Everywhere one looks or listens or searches . . . . . . it becomes clear that there are many people who are scared witless about what is going to happen in the future. Of course there are others who party away, perhaps like a Russian, (thanks to Robbie Williams) determined not to worry as long as there is enough food in the fridge. But what about the ones who don’t have a fridge . . . . . families accommodated in a Bed & Breakfast or that difficult young man sleeping on a friend’s sofa? What about those whose benefits have been sanctioned through the vindictiveness of a cash-strapped clerk who is trying to up their own bonus at the end of the month? Even worse, how would you like to be scared that the powers that be will take your house away because you have too many bedrooms and not enough income? And in these cold days, what if the already iniquitously expensive electric or gas pre-paid card swallows up more money that you have to last till the end of the month?
Do the people with their millions care? Yes, of course some of them do and they are an example to the rest of the wealthy. But how dare a professional political party of millionaires stigmatise a whole class of our fellow human-beings who need looked after? It is all about lies. Lies, lies, lies. We have been fed a tirade of lies for months and the result is that the lies start to grow feet, then they run on and on never challenged or stopped until someone has the courage to say they got it wrong.
And what about me? I have been saying for weeks that I get scared at the thought of being attacked online / trolled. To be honest, the inequalities in life for those who are not those and such as those, makes me thoroughly sick. I am nearer the end of my life than the beginning. Much of the time I feel fragile and unwell and the sheer nastiness of many politicians puts me into a state of quiet anger. And if there is one thing I remember from Pastoral Care at Uni it is that suppressing anger leads to depression or maybe even a big hole in the road.
One of my closest allies in the school of life would be telling me right now, to slow down, take stock and work out what can realistically be done and what cannot be done. There are good politicians who are working for their constituents and there are good people who work to ease inequality. Just because I am older doesn’t mean I have to lose hope. I can take the anger, the disappointment, the raging at injustice . . . . . . . bundle them up and send them spinning where they will catch the imaginations of people like myself who are sick and tired of the threats and intimidations, the lies and the half-truths. That bundle can grow bigger and bigger until more people stand up for those who are having a bad time.
Spirit of the Universe
We, who call you Lord, God, Allah, Yahweh,
We who don’t have the comfort of belief
And those of us who do
Look to our comforting places
And feel your cloak of gentleness descend.
As we sit and wait we know
That there is hope – always.
Blessings from Dalamory
What a great prayer. Just right for all of us. Yes, as an elder, I do speak out and I just banish trolls from my universe.
Things don’t seem to be going our way all over the world. It’s hard to stay positive. But I am seeking comfort and appreciate the poem. Take care.
Freda I don’t understand – how would you like to be scared that the powers that be will take your house away because you have too many bedrooms and not enough income.
Where/how does that happen?
Some of my friends say I don’t take life seriously enough- on the outside I’m usually upbeat but they don’t know the wonderings that go on in my mind – I wonder what would happen if this/ that happened ? Why on earth was that said or done?
Lots of what you just wrote rings a bell – and like you I have hope. Also I really ‘felt’ the power and the mood of your prayer.
Take care
Cathy
Oh feda, I needed to read these words on a Sunday morning following a week of sleepless nights. Mostly, I must remember God gives us the paddles but we must do the rowing. The days when I though God would arrive like a knight in shining amour are gone. However, God is with always us. Times have been worse and others have made it through. Be of good cheer.
Cathy, our current right wing Conservative Westminster Government has had a war on those on Benefits. It is complex and billions of pounds are being diverted from the Welfare payments to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and supposedly balance the books. Over the last few years there has been a policy that for anyone on Housing Benefit, whereby their rent is covered because they have a low income, loses a portion of the benefit if they have unoccupied bedrooms in their home. It can mean that an elderly person in their own 2 bedroomed house but needing assistance because they are on a low state pension, loses out. Or it could be that a young, single Mum, trying to pay childcare out of a low basic wage, loses Benefit on a three bedroomed house because she only has 2 children who are both of the same sex. New figures today show that women are losing out approx £1600 per year; most of the cuts fall on them. Our Scottish Government is social democratic and tries to alleviate most of the harm done, but that leaves people in England helpless.
Of course someone who is right wing will see all this as being justified. I don’t. I believe we should look after one another by making the right choices as to how to spend our money.
Thanks for your encouragement, Dianne. I have a small icon of St George slaying the dragon on my desk. I need to look at it more, rest up and get paddling.
Dear Freda!!
That was a post glowing of anger and also passion. It’s needed you know, we are heading for the Advent Sundays that also contains days of lent. I agree that some things scare the wits out of me too, and it’s not only the Trumping and Syria . It’s also the legal discussions in Poland and Turkey. It’s the dead woman in the public lavatory that was denied help for her severe desease and therefor had to cope on her own. It’s just like you say, the less fortunate are set astray, abandoned by a world who has the means and resources to help but chose not to. But there are many who takes up arms against a sea of troubles, to quote Shakespear, and by doing so creates hope for the hopeless.
One thing I read the other day that gave me hope. A young parisian have written his story about the massacre in Paris. His wife and his babyboy’s mother was killed at Bataclan. He writes about that, his despair, his shock. But he ends up by saying : But you will not get any hatred from me!! You have taken away what I held dearest, but I refuse to hate. There you have St George taking on the dragon!!!
Dear Solveig, I do so hope we all create hope for the hopeless. God Bless