Apparently the economic hard times will continue into this New Year and some years to come and, like most readers I wonder what lies behind the problem.
There are probably many factors such as the rising economic and commercial power of China, India, and Brazil. However, there are other things which have made a changing situation bad for many throughout Britain and Europe.
Some think that the metropolitan governing elite have wasted vast sums of money. For example, they have let welfare money intended to help individuals in need become a subsidy for idleness. Tax incentives for marriage have become a reward for single parenthood, and vast Private and Public organisations employ armies of functionaries who treat us as a distraction from their apparent duty of protecting their own positions and privileges.
Surprisingly, these same British elite (including the media) have not noticed that they have now become largely irrelevant and politically impotent. This is because most power is now in the hands of the unelected Brussels elite. As a consequence; we have thirty five year old rules which mean that when our trawlers catch fish they must then throw 1/3rd of them back dead. Farmers get subsidies they do not want to keep land out of production, and we cannot now govern ourselves without approval from European bureaucrats.
All this may seem a long way from daily life in a rural parish but it has an impact. For example, shepherds now double ear tag their sheep at a cost of around £1.20 per animal compared to £0.08p two years ago, and when a lamb or calf dies, a lorry comes from Shropshire to pick it up. When I take a lamb to slaughter and bring the carcass back for a neighbour, there are ten regulations printed on 630 pages of text to follow and, if I were to butcher the carcass in my kitchen and take it next door, I would probably be sent to jail.
Despite this gloomy scenario, how can one remain cheerful and optimistic about life in general and local life in particular?
To start with, we live in a most beautiful productive area and most have good friends and family who care for them. We have hundreds of local networks in which local people trade or swap services and produce and, as I have observed on many occasions, our particular rural community is much more than just a collection of common interest groups. Our community comprises everyone who lives in the nine parishes.
This is why I find it fascinating during the general confession at church, to hear the voices of many differing people each asking forgiveness for, “Those things we have done that we ought not to have done,” and for, “Not doing those things we ought to have done.” How humbling and yet how life affirming it is to know that, this diverse bunch of folk are acknowledging falling short of the standards of the faith!
Over the years I have heard it said that the church is full of hypocrites and I agree: It is!
Because you cannot be a hypocrite unless believe that some things are more important than others, it is worth considering that without an absolute standard against which to measure performance, hypocrisy cannot exist. It follows then, that only those people who have no standards are not hypocrites. This means that the rest of us are hypocrites and, of this group, we can at least be sure that those reciting their prayer books in church are acknowledging it.
Finally, talking about behaviour, confession and potential consequences reminds me of the priest who dies and is standing second in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a flamboyant fellow dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.
Saint Peter looks the first chap up and down and asks who he is. “I am Jack, the airline pilot from Gatwick. Peter consults his list, and replies, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom.” The pilot then advances into Heaven with his robe and staff.
Peter next turns to the Priest who proudly says, “I am Robert, Vicar of Saint Mary’s Gatwick.” Peter consults his list and says, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom.”
“Half a minute,” says the clergyman. “How come the pilot gets a silk robe and gold staff and I get only cotton and wood?” With a soulful smile Peter replies, “Up here we have to go by results. “You see ….
Whenever you preached everyone slept. But whenever he flew everybody prayed.”
View from the Pew 