38 mins
LETTERS
‘Christian Socialism’ Plea
Your coverage of Brexit, full of foreboding, combined with Ron Ferguson’s reflection that “there is a sense of unease in our land” (Life and Work, March) are well aimed and timely.
We should analyse the problem and ask how, as Christians, we can help.
The public realm, strongly built up in the first half of my lifetime, is being eroded. It depends on robust government which is now being undermined by austerity and neo-liberalism, changing us from citizens in a democracy to punters in a marketplace.
I suggest a reappraisal of Christian Socialism (CS) is in order. It’s broader than you may think.
CS was formulated in the nineteenth century in response to laissez-faire capitalism.
It is based primarily on Leviticus 19:18 and Mark 12:31: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
Applying the principles of collective action and solidarity, workplace trade unions were formed to protect individuals and communities from the worst effects of capitalism. Carefully constructed unions strengthen our potential. In all areas of life we make relationships and arrangements designed to get the best out of ourselves and our neighbours and partners. As capitalism has morphed into corporatism, unionism needs to keep pace.
Other Biblical teachings under-pinning CS remind us that not everyone should be expected to conform to a consensus; we need boundary-pushers, critics and satirists, and there will always be the infirm and the outcast.
All stand before God and have human rights, unequivocally. This area particularly requires strong, tolerant government and the upkeep of law and order.
CS also recognises the force of Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents. We need people who are prepared to take risks and be enterprising, and the principle of doing well for oneself and looking after one’s own is honourable.
There are warnings about greed, of course, and wide inequality is itself an injustice; read Amos. Responsible entrepreneurs know that a fair sharing of wealth helps towards a healthy and well educated workforce, while generating prosperity in the market in which their goods are sold.
Reasonably equable societies are harmonious and productive.
A central thrust of the Bible is that we must live in harmony with God’s creation.
In our day of excessive plastic and CO2 emissions this is not some remote, idealised option. We must actively seek to live ecologically sustainable lifestyles.
We are looking for a healthy balance between co-operation, diversity and competition, and of course we never get it right – that’s politics for you. God put us in a dynamic, changing world. There is a mainstream political party for each of the strands of Christian Socialism.
Christians should play a full part in the nation’s political life and contribute to our fragile representative democracy.
Tim Bell, Edinburgh
‘Real’ Greyfriars Story
Greyfriars Bobby being remembered was a good story and good for the tourist trade, however, it detracts considerably from real deep meaningful history located in the cemetery.
I refer to the Covenanters’ graves and cages where the captured prisoners from Bothwell Brig were held in these open cages from August to December 1679.
Alas they were placed on the Crown of London, to be deported to the American Colonies. Over 200 men lost their lives.
I hope you can appreciate why “Bobby” sticks in my throat! Jim Walsham, by email
‘True Lives Hid With Christ’
The universe is a vast Holy place and life is a sacred gift. There are over seven billion of us on our beautiful and bountiful planet home as we orbit through space at 66,600mph and not one of us could exist for a trillionth of a second without the benign sacred power of love – who is God.
Our true lives are hid with Christ in God. I no longer live but Christ liveth in mine. (This sounds like phantasmagorical science fiction, kidology, when in fact it is the truth which sets us free.)
I was born on All Saints Day in Edinburgh baptised in St Cuthbert’s by Dr Fisher (Editor of Life and Work for 21 years). James Blyth, Ayr
Presbytery Reform Call
The governance model in the Church of Scotland has a long, proud and distinctive pedigree. However, it has adapted little to today’s rapidly changing and challenging circumstances.
For the first time I observed a presbytery meeting recently, sitting, as requested, at a sensible distance from the regular attendees.
The cost of convening such gatherings must be far from trivial in man-hours, carbon footprint and treasure.
But, what, at the end of the day had been accomplished?
In our electronic age with social media, there are many other ways of bringing about participation and a meeting of minds as well as formal accountability.
The Church of Scotland, not uniquely, faces several very present and real existential crises, exacerbated by complacent drift in recent decades. Today’s situation could and should have been foreseen years ago. Informed responses could have been much more well-grounded, creative and effective, even if the much-loved and familiar had to be sacrificed for the greater good.
Presbytery governance should not be treated as a ‘sacred cow’.
Responding to pre-reformation abuses and malpractices in the Church hierarchy, it served well in times of plenty. It is not so well suited to grappling with difficult decisions and existential threats, clear today for all, who so wish, to see.
J Michael Buchanan, London
Work and Fork
Ah the joys of corrective text!
I just composed a message to make my son aware of an interesting nugget of information in the April edition of your esteemed publication when my phone decided unilaterally to point him towards the Church of Scotland’s hitherto unheralded holistic fine dining magazine “Life and Fork”.
Dr John Henderson, Bidston, Merseyside
Graham Comment
I was glad that we commemorated the life of Billy Graham with an article in Life and Work and also interested to read the letter from Thomas Brown in the May issue.
If I may, I would like to make a couple of points from Mr Brown’s letter, not with the intention of point scoring but hopefully to offer some proper perspective on Billy Graham’s ministry.
Firstly Mr Brown suggests that we will never know if Billy Graham looked into the face of Jesus but the Christian Gospel lets us know that all who have a saving faith in Jesus Christ will see Him and will be with Him forever. As the hymn says, “When He comes, our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring, then anew this song we’ll sing, hallelujah what a Saviour.”
Secondly Mr. Brown suggests that if the pearly gates exist, Billy Graham would have earned his welcome.
This thought is the complete antithesis of all that Billy Graham stood for. His whole life and ministry spelled out that no person could earn their entrance into heaven and that was why we needed to come to Jesus in repentance and faith.
I am sure that Billy Graham had a warm welcome when he arrived at the pearly gates but that was nothing to do with his personal achievements but all to do with the fact that he was a sinner “saved by grace.”
Alex Glen, Elder Sandyford Henderson Church, Glasgow
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This article appears in the June 2018 Issue of Life and Work
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