It's difficult to recall a time when one subject so dominated the news agenda and united the public against the political classes. The publication by The Daily Telegraph of the expense claims of MPs lifted the lid on the way politicians of all parties, from Cabinet members to backbenchers, have exploited the system of parliamentary allowances in order to subsidise their lifestyles. What are we to make of it all?

Undoubtedly, there are MPs who have acted unethically and in some cases illegally. They have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. They must be held to account. It is also clear that the rules governing expenses have been inadequate and have helped create a culture of entitlement. We need to clean up politics. Strict new rules need to be introduced and obeyed.

There's also an interesting question regarding the behaviour of The Daily Telegraph. The purchase of stolen files made good business sense at a time when the newspaper industry is struggling to survive. The paper increased its circulation by 600,000 after 11 days of revelations. It is right that truth is exposed, but do the ends justify the means? I hope too that journalists, especially publicly funded ones, will be prompted to re­examine their own approach to expense claims.

The episode also serves as an important challenge to the Christian community. It's not just in parliament that there is an entitlement culture. I've even spotted it in some Christian charities. Supporters of those organisations would be deeply troubled to see how their money is spent. We should all use this opportunity to take stock of how we spend other people's money. The theologian Karl Barth said, "The Church must remain the Church." So Church, let's put our house in order.

This article originally appeared in Christianity Magazine.