below the surface

Dearest bloggists, I am back. Sorry. Having enjoyed two weeks off I feel refreshed and ready to go again. A lot has taken place since I last put fingers to keyboard and I would like to add my own thoughts to those of many bloggers, tweeters, columnists and pub-philosophers.

It is obvious that there is no ‘one size fits all’ description of the riots and looting last week, nor is there a ‘one size fits all’ response that will resolve the issues. But it seems to me that many of the responses have not gone deep enough and risk responding at a merely superficial level. For example, how will stopping the benefits of any in receipt of them who are convicted of looting or rioting resolve the problems? It will make people poorer and will not address the many people who are not in receipt of benefits who helped themselves to a smash and grab discount.

I wonder if part of the problem is inherent in the culture within which we live. We are undoubtedly a market-led consumer culture, powered by powerful commercial pressures and advertising industry. This is fed by a constant need to engender a sense of dissatisfaction among us. My very simplistic analysis goes like this: we must need newer, better, faster, sleeker, sexier goods in order to keep buying the consumer goods in order to provide profit for the companies in order to provide dividends for the shareholders in order to give them more money in order that they can buy more goods…

The message we are learning is that ‘you are what you have’ and an unwanted by-product of this culture is the sense of dissatisfaction that easily mutates into greed. I know it myself, as a technophile / gadget-lover. I see the latest tablet computer or phone and without processing the thought think,’”Ooh, I’d like that!” So when people are presented with an apparently cost-free opportunity to have the latest stuff they will take it. It feeds their self-esteem, it apparently satisfies the dissatisfaction and it overrides any latent sense of right and wrong that they have.

Our core beliefs underpin the values by which we live, and if ‘you are what you have’ has become a core belief it is not surprising that the value to possess the latest and best is in conflict with (and for some will over-ride) values about not stealing, when you do not have the disposable income to buy what you think will make you complete (at least until you are told you need the next new thing). It is not surprising to me that many of the shops looted were selling phones, tvs, computers and the like, as these are the ‘must have’ items in our society.

Let me offer a response…

It surely goes beyond the superficial behaviour, through our attitudes and values, down to our beliefs, on which our culture depends. Where are the voices that are saying that “you are intrinsically valuable as a person, not because of what you have”? Who is saying, “love is the greatest force in the universe”? When will we hear that “communities are primarily groups of people who look out for one another rather than places we live and shop”?

Isn’t that part of the message of the gospel? It certainly sounds like things Jesus was telling people… but they won’t be coming to church on Sunday to hear it. How will you tell them today?