’s mum about his whereabouts as she called him in for bed-time – not a smart move, especially when she told my parents and I was appropriately disciplined.
• Cheating at school during a chemistry exam – quickly discovered by my teacher when the ‘mate’ I’d colluded with & I were the only ones to get the same incorrect answer – more un-smartness.
• Bunking off school to avoid a physics test, then attempting to ‘thumb a lift’, but managing to get picked up by the police as a suspected escapee from a local prison (I obviously looked the part in my well-worn donkey jacket)
• Engaging my dad in a fist-fight after arguing with my younger brother – with some fairly serious consequences (especially guilt and shame & relational breakdown).

In the course of more than 35 years of full-time pastoral ministry – in Immingham (15 years) and Brigg (20+ years) I contrived to preside over numerous ‘debacles’, which I look back on in horror, mainly because of the detrimental effects on others:

• Deciding to introduce ‘membership’ into the Immingham Church, which I pursued with the tact of an elephant, and the legalism of a Pharisee.
• Appointing people (at least twice) into the office of senior leadership, who were utterly unfit for such a vital role
• Insisting on implementing a ‘vision’ of cell-style church in the Brigg Church, with which neither of my associate leaders agreed – resulting in a serious schism.
• Stepping aside from full-time ministry after a series of pressure points which wore me completely down (and which I wrote of in an extremely raw piece: https://wordpress.com/post/stryka66.wordpress.com/4557

The Epic Fail (Debacle) of all time is narrated in the first book of the Old Testament – Genesis. It involved the first couple – Adam and Eve – in an act of direct disobedience to Creator God, the consequences of which we are all living with daily in our own lives, and seeing all around the world.

Known by theologians as the Fall it defines a moment in time when human beings declared and asserted their independence of their Maker, bringing death upon mankind (and the multitude causes of death).

One serious outcome is our persistence in denying this Catastrophe (in the same way that misguided souls deny the Holocaust), and so failing to understand that, left to our own devices, we are incapable of repairing the damage resulting from the Fall. Yes, despite best efforts of philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, scientists, politicians, and religionists (especially) we find ourselves constantly on a downward trajectory.

So, is there any hope ?

I believe there is … despite our brokenness & rebellion God, who created us, and loves mankind as the pinnacle of His creation, provided the only answer to our epic fail. He sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.

An early Christian writer, St Paul, put it this way: “… sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned … because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man …” BUT Paul continues: “… much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many … much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ …”

There is a way for mankind to rise from the ashes of defeat, from the debacle of failure, for although ‘the wages of sin is death’ we also discover that ‘the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord’.

These ‘quotes’ are taken from St Paul’s letter to the Romans – described by E W Bullinger as ‘the ABC of the Gospel’ – and which I heartily recommend to you. Here’s a link to take you directly to this much-treasured document, where you will discover more of the amazing grace of God & His gospel (good news) which is ‘the power of God, bringing salvation to those who believe’ …

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%201&version=NIV

Happy reading !!!