Of Malls and Palaces

The recent event in Nairobi is the stuff of which nightmares are made. Trapped inside a building, under fire from brutal men (and woman?). It is significant of course that the terrorists went for an up-market shopping mall, a symbol of wealth and prosperity, hitting a country where it would hurt most.

I have been thinking this week about the interior life. Our spirits sometimes feel they are being invaded by hostile forces which threaten us: fear, unfulfilled ambition, anxiety, low self-esteem, desire for wealth, power or recognition. We all have different 'soft spots' in the landscape of our lives, which we try to protect in a variety of different ways. It's what sometimes makes us aggressive, over-sensitive, depressed or moody.

I am struck by something CS Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, borrowing an analogy from George MacDonald. Imagine yourself as a house, in a bad state of repair. As we grow in grace, it is as if God is fixing the damage but then we realise he has another plan altogether. Lewis concludes,

You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but God is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.

Thinking about the interior life, what is going on in the minds and the hearts of terrorists? How corrupted have they become? What can persuade them to sacrifice themselves not for the life but for the death of others - thinking of the Christians recently killed in Pakistan? It is as if they themselves have been invaded, and the spirit of their creator God driven out.

Syria - and the Common Good

It seems like more than a week ago that I was on a conference at Liverpool Hope University, entitled 'Together for the Common Good'. It was an exploration of the work of Bishop David Sheppard and Archbishop Derek Worlock, to see what might be learned for today's Church in facing issues of social justice. Below, you can read a letter which I wrote to the Church Times afterwards, and is published today. A first for me! The conference was obviously rated significant enough to merit 4 letters on the letters page, plus a report.

However, on my mind the whole weekend was Syria - as it has been before and since. I am so thankful Parliament took the stand it did; that President Obama seems to have followed suit; and that now there seem to be diplomatic moves between Russian and Syrian governments, to deal with the issue of chemical weapons. However, these weapons don't seem to me to be the issue: tens of thousands more lives have been lost by the use of conventional weapons and by various forms of brutality and torture on both sides. Chemical weapons (like WMDs in Iraq) cannot be made a reason for intervening, making a truly terrible situation even worse.

There are at least three reasons for not getting involved militarily:

1. It's not just about Syria, but the whole middle-East, including Israel-Palestine. Robert Fiske (journalist with the Independent) points out that behind the current conflagration stands Iran - the real enemey, he suggests, in American eyes - and western interference could have the effect of bringing them further into the conflict with unthinkable results.
2. There is the issue of foreign governments involving themselves in the affairs of other sovereign states. Where would that end? There are many other unjust regimes in the world, yet the West has stayed out of those. The only justiable reason for such action would be if one's national security were threatened, as for example, Britain in 1939.
3. The Bible has a clear instruction for dealing with situations where wrong prevails. It is to 'overcome evil with good': 'Goodness is stronger than evil', says the South African song. To start bombing Syria would add evil to evil.

I don't believe that not intervening amounts to indifference to Syria's plight, as some have suggested. Humanitarian and diplomatic efforts are where the UK has historically excelled. Would it not be possible, for example, with the agreement of the governments concerned, to ring-fence Syria with refugee camps in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan - even Israel and Iraq?

Could not 'common good' thinking apply to international politics as well as to local issues of social justice?

Here's the letter:

Letter to The Church Times, 10 September 2013

A Coalition of the Just

Sir – Hilary Russell’s article (Restate the Common Good, 30 August) rightly highlights the need for a new confidence for churches, acting together in the face of an increasingly polarised and unequal society. The conference to which the end of her article referred has just taken place at Liverpool Hope University. It was a truly remarkable event, drawing together over 150 people from a whole range of different fields: politics (including a smattering of MPs), journalism and the media, universities, charitiable organizations, and the Church (archbishops, bishops, clergy and various lay employees, from several denominations). These mingled with a number of mainly Christian local activists from all over the country to recall the Sheppard-Worlock partnership of the 70s, 80s and 90s to see what lessons could be learned for today.

I returned with two clear impressions. Firstly, the ‘state we’re in’ is probably far worse than many people realise. The growing number of foodbanks and the displacement of people from their homes because of the ‘bedroom tax’, are just two signs of chronic poverty particularly in our urban areas. Furthermore, as many delegates pointed out, our political system is proving quite incapable of dealing with the problems which face us. Meanwhile, it is evident that an oligarchy of wealthy individuals have increasing power while proving themselves indifferent to the needs of the poor.

However, in terms of response to our nation’s ills, the situation may be better than many people realise. The passion for justice and the common good at the conference was palpable and those present were only a tiny proportion of like-minded people, including their own colleagues. Not all were practising Christians; most were. And the clarion call of the conference was for them to have more confidence (like Sheppard and Worlock) that the Church does indeed have a prophetic voice to speak to a nation, city or community in distress. Furthermore, by partnering with each other, with those of other faiths, and those of none we can speak with a voice which unites rather than divides. We can form indeed a coalition of the just. With the raising of hope, action will follow.

With the 2015 General Election coming into view, could the language of ‘the common good’ be one we could speak together? Could this language help to form more alliances to address our local and national needs?

Papers and responses from the conference can be found at www.togetherforthecommongood.co.uk