Trust and Belonging

Last week it was my turn to write the editorial for our Parish Newsletter. The subject was community, or the lack of it, and how we had become more isolated and individualistic. The article examined ways in which the Church was a community of people who were in turn part of the wider community of the parish. It is a matter of priority for our Ministry Team and Church Council to find ways in which we can create dialogue between ourselves and those outside of our church walls but who are nevertheless part of our wider community.

Lack of community and individualism is something that has been on my mind for some time. It was with much interest then that I read Mark Easton's blog on trust and belonging. Mark quotes from the ESS (European Social Survey)

Trust is the glue which holds society together, so evidence that the UK has the poorest "trust and belonging" levels for every age bracket from 15 to 50 is deeply disturbing.

The ESS tries to measure trust and belonging by comparing answers to questions such as these:
• Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted, or that you can't be too careful in dealing with people?
• Do you think that most people would try to take advantage of you if they got the chance, or would they try to be fair?
• Would you say that most of the time people try to be helpful or that they are mostly looking out for themselves?

This map compares "trust and belonging" scores in 22 European nations for residents

The map looks at under-25s, but it is the same depressing story for ages 25-34 and 35-49. If it weren't for some reasonably healthy scores among the over-50s, the UK would drop below Bulgaria and Slovakia as the least trusting of all the European nations surveyed.

It would be easy to argue about the causes of this lack of trust although it is true to say the 'individualism' has been peddled by Governments and Big Corporations alike since the early 80's, but handing out blame is not going to cure things, what is needed is action. The question for us in the Church is, "What form should that action take?" I wish I had the answer. How do you turn round something that has been happening slowly for decades? It has happened in the past - times in which God has moved in unexpected ways - usually when some individual or individuals have been listening for the voice of God. Perhaps as we come up to another General Synod we should stop talking and start listening.

Mark Easton's Blog Here