By Ray Robinson
Anne and I are extremely glad to be back for another stint of Island life pastoring the Anglican Church for the next three months or so.
Soon after arriving I was reminded of the time-honoured tradition on the island of the friendly wave, as cars or bikes pass each other, and I was caused to reflect on how rare that was on the mainland.
It’s been fun getting reacquainted with:
The single finger wave – ‘I’m very cool, but I want to acknowledge you’
The two or three finger lift from the steering wheel – ‘I’m a bit more expressive in my greeting’
The enthusiastic flap of a hand – ‘I’m really glad to see you’.
I’ve experienced all of them, and the only one left on my bucket list is the Queen Elizabeth ‘full hand with a slow vertical turn’. If I get one of those, you’ll get a happy honk back from me.
All of that to say, it’s caused me to reflect deeply on how we relate to one another in society, and recent comments by the Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, the former world bank chief economist. He’s been doing the rounds expressing deep concern about our current world economies. (Search ABC news for Stiglitz)
He points out that the freedoms we hold so dear also necessitate some rules. Deregulation in banking (and I would argue in many other areas of our corporate life) has given many financial players the opportunity to push the envelope in pursuit of profit, but only at the expense of a stable and safe financial sector.
It’s an interesting dilemma; Do governments take their hands off the tiller and let the market adjust itself or do they insist on certain rules of engagement to ensure corporations keep in place the appropriate safety mechanisms to avoid some of the financial chaos we’ve witnessed in recent years.
It’s all got to do with what a philosopher by the name of Rousseau called the Social Contract, what rules do we agree on to ensure a healthy social fabric for our society? We need each other, how are we going to work together?
Stiglitz comments: Freedom involves some rules. Problem is, no one agrees on the rules. Worse, there doesn’t appear to be a final authority to make the call as to what we should do. Politicians are caught in a bind between powerful corporate interests and the difficulty of making decisions that may be politically unpopular.
Solutions seem few and far in coming. There are no simple answers, and yet there is.
Jesus spoke of the principle of ‘Love God and love your neighbour’. Society has not found a better answer. One economist or political scientist’s idea over another, is everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. We can’t agree on the rules, because we all have different rules.
Jesus steps in and reminds us that before all else, it’s a moral issue. Do we make economic decisions (or any decision) for the sake of ourselves or others? Stiglitz is right, freedom does involve some rules. And I would suggest for our own sake, and so that we might continue to be free, there is a social contract we need to agree to: We need to limit our freedoms and think of others before ourselves.
All this seems far removed from a quiet life on a tropical island, and yet the principles still apply in our own lives. The little and simple things like a friendly wave from the car are part of a bigger fabric of community cohesion and consensus on how to relate to one another. In a small community, that is a precious thing to have. May we never lose that focus on how we need each other and to love and care for one another is to benefit ourselves as much as to bless others.
It’s why the churches on the island exist, to help us keep focus on such things in a world where the moral dimension is forgotten in a rush to look after self. Why not drop into church next weekend, take the time to refocus on what’s really important?
Currently we at Christ Church have been exploring how God’s take on Anxiety, Depression and Satisfaction can help us navigate an increasingly insecure world. We’ll continue that this month in topics like ‘What’s going on when God seems silent?’ ‘Can we really be sure He’s there for us?’
Sunday’s 9.30 at Christ Church all are welcome.