The new Vauxhall advert featuring their Crossland 4x4 is a metaphor for our times; and a funny one to boot.

Parents are out en masse to watch their offspring play a particularly muddy game of rugby. Numerous tackles, dropkicks, and touchdowns later, the game ends in tumultuous applause. So far, so good.

But then, those twinkling eyes show a glimmer of fear and their collective smiles fade as it hits home. These triumphant mini-mes who have just wreaked havoc on the field, are about to do so again -only this time in the finely upholstered and pristine interiors of their parents' cars. In a split second, the celebrated take on leper status, and the irony of it all sinks in.

I've laughed each time I've seen it, albeit uncomfortably. You see, I know those faces. Made both of them. The elation you feel when everything's going swimmingly and you get to play the hero, and alternately the sheer horror that sends shivers down your spine when you find out there's a quid pro quo. In this case, it’s merely an imaginary filthy car. Real life? Well, that could be some nightmarish stuff.

You see, very few of us want to put in the elbow grease to do what we suspect or know is right, even when it is effortless. Much easier to hide behind our 'responsibilities' and 'concerns' and leave the rest to Greenpeace.

Stand up for a cause? Sure. We can do that! Paint placards, march, form picket lines... Such fun!! It's like being back at university…!!!

Run a campaign? Brill! I’ll get the designers right on it. We’ll need to be careful with the tagline though. Cos folks get carried away and before you know it there'll be a movement and talks of equal rights, and we’ll have a war on our hands…

Sorry? What was that? Oh no, I couldn't bring something like that up at work. You're kidding right? I'd never get promoted…

At the pub? Really?! It'd completely ruin the evening. We’d never get to play a game of darts again. And, they'd probably bar us as...

We mean well. We do. Life simply gets in the way. Plus, we’re in good company. The Gospels tell us that Simon Peter was ready to scale every available hurdle to prove his allegiance to Jesus, and was vocal about it too; yet the sheer inconvenience of it all meant he failed miserably.

Could this be an abject lesson in walking the walk rather than talking the talk. Or a hint that we perhaps mistakenly talk ourselves out of things even as we’re spouting affirmations and making grandiose plans – all the while becoming overwhelmed to the point of inaction.

Nike's famous slogan was partially (and unwittingly) coined by a double-murderer facing a firing squad. Having nothing to lose, his last words were, "Let's do it". Truth be told, Nike’s iteration does have a faint whiff of exasperation about it. JUST DO IT. Stop telling us what you're going to do. Or how. Or why. Tell us when its done. Or better still, give us the joy of discovering whatever it is ourselves.

We're kinda tired of consultations and white papers and inquiries.

If it's racism, stop pretending to be colour blind.

If it's domestic abuse, protect the victims.

If it's sexual harassment, nip it in the bud.

If it's slavery, don't ignore inexplicable and suspicious servitude.

Because every time we refuse to get our hands dirty and do the necessary it becomes more the norm than the exception; a slippery path to hell - whatever our understanding of it.