Love your neighbour as yourself?
National politics is decrying an apparent gap of integrity and servant leadership in our Prime Minister. I’d rather look closer to home for examples of the opposite. There is a groundswell insisting that our public figures should better uphold our nation’s values, such as truthfulness and looking beyond one’s own interest to seek the mutual flourishing of each other and our communities.
These kind of values are inherently Christian. We are not a Christian nation as such, yet our foundations are built upon the principles which Jesus Christ set in place.
The Bible, for example, says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
We have heard a lot of the phrase “Build Back Better” in national politics, relating perhaps to the disintegration which Covid caused. Slogans like that mean little unless you can see them in action. Little things make a lot of difference. I’ve enjoyed some of the free concerts and entertainment which Sheffield City Council has arranged in the Peace Gardens at the weekends. They bring wonderfully diverse people together, and hopefully the sun shines.
A similar example is the annual Hillsborough Churches Family Fun Day. For almost a decade volunteers from around 10 local churches have clubbed together their finance and expertise to put on a big free party for their neighbourhood. Bouncy Castles, music, food and so forth: simple stuff that makes people feel more connected and more comfortable to live in close proximity. This year about 700 people attended, perhaps up to half of them being local children. This is real community building, this is building back better.
You may view Christianity as fictional, but it is not factional. The central message of the faith is reconciliation between humanity and our creator, and between each other, leading to a better life. The fabric of British society is partly held together by highly motivated churches up and down the land choosing to serve their communities, for free, with great passion and commitment. From Hoyland to Hillsborough, it is usually something little and simple, but it is something.
As we reflect upon our values, in the face of political change and national austerity, may each of us start locally, simply and generosity, to ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself.’
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash