Minister's letter for January

Who cares?

Such are the pressures, the disappointments, the disillusionments abroad in virtually every field of working life today, that I believe people have neither the encouragement nor the energy nor the enthusiasm to care about their as much as they might. Part of the reason for this is surely the “Credit Crunch” as it is called, causing companies to fear for their future unless employees are put on short time or simply made redundant. There is the feeling that those at the top, however caring they may appear to be, however hard they might appear to be working to safeguard the company, they are basically trying to save their own skins first and foremost. People in every walk of life are feeling cynical, unappreciated – as if even their very best is no good because ultimately it will not save the day. The increasing invasion of cost-cutting technology, even if employed with the very highest of intentions, sometimes only serves to increase the negative feelings of employees.

As Christians we understand all work, other than that which is criminal or immoral, as an offering to God. The picture changes. “Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws, makes that, and the action fine” (George Herbert). That is not to say that God is the great employer, taking on and sacking people without even a thought. The Bible rings with the pain of the poor and oppressed, the victims of others’ violent competition. God knows the suffering, and is committed to ending it, as part of bringing in the Kingdom in Jesus.

Nor is God in the habit of accepting only perfection. Just look at the motley crowd who make up the “called”, in both Old and New Testaments! In the TV series “Lark Rise to Candleford”, this is shown in the way that Dorcas tells housemaid Minnie, that, because her desperate situation, despite her failures, she has a home and a job that are permanent.

But have we, in our rich western European capitalist oasis, forgotten the real cost of much of what we buy and consume? The current debacle over one of Primark’s suppliers could be quite revealing. Fairtrade has done much to alleviate the extreme poverty of some of the farmers and others in poorer countries. But even with this small step forward, we are told that the rich-poor gap in the world has increased over the past 20 years, and that Africa’s share of world trade has effectively decreased by several percentage points.

If there is a lesson to be gained from the Credit Crunch, surely it is that for too long we have been living beyond our means. Living on credit – that means living not on our money but on what we can borrow from others. Haven’t we been living in a fool’s paradise? Depending, taking almost for granted, the cheap prices of so many things, effectively “borrowing” from poorer producers, at home and abroad, whom we never effectively repay? Haven’t we been doing that for so long that we actually resent paying the real cost of anything? Is there no longer any pride to be gained from saving up and buying well? How ironic that, progressively, we the public are, through government action, gradually taking ownership of many of the big money lenders of our time! Perhaps we should “exercise our rights” as public shareholders more forcefully with our PM, a true son of the manse!

In Matthew 5 verse 23, Jesus advises us not to “bring our gift to the altar” if we know that someone has a grudge against us. Are we not guilty of doing just that, if we are not at the same time campaigning actively for a fairer world, and a fair wage for everyone?

Who cares? God cares. Jesus cares. And so do so many. We need, in our hearts, and our words and actions, to give them credit where it is due. And remember that we ourselves as Christians have received “grace upon grace” (John 1 v 16). Jesus died to show – and release – the goodness of God into our lives. So that we – and all our neighbours - might feel free to offer our work, our very lives – in praise to the God of all creation.

Your minister and friend,

Colin