The grind of poverty

"The true horror of existence is not the fear of death, but the fear of life. It is the fear of waking up each day to face the same struggles, the same disappointments, the same pain. It is the fear that nothing will ever change, that you are trapped in a cycle of suffering that you cannot escape. And in that fear, there is a desperation, a longing for something, anything, to break the monotony, to bring meaning to the endless repetition of days."

— Albert Camus, The Fall

Stark but real, as I testify from personal experience and from witnessing the lives of others imprisoned in a life of poverty, discrimination or marginalisation. Society and politicians fail individuals caught up in this life of despair. Christians emphasising the need for repentance and salvation as the ticket to the kingdom of heaven, whilst downplaying the call of Jesus to work for the kingdom on earth, offer no solace, comfort or escape route from the misery of everyday life, from hand to mouth existence, from loan sharks, from any number of debilitating factors.

It is no wonder that church attendance by the poorer sections of society has fallen off faster than amongst the better off. It is perceived as an irrelevance in the life of people struggling to survive in the cycle of suffering. Individuals caught up in this situation need hope that things will change now, not at some indeterminate time in a heavenly kingdom. Liberation theology is a step in the right direction, so is progressive theology and praxis. The vital element is that of engagement in the society around us, helping at point of need, but above all striving to engage successfully with those in positions with power to make systemic change.

 It is 40 years since the Church of England published Faith in the City and a little later Faith in the Countryside. Both documents laid out the scale of poverty, destitution, deprivation, marginalisation and discrimination in England. Since then little has been achieved to overcome the misery identified in the reports, although there have been countless other reports, all gathering dust, of the scale of the issues and possible solutions.

Make no mistake: the failure lies with the political process, the failure of governments of all persuasions to instigate and then maintain the changes needed. Governments claim it is all a question of priorities, of use of scarce financial resources, of no discernible public agitation for change. 

For followers of Jesus it is a moral issue, a matter of loving your neighbour, of helping at point of need, but above all demanding social justice and with it concomitant systemic change. Some choose to do so though faith based organisations, others through secular bodies. others through both.  

The problem is the sterling work of the voluntary sector in providing assistance to individuals at point of need, necessary though it is, masks from society and politicians the sheer scale of the misery suffered daily: inflicted by an uncaring political process. The myriad reports inform us of what is wrong, politicians choose to look the other way.

We at St Paul's do respond as resources of time, funding and premises permit.  Locally campaigning to retain the post office as it  was and the Youth Council campaigning currently for a pedestrian crossing on the A264 are examples of St Paul's engagement, the foodbank offering practical support is an illustration of St Paul's responding to need. Could we do more?  A suggestion. A campaign to improve the 281 bus service?