The economic blip is, as you well know, more like a non-returnable total wipe-out. There is, so it seems, no one who is unaffected. Politicians have been talking about recovery in "X" number of years time as if it will be say two parliaments worth, but I can't see it. History will put this and the last decade down as a major turning point in the global lives of billions of people and essentially all countries.
What I do see though is a realisation of this beginning to happen across the country. People are changing the way they are living their lives, working in jobs, and surviving. It's about being multi-taskers: working harder in several jobs - for less, making major and significant decisions about career and lifestyle - do we need a car? do we need to live in this house? Decisions that were thought unthinkable 5 years ago, are now real and on the agenda. It's no longer about complaining about your lot, but about adapting and getting on with it. Complaining about being tired is probably a common response, but it's about putting your head down and getting on with it. There is too the beginnings of a sense of community coming back - of being all in this together. This is going to take time to develop I think. Even the shops and firms you do business with are now desperate to do any deal. We are in the world of "no offer is too silly!" This, I observe, is the brave new world we are entering in to!
On another tack, probably a different one, maybe not, kindness and gentleness are it seems for a tiny minority, not a part of their kit bags. It is plain wrong to communicate with another on any matter in an offensive and upsetting way. Such an action shows up the real person for who they are. I think James in his New Testament letter had something to say about this - James chapter 3: 10 and 11. I just don't want to be a part of that kind of lifestyle and wouldn't wish anyone to be on the end of it.
And pondering something else - life for me is as busy as it has ever been. I have been hoping to establish my term time rotuine - this day that, another day that - and the same each week. But I've never had so many different things going on, and many of them challenging. I've not had for 3 years so many funerals to do or visiting to do, or preparation of talks and sermons, and my administration is increasing. What I find most challenging is the need to be on top of, and stay on top of my diary. One day I think it's sorted for the week, then something else completely changes it. Factoring in time off, not too many nights out is a constant challenge.
Finally - escapism! I don't think I've ever heard anyone teach or preach on escapism, though maybe rest. I've reflected a lot about the need for us all to be regularly taken out of our hum drum life into a world of fantasy and to escape. For me, what often does that is either watching a film or reading a book. Films are great because all that "normal" stuff in my head is switched off, and I can somehow escape into this surreal world, and laugh and cry and for maybe 2 hours enjoy and be someone else. I suspect God made us all that way.
No comments:
Post a Comment