Yes We Can!

The context in which we live, and the context for our mission and evangelism, is a context in which people struggle with questions. It’s a context in which people often feel defeated. The politicians, of course, make their attempt to offer a positive spin and to explain how that relates to their particular policies. Recently I was reading the autumn newsletter of Cambridgeshire Chaplaincy to People at Work which has a picture of Barack Obama on the front with the words, and the message, emerging ‘yes we can’. The text attributes the coining of that phrase to Obama. Actually, I thought Bob the Builder had it first – but never mind. That’s the spin. Similarly David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ is about all that can be achieved. The Big Society website uses the words of Gandhi: “We must be the change we want to see in the world.” Well, I’ll buy that. But then I read on: “The Big Society Network is an organisation being set up by frustrated citizens for frustrated citizens to help everyone achieve change in their local area. ....Our aim is not only to create the largest co-operative or mutual in Britain, but to create a mutual that is Britain. Every citizen can