Reader Writes July 2024

I was enjoying the swarms of small children at a recent Messy Church as they played

games or sat up at craft tables colouring and making animals for the arc. I hope most of

them will see the next century; what a different world that is going to be. Pick any

component of that future and it promises to be difficult, from world order to the towering

storm of climate breakdown and collapse of biodiversity. We could yet come to our senses

and begin the radical changes we need, building arcs even, or we might contemplate the

fiction of Margaret Attwood in Oryx and Crake where an engineered pandemic somewhat

alters world population. Sorry to mention such a grim idea!

Well thank God we live in a democracy where the rule of law, independence of the

judiciary and the freedom of journalism allow us, without fear, to argue for what we believe

we need. If only it promised to be as effective as that. But it’s a start, and 3 July is an

important date. Let’s vote! Don’t stay at home. I’ll admit, I won’t be voting Tory. If Rishi

Sunak can argue that we can’t afford the green measures needed to achieve an early zero

carbon, then how on earth can we hope to limit global warming to survivable limits? This

goes with dropping green agendas and green budgets, terrible political compromises that

steal from our grandchildren for present short term political gain.

I joined the Labour Party a few years ago to vote for Starmer in place of a seemingly

unelectable Corbyn. Now it is necessary to support Starmer and Labour nationally if we

want the Tories to spend a bit of time in opposition reflecting on their values. But where,

among our political options, are the radical ideas and big policy changes that we need?

Naked market interests and influences have driven us to the edge, for both society and the

environment. Labour and the LibDems have to address this whilst also appealing to the

wider and older population. Personally I hope we get a Green member in, especially since

we are losing the saintly Caroline Lucas who spoke out with outstanding honesty and

clarity. So come on Ellie Chowns; more green posters!

My morning reading of the bible regularly bumps into the fundamental issues where God’s

standards and longing are at odds with the reality of our greedy world; and we are all

complicit. The writer of Proverbs said “A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but

injustice sweeps it away” Pr13:23. It sounds uncomfortably familiar, and it is partly the

natural consequence of adopting the nakedly selfish outcomes of neoliberal economics;

turbo-charged capitalism if you like. “Rents” are wound up, profits extracted and costs are

driven down. Theft in other words!

As Christians we must speak out against the injustice and greed of an extreme market

driven system. It’s not altogether promising when you hear Labour’s plans, but it’s a start,

and the Tories’ shift to the right, both socially and economically, needs to be decisively

rejected. LibDems and certainly the Greens offer something more radical. We need

serious change, both to protect our vulnerable society from injustice and to make a rapid

move towards zero carbon. The “poor man’s field” can certainly produce “abundant food” if

we vote for its just protection.

Robert MacCurrach