This Lent I am feeling the tension between action and contemplation more acutely than ever.
‘Our Lent should awaken a sense of social justice’
As always the words that Oscar Romero wrote in 1980, weeks before his assassination are key to my Lenten practice. This year, a year of elections, working for social justice is more crucial and urgent.
No Time To Wait was published last week by North East Child Poverty Commission, and as the title suggests, there is no time to wait. Over one thirds of babies, children and young people in the region are growing up in poverty and one tenth are living below the deep poverty line. The report’s authors warn that,
‘is not only limiting the life chances and outcomes of tens of thousands of children and families across the North East – and their ability to benefit from everything this part of the world has to offer – it is holding the whole of our region back.’
Many of the levers to reduce child poverty sit with the UK government and consequently general elections are key moments where civil society organising for change. Here in the North East devolution provides another opportunity to tackling the injustice that is child poverty. Faith groups are often on the front line of responding to poverty and therefore have great insights into the causes and yet, in my experience, we struggle to focus our energy upstream.
During a recent session with new church leaders in the region, they admitted that they felt unable challenge injustice. They, and their congregations, were amazing at providing pastoral and social activities, responding to need through loving service and activities that evangelise. However, there wasn’t a single of example that would be described as challenging unjust systems. The main reasons given for this was lack of capacity, not knowing what to do, concern about being too political and not feeling that anything would make a difference.
During this election year we must collectively embrace practical, achievable actions that church communities can get involved that will make a difference and are not party political. Here are three that we are working on in the North East.
Here lies the tension this Lent, like many I am overwhelmed and exhausted.
‘The frenzy of the activist neutralises one’s work for peace. It destroys one’s inner capacity of peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of one’s work because it kills the roots of inner wisdom which make work fruitful.” Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, 1968
This Lent all of this action must be balanced with slowing down and contemplation to ensure we can continue to challenge injustice.
Yesterday I stood in front of the North East Suicide Memorial Quilt on display in Newcastle Anglican Cathedral. The intricate and personal stories sewn into the quilt both desperately sad and yet hopeful. One read ‘There is a light that will never go out’. How therapeutic the process was for those who had to slow down and contemplate to make the small squares? Did it provide strength to carry on, many who will be fighting for a very personal and painful justice?
The Church of England’s Lent book by Dr Selina Stone, Tarry a While is a beautiful gift in a search for a completive resource that will enable spiritual self-care. Tarrying, Selina explains, is a particular spiritual practice within many Black churches, especially Pentecostal congregations. It is a collective time of waiting for God.
‘It is a time of surrender to God, in the hope of personal and communal transformation. It is also a moment of intersession, for bringing our personal needs to God as well as our loving concerns for our neighbour and the world’.
May we all find time to tarry a while this Lent while also awakening our sense of social justice.
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