The Coalition Government’s cutbacks, as they seek to master the huge national debt, are just beginning to bite. The impact on society over coming years will be immense.
The Prime Minister has insisted that he has done his best to spread the load fairly. Others feel that a disproportionate burden has fallen on the poor. While leaving it to the economists to haggle over the figures, the bottom line is that many people are now losing their jobs. There is talk of some 500,000 public sector jobs going. One EN correspondent said they have two families in their church in real difficulty following redundancy. Both have children. The church is trying to help, but in their borough there are hundreds of people seeking employment and the chances of getting work look slim.
There is also the emotional side of redundancy. Those who have lost their jobs or had their homes repossessed will be under great stress trying to keep their heads above water. In such circumstances it is easy for folk to feel worthless and crushed. The churches and evangelical pulpits need to respond with compassion and good deeds.
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church members …