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I'm Tired

I'm tired...

  • I'm tired of people in power laughing and joking over capping benefits for the poor, sneering at them as "shirkers" or "skivers" in contrast to "strivers"...
  • I'm tired of the wealthy bleating about losing child benefit, and fuel tax hikes that will make their gas-guzzling 4x4's marginally more expensive to fill up...
  • I'm tired of an economic system that is based on greed and dissatisfaction... conspicuous consumption that is destroying the planet, impoverishing more and more people (while a few get richer), and causing profound depression among those who are never content...
  • I'm tired of a Christian sub-set of that system that has bought into it uncritically, and constantly seeks to sell me the next big spiritual breakthrough in a book/programme/speaker/event...
  • I'm tired of all the strands of the media, music, film, TV, newspapers, internet et al that are filled to overflowing with the celebration of ignorance, amorality, violence, division... claiming that they do not shape society but simply reflect it... Reflecting it like one of those distorting mirrors at the fun-fair...
  • I'm tired of people in so called Protestant/Unionist/Loyalist community of this province proving their loyalty to the flag/crown/queen by threatening elected representatives, attacking police and destroying their own areas...
  • I'm tired of Unionist politicians calling for public protests then being scandalised that those protests don't remain peaceful, washing their hands of all responsibility like Pontius Pilate, the patron saint of politicians who think that leadership is simply doing what the loudest people in the mob want...
  • I'm tired of Republican and Nationalist politicians trying to prove they are more Irish than the dissidents by making proposals that they know will be provocative... Political posturing that doesn't care about creating a shared space so long as they get one over on the others...
  • I'm tired of Christians whose loyalty to a country, a flag or a political position comes ahead of their loyalty to God, his Kingdom or his church...
  • I'm tired of culture wars between fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist atheists, who both misrepresent science and the Bible and how the two relate to one another...
  • I'm tired of churches that are tearing themselves apart over gender-roles and sexuality when we have no record of Jesus saying anything about either... while in the rest of scripture it is, at best, a secondary issue, certainly way behind issues of peace and poverty...
  • I'm tired of discussions in our own Methodist Church concerning the morality of accepting lottery money to help the very poorest in society, whilst the giving of Methodists to Home Missions, which also supports work with such people, is decreasing... Cheap morality... The church may not lose out, but the poor and vulnerable will... indeed already have while we continue yet another debate where no-one is really listening to anyone else...
I'm tired...
And it's only January...

But then again... it's the middle of winter, and, as my wife has just reminded me, spring is coming...

And in the light of that, tomorrow, rather than focus on these (and other) issues that are sucking the life and hope out of me, I'm going to post 12 signs of life and hope... Feel free to contribute...

Selah



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Comments

Ali P said…
Wondering if God is tired too? and if not, then how is that God responds to these various injustices and how can we respond like that? and if God is also tired of this, then can we joining God in that be part of the hope and resurrection you are going to post about next time?

Just some questions your post made pop into my head.
Cheers
Thursday, January 10, 2013 8:26:00 AM
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