As I dismantled slowly my belief infrastructure I moved increasingly to follow, as best I could, the general principles for living ascribed to Jesus. This led to a long involvement in the activities of faith and secular voluntary organisations.
My deconstruction was influenced by the writings of Jacques Derrida, Don Cupitt, John Robinson, Richard Holloway, Marcus Borg, Walter Brueggemann, John Caputo and Robin Meyers. Conviction of the necessity for social justice was fed by the writings of Gustav Gutierrez, Jurgen Moltmann, Leonardo Boff, Martin Luther King Jnr., Aaron Stauffer et al.
In many congregations social responsibility/justice is perceived, if at all, as a distraction from saving individuals and guaranteeing a passport to heaven. Social justice does not infuse all things some churches do, it is distinct, not inherent. The concept of the kingdom on earth now is an alien concept.
Sticking plaster hides the deep wounds in society. Huge amounts of assistance, mostly under the radar, to people at point of need hides from wider society the reality of systemic injustice. There is little evidence of populist pressure or campaigning for systemic change. It does not figure in the priorities of society: indeed it is opposed by many.
As followers of Jesus we must campaign for systemic change and seek allies outside church bubbles. Sadly, I see no evidence of militant action from churches to demand change. In the United Kingdom there is no appetite in the political parties for the degree of systemic change required. It is not a vote winner.
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