Big Brother or Heavenly Father

So the debate over Britain's surveillance culture continues to rage with the latest report from the House of Lords Constitution Committee. In the report, the committee suggested that growth in surveillance by both the state and the private sector risks threatening people's right to privacy, which it said was "an essential pre-requisite to the exercise of individual freedom". The report went on to say that "There can be no justification for this gradual but incessant creep towards every detail about us being recorded and pored over by the state."

It is true to say that no people in history have been spied on like the British public. We have a proliferation of CCTV cameras and the largest DNA database in the world per head of the population; not to mention the myriads of databases containing personal information. Now the Government wants to keep records of all out telephone conversations and emails, supposedly for our safety.

What is uppermost in most peoples' minds is what happens to this data. Government and private agencies seem to "mislay" CD-ROMS and data sticks on a regular basis. Also what happens in the future if Britain comes under the power of some extreme government? We only need to take a lesson from history to see what can happen. When the Nazi regime overrun France and Holland and started rounding up Jews, their success rate in Holland was far greater than in France - why? - simply because the Dutch kept meticulous records on every individual whereas the French did not.

Of course, Christian believe that there is someone who has always kept an eye on us. Long before there was anything like a CCTV camera the psalmist wrote:-

O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely
(Psalms 139:1-4)

Whereas I find the Government's collection of data on me a worrying thought, I cannot say the same of God. I'm pretty sue he has never lost a data stick and I'm pretty sure also that he does not want to keep tabs on me just in case I do something wrong. Whereas the Government collects data out of fear, God collects his out of love. Whereas the Government say it does what it does to make me feel safe, with God I know I am safe. Whereas the Government constantly betrays peoples; trust, God has proved himself true to his word time and time again.

Peace and all good

Dave

BBC on Lords Report

The Good Childhood® Inquiry

Today the Children's Society released its report into Childhood. It is a long affair and no doubt will become the basis of much debate. Of course, there will those that will rubbish the report without reading it simply because it has a Christian ethos.

One line in the sumary of the report struck me because it tied in very much with my own thinking of late

Most of the obstacles children face today are linked to the belief among adults that the prime duty of the individual is to make the most of their own life, rather than contribute to the good of others. (Children's Society)

As if to reenforce that argument I listened to a mother being interviewed on Radio 4. It was a short interview but I lost count of the times she said "I": not once did she mention her children.

Jesus hated individualism. He could have preached his message alone but he chose others to share in that mission. He talked about his followes as being Children of God - a God who loves them and cares for all their needs, spiritual, physical and emotional: not an absent God but one who is always present. Jesus talked of his Church as being a fellowship of people from all around the world., not a collection of individuals. If Jesus had looked to his own individual interests he could have avoided the cross, but he didn't. In the word of the report he contributed to the good of others.

It would be easy to condemn individualism, it is not condemnation that is required but compassion. The individualistic person is often unhappy deep down because they are operating in a mode that God never intended. Every so often that sadness may surface only to be supressed by a bit or "retail therapy."

The answer to individualism lies in allowing people to taste a better option; as Christians we believe we know what that option is.

The Children Society Report

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

A Day at the Seaside

Yesterday Gill and I availed ourselves of our free Travel Passes and I took a trip out to Southport. The weather was pleasant and it presented the perfect opportunity to get away for a few hours, have a meal and walk along the Victorian splendour of Lord Street before taking a quick stroll along the pier. The scene that greeted us was very different from the one that greeted us just eleven months ago. Then everything was vibrant, now we were met by empty shops and closing down sales. People were shopping but a quick look showed that most were not carrying much in the way of purchases. The stores that did seem to be doing well were those with massive discount sales and the usual plethora of Charity shops. Neither Gill nor I shop in town centres very often, so this was quite a shock.

So where is all this going? I don't think anybody really knows. Even whilst writing this a Twitter message came in announcing the possibility of another 2,000 jobs going at the Steel Manufacturer, Corus. Such messages are becoming more and more frequent and not a day goes by without me receiving at least one.

