This article was first published in Touchstone in November 2020.
"The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free." Luke 4:18 (NIV)
Jesus was reading Isaiah in the synagogue when he said the words recorded in Luke above. Many years later John Wesley also preached about social justice, fighting poverty and social action. These words are as relevant today as it they were in the time of Isaiah, of Jesus and of John Wesley – it is time for social change.
It is November 2020, and in Aotearoa New Zealand we have 18,500 households on the Housing Register waiting for a home.[1] More than 30% of the lowest income households with children spent more than half their income on housing costs.[2] Households with low incomes have a disposable income of less than 50% of the national medium income, after housing costs.[3] The Child Poverty Monitor reports that there are 254,000 children in New Zealand currently living in poverty.[4] Children that live in areas with the highest deprivation are three times more likely to end up in hospital than children in areas with the lowest deprivation scores.[5]
COVID 19 has created a wider economic divide between the rich and poor. COVID-19 has also provided us with an opportunity to critically examine what is important for us as Kiwis, what we want to change in society, and how we can make these changes sustainable over the long term.
It is time to have a courageous conversation about what our responsibility is to others and what we can do to make someone else’s life better – or even just a little bit easier.
I understand at the recent UCANZ meeting David Hall, Co-Chairperson, posed some questions that would help start such a courageous conversation. Here are some of them:
Is it unreasonable to dream of an Aotearoa where all adults have warm, clean, dry places to live, and do not have to worry about how to pay for food or all the other necessities of dignified life?
A society where the essential workers were not just adequately paid but treated as we presently treat the very rich managers in our present society?
Where sustainable living is accepted as not just necessary but the wise and sensible way to live?
Is it unreasonable to dream of an Aotearoa where each and every child has an equal chance of receiving the best possible education?
Where teachers are really valued, where a person can be rewarded as much for the skill of their hands as for the skill of their brains?
Is it unreasonable to dream of an Aotearoa where access to healthcare is dependent on need, not ability to pay?
A healthcare system that recognises and accepts the multiplicity of cultural practices that make up our society?
Is it unreasonable to dream of an Aotearoa where all beliefs are valued and respected and followers of one religion do not despise or criticise the followers of other religions?
Where all live in peace and accept everyone as their neighbour?
Is it unreasonable to dream of an Aotearoa where Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not just paid lip service to but where there is a real partnership?
A real working together, not just of Māori and Pākehā but of all ethnic groups. Where we practice the skill of working with differences and pride ourselves in coming up with workable solutions, at all levels of society, to the way we govern ourselves and manage our education and health-care systems in ways that are both creative and sustainable.
It is time to stand in our Wesleyan tradition of social justice. It is time to reflect on our historical roots when Methodists were characterised by their emphasis on loving their neighbour, attending to the needs of the most vulnerable in society, and those living on the margins.
One of MCNZ’s principles is “to work for justice for any who are oppressed in Aotearoa New Zealand, keeping in mind the implications of the Treaty of Waitangi. To share resources with the poor and disadvantaged in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.”[6]
As Methodists, we need to ask how we are going to use our resources to help others in need? How are we going to respond as a church?
Carol Barron, National Coordinator
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164 | Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
[1] Ministry of Housing & Urban Development Public Housing Quarterly Report June 2020 [2] https://www.childpoverty.org.nz/measures/home [3] https://www.childpoverty.org.nz/measures/income [4] Ibid. [5] https://www.childpoverty.org.nz/measures/health [6] http://www.methodist.org.nz/administration_division/mission_statement
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