The Slippery Slope

Yesterday at work it became clear that someone on my team (that is the team I work with, not manage) had made a mistake. It was a small mistake, not dangerous, not costly, not even particularly embarrassing. We don't know exactly what happened or exactly who did it , just that it was.
The dominant people on the team were understandably but not justifiably, concerned that the mistake would get them in trouble. They decided that the paperwork should be re-written. I write the page in question so it fell to me to do the re-writing.
Without meaning to do anything wrong, without thinking too much, with my only intention being to support my team, I re-wrote the page. I didn't consider that the best way to support my team was not the immediately obvious way and essentially, I lied.
It was only later that I realised what had happened.
Fortunately for me someone else noticed the discrepancy, I admitted to stupidity and the matter was resolved with my dignity and integrity (somewhat) intact.
Today I learned an old lesson in a fresh way: The first step on the slippery slope might be more like a stumble and it would do us all well to be compassionate before we ever judge because the road to hell surely is paved with good intentions.