Yesterday I also received an email from friend in the States. The message spoke of the inauguration of President Obama and their hope that things may change. I was with them the day Obama was elected and we had toasted the occasion with champagne. Can one man change things? Well it is possible but this is a job for all of us. What he can give is hope and hope when acted upon leads both to positive thinking and to positive action. Any good psychiatrist will tell you that is the key to coming out of depression. Depression and recession go hand in hand in a vicious cycle. Break that cycle and we have a chance.

Time to Change Campaign

I have no hesitation in drawing attention to the Time for Change Campaign. Both Gill and I have had experience of mental health issues, personally in the past and more recently with a family member.
Please check out the website at Time fto Change and read the stories of some people who I am sure you will know.

God Bless

A Tale of Two Worlds

On returning to work yesterday I could not help but notice the contrast between what seemed like two different worlds. The luxury of the hotel in its beautiful surroundings was exchanged for a rundown youth building in an area of boarded up houses. The rich and successful people were replaced by those for whom society holds out little hope – the ever growing underclass.

I do not want to get into arguments about what makes people rich and poor or the rights and wrongs of the situation. I would like to offer the two things that came to my mind.

Those I met at the weekend had, first and foremost a confidence in themselves. Secondly, they had a willingness to work hard. Both of these attributes would not go amiss with those I teach. Few have any confidence in themselves and their abilities: certainly none of them want to work hard to improve their chances in life. It would possible to argue for days as to why these kids are that way. Some of them have been let down by an educational system that has not catered for their needs – a system that is obsessed by exam results rather than turning out well rounded people. Some have been let down by social services failing to act decisively and in time. All have been let down by a society that for a long time has got its priorities wrong.

There are no quick fixes, but one thing we can do is see them as people and not just troublesome youths and ‘hoodies.’ We can all work to build up their confidence in their own abilities, giving praise where praise is due. These are people for whom Christ died. If they are valuable to Him then they should be just as valued to us. I doubt if any of them feel valued.

Simple Joys

This weekend we are at the wedding of my cousin's daughter, Sarah. She is getting married in Cornwall so it is a long way for us to travel. We are breaking our journey at Taunton, making the rest of the trip on Saturday morning.

I was thinking how much weddings figure in the Scriptures. Of course, the first recorded miracle of Jesus was at a wedding: Jesus himself is referred to as a bridegroom and the Church as the 'Bride of Christ', and apocalyptic writings talk to us of 'the wedding feast of the Lamb. Whenever, weddings are mentioned in Scripture they are nearly always associated with fun and rejoicing. I wonder how much of that fun is lost in the recent phenomenon of having bigger and better weddings. Some of the popular venues here in Liverpool cost between five and ten thousand pounds - and that is just the venue. Add to this the dress, the catering, cars, flowers and all the other paraphernalia that goes with a modern wedding and I can see why some people say that a good wedding costs over twenty thousand pounds It is as if to have fun we have to spend more and more money. It seems to me that twenty thousand would make a good deposit on a house.

I don't believe I'm an old killjoy - of course a wedding will cost money- even Jesus had to step in when the organisers of a wedding underestimated the amount of wine required. What I am saying is that fun and rejoicing does not have to cost a lot of money. When we look back on life, often the times we remember enjoying ourselves the most are those times when we did not spend an absolute fortune. I believe we all need to become more childlike and get back to some of the simple pleasure we enjoyed in those early years of discovery.

The topic that seems to be on everyone's lips at the moment is the financial turmoil which has moved from being a crisis on Wall Street to a crisis in peoples' pockets. Here in the UK many individuals and Councils have seen their assets frozen by the apparent collapse of the Icelandic banking system. Governments around the world are, as I write, pouring millions of tax-payers money into the banks to try and keep the economy afloat.

Watching the news last night it seems whether it is New York or Newcastle UK people resent their money being used to prop up what they see as the failings and greed of 'Fat Cat Bankers.' However, how many of us are guilty of similar greed. Millions of ordinary people in the UK have been only too happy to avail themselves of the cheap credit that has been on offer. The UK Government may be pouring billions into the banks, but the truth is it is only a fraction of what the UK population owe on their mortgages, loans and credit cards.

I can't speak for others, but I find all this as an opportunity - and opportunity for me as an individual and a Franciscan to look again at my priorities in the light of my vow to simplicity - but also an opportunity to overhaul the financial system. It has been sad that all Capitalists are B-Polar - they swing between greed and blind panic! Well, we have seen plenty of that lately: a long period of greed followed by the blind panic of the last few months.

Is it possible that we can change? Certainly not without a change of heart. We Tertiary Franciscans believe that true chastity is not using others for your own ends. Is it possible that at least some of those in big business could take this on board? Nothing is impossible to God, if he turned the heart of the people of Nineveh, he can certainly do the same for the City.

As Franciscans, we have to pray that God's Spirit will move on peoples heart, but we also have to preach repentance, which is part and parcel of our calling. Finally, we to must examine our own attitudes and motive towards money and repent if needs be.

Showing Hospitality

Shortly after writing my post on disaffected young people, I watched a television programme called "The Secret Millionaire". It is not the sort of programme I would normally watch but I noticed that the millionaire in question was visiting the very area of Liverpool where I work with those youngsters. The idea of the programme is that our millionaire would live incognito among the people, looking for worthy causes to which he could contribute.

Now the area has a bad reputation, being on of the most deprived in the UK. Many people keep away from its streets and yet I have always found the inhabitants very open and friendly. I am glad to say that impression came over in the film. Thankfully, the area is undergoing regeneration, although this seems slow and some elements are controversial.


Way back in the late 60's I attended church in the district and it was at that church I met and married Gill. As a young man I evangelised in the neighbourhood, played in a band in the church coffee bar and helped run the youth work. Imagine my surprise when our millionaire visited our old church. Since our time the church has gone through a transformation. Gone are the old pews and furniture to be replaced by modern chairs enabling the space to be used in a more creative way. - But back to our story.

Our millionaire was invited back for a meal by one of the families attending the church. They had no idea who he was, they simply thought he was someone with little money living on their own. Without going into detail the family had got into debt and were working hard to pay off the monies they owed. All of this meant that they could not raise the deposit for a house of their own.
Our millionaire was taken by their attitude and visited on a number of other occasions before 'coming clean' and telling them who he was. To their surprise he handed them a cheque for the deposit on the house. Three months later the family moved into the home for which so long they had dreamed.

During the programme I was reminded of a verse from the Bible. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2) Who are those people I meet each day? I could walk around the area I have mentioned believing all the people are layabouts and scroungers - after all that's what the press seems to call them - or I could see them a God sees them, people who he loves and for whom he died. Some may even be there for my benefit.

As a Franciscan I am often told that Francis was converted before the cross at St. Damiano, some others think it was when he was on the road to war. Francis, on the other hand, sees it as being when he put aside all the hate and revulsion of many years and kissed the leper - for him that was the moment of release.

City Church Website

Disaffected Youngsters

Over the past four years I have been working with disaffected young people here in inner city Liverpool. Every Monday morning I feel as if I am stepping into a totally different world from the one I inhabit at home or church. Their world is one of drugs and violence. Most have been in trouble with the law, some on numerous occasions.

People tell me that they are failures. I am no expert, but it strikes me that it is we that have failed. For years we have been trying to address the problem of these children, but instead of making things better they have only become worse. Numbers of young people like these are increasing at an alarming rate. Social Workers, Police and Government seem powerless to do anything. Packs of young people roam our streets and they are becoming increasingly violent.

We try to offer things but the thing that strikes me most is their lack of interest in anything other than their hum-drum existence. Many of my youngsters have no idea of even what day it is, let alone the month or the year. Ask them what they did the night before and they can't remember. Call me cynical, but I have come to the stage when if anyone tells me they have an answer I tend not to believe them.


Perhaps the real answer lies in prayer. Instead of critcising them we should pray for them. We should be humble enough to admit that we do not have answers and we need a power greater than ourselves.

However, that prayer has to be selfless for we are not praying for them to become 'good little Christians', rather we are asking the author of love to love them and lift them out of the despair and hopelessness and give them meaning and direction whether they turn to Christ or not. After all, they are individuals created in the image of God, even if they want to hide it under a hood.