the Jersey way

 

Looking back over many decades spent close to Jersey’s governing bodies and people, it is my opinion that “the Jersey way” was, until fairly recently, an explanatory term without moral overtones. It explained, rather pithily, the fact that Jersey was and is not part of the UK.  

Picture an UK investigator looking into historic facts in Paris. Would the fact that social policy, jurisprudence and legislation were French (“the French way”) be automatically wrong? “The Jersey way” used to be merely a truism.

Please take a look at the words of Jesus in bold above. “As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Jesus is drawing attention to something which is of tremendous importance in making any “judgment”: the importance of a total absence of “my own will” in the judge. If a judge is looking at self in any way when making judgment then the judgment is very likely to be askew. Are any folk today who pass judgmentt – all of us – free from wishing to exalt self?

That is precisely why there is a good chance that my criticism above of the Report’s focus on “the Jersey way” is probably deeply flawed – by my own will to defend Jersey because I am a Jersey-born person and seek my own glory.

To whom, therefore, do we turn for a correct “judgment”? Who has no “will” of his or her own? Not even a “will” to be praised for their “selfless” work?

Interestingly, Jersey’s Bailiff has judged this Report in one respect. The Report quotes one (unidentified) person’s critical opinion about “the non-separation of powers between the judiciary and political )(sic)...” and includes a reference to this in its Executive Summary. This centuries-old non-separation is not only in a minor area (the Bailiff is chief judge of the Court and also chairman of the legislature) but also has no known historic or present bearing on children’s issues. Interestingly nevertheless the Bailiff no doubt has his “own will” in this regard and decided to make his “judgment” known. 

These interplays of “judgment” and “my own will” also apply to other parties who have now contributed their own “judgments” through the pages of Jersey’s only newspaper. Those providing us with their “judgments” (upon “the non-separation of powers”) also therefore appear (by using media endorsement) to have “own will” influences.

 

How different this man Jesus. “My judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” And, “If I might bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.”Also, “I do not receive glory from people. …..  How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

He said these words immediately after making whole a strengthless, paralyzed man who had been 38 years in that condition. That was part of his selfless mission. Surely this man is well worth close scrutiny and evaluation And yet the Jews wanted "to kill him". 

He said, “Allow the children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of God.” On that issue, what is “the Jersey way”? Are we hindering children coming to Jesus?