The unpredictability of our world has been a recurring theme in recent weeks. From the battering of terrible storms and bad weather to the turbulence of our politics at home and diplomacy abroad there is a sense that insecurity is a prevalent feature for many. It can feel particularly unsettling to hear of crises in situations where we might usually expect things to be more stable.
With this year’s ten-year anniversary of the financial crisis, I was surprised to learn from some of the economic analysis that it is millennials – those now in their twenties and thirties – who have been hit hardest by the recent monetary difficulties. This age-group has been most affected by the squeeze on pay, the scarcity of employment and the slump in home-ownership. It is sobering to consider that those, whom we perhaps think of as having the advantage of youth, and with much of the adventure of life before them, might be so held back and constrained.
I have been heartened to hear Archbishop Justin Welby, prominent amongst those who have been responding to this, calling for a fundamental rethink of how our economy might be made to work better for the welfare of everyone.
Finding hopeful ways forward in times of need or in response to crisis takes courage, tenacity and imagination. Weathering life’s storms is a challenge and finding ways to stay hopeful and strong can be intensely demanding.
For Christians, the cross of Jesus is our central symbol of God’s presence right in the midst of a troubled world. The Biblical account of Jesus’ crucifixion brings together the raw reality of pain, suffering and death with an extraordinary, subversive hope for restoration, healing and new life. We are ambassadors for that hope, whenever we seek to reach out to those who are in need and to show them generous love. It may be that all we can offer seems small and rather insignificant, but our faith tells us of a God who takes and blesses what is offered in faith, and who is able to show us a brighter hope than we can even imagine.
Ven Mary Stallard
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