Extracts from a statement by Ian Monteague, Chair, Board of Directors, Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse (FARE), Glasgow to the Initiatives of Change UK’s Sustainable Communities programme meeting on 19 June 2014. The meeting discussed growing inequality in the UK and identified ways in which individuals and communities could take action to make a difference.
Why is politics becoming deeply divisive in the UK? The faith-based communities have the answer; the people are not listened to. The 2014 European and local government elections highlighted this.
What does every scripture of many faiths say? They point to the people, the poor. They are in our bottom 12 per cent of earnings and income, and weren’t listened to. So some politicians did something different. They turned the political profile upside down and chose that stone in the shoe. In Britain and in London in particular, there is a stone in the shoe and it is contorting the whole body of our people.
In times of austerity, and we’ve come through austerity since 2008, everything moves to the right in politics – that is historical fact. When we face these challenges, everything moves to the right. Even in our home. When a parent is under pressure to feed a child, when a parent is under pressure to provide clothing and the money is not there, the food is not there – they become irritated. They go to the right as a parent, and they become more severe as a parent. As a country, we have moved to the right. As a faith-community, we need to address that because it is the poorest and the weakest who suffer.
Where there is no vision, the people will perish
The wealthiest are actually now today wealthier than they were in 2008. They are prospering, because they know how to position themselves. They know how to take advantage of the situation we are in. The problem is, in terms of religion, and in terms of politics, the right gets it wrong, and the left don’t actually understand. The right become fundamentalist in their religion and politics and become even more austere. The left lose it because they suddenly want everybody to be in the same neutral position.
Faith groups are not in that neutral position. Faith groups believe in supporting their people. We need that and we need to re-connect.
We talked a lot today about getting back to our roots - where are we coming from? We are coming from these scriptures and these faith-based associations. Where there is no vision, the people perish. That is what is happening. We moved to the right as a country because the people were not listened to. We need to find ways for our people to be listened to. You might hear it is as bad news, but you are significant in that process.
To the question: ‘If there is something that comes out of the IofC-UK’s Sustainable Communities network, what will it be?’ My response is: ‘If we continue to give hope and if we continue to support our people, and encourage people – we will have achieved something.’
We of course, want more.
We want the leadership; we want actually the money, which I also called for. We want that. But, if you have hope and encouragement, that’s also important because today your scripture – whatever it is - is calling for you to be a prophet. Now a prophet is not someone who sees into the future.
A prophet is somebody who takes their scripture and goes to those who are in power, those who have the money, and they present that scripture. The question becomes, to that person, what are you doing about the jobless? What are you doing about the challenges in your communities? What will you do if I support you as a politician? As a banker? What will you do? All of you are prophets.
Grinding poverty
The challenge is you need to take that up, and you need to take that prophecy, that word, to those that are making wrong decisions. The most important thing that you need to do when you take that prophecy is: you need to take the picture you’re experiencing, you need to take that testimony, you need to testify with your politicians and your money people, you need to say: ‘I am seeing, I’m experiencing, I am living grinding poverty and unrest in the community you are representing. How are you going to change that?’
If you’re in situations where there are smells, where there are fights, where there are things that are not nice, we need to be there. Because the prophets in our scripture – your scripture – they spoke about poverty and debt. No one can tell me that God is not political. God is political, because He, first of all, wrote about debt and poverty and all of the issues that attend that. He talked about worklessness. You know the words, you know the places. Use the script. Take that to your people because they need to change.
So if there was ever any doubt in your mind that God is not political – take that out of your mind, it doesn’t belong there. He is the one who speaks, about equity, and fairness.
The challenge: change the wind
Here’s how it works: you go wherever your place of money or political power is and see these men and women as people who walk about, having licked their finger, they hold it up. They’re testing the wind. Your challenge is to take your message and change the wind. That wind can be changed. Martin Luther King didn’t say, ’Oh, the wind’s blowing that way let’s just go with it.’ He changed the wind. Gandhi changed the wind. Change the wind. Go to them. Take your message to them. They will respond. My scripture says: 'you have not because you do not ask’. Perhaps you needn’t or ought not to have to ask, but the truth is, you have not because you do not ask. And if it’s still not coming, be like a drip on a stone. And wear that stone smooth.
The last thing I want to say is: what are we actually called to do? First of all, also look at what we have done with what we have. Have we been wise in stewardship and use of the resources we have?
Take the message to these people that there are at least two other powerful forces at work in our cities and communities now. The first of these is there is a spiritual hunger. The second of these is there is a passion for social change. The fantastic news is: young people get this.
The people in power are not listening to our people. Challenge every single one in power. Look at them and say: ‘How are you going to address human dignity in our communities?’ ‘How are you going to support people to live their lives?’ And who did the original prophets address these to? They addressed them to kings and to queens and to judges and to politicians, to the wealthy. Because the most talked about group in all of our scriptures is the poor. So the questions need to be directed to those who are not poor and who are holding these strings.
Communicate the vision
If you can do nothing else, look them in the eye, because we have learnt today – and possibly knew before – silence is very powerful. Go to them and if it is in your heart, weep, and say: ‘how are you going to change this?’ Speak that prophetic word, because that is your challenge from your scripture. Ask that deeds be done. Ask that they will bring jobs – we need jobs – we need families to have a home and we need disease cured.
What we need, want and deserve for our people and all of those you represent, is we need to write that vision. We need that vision to be communicated to all of those people who have a responsibility in our communities.”
The views expressed in this statement are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, or should not be attributed, to IofC-UK.
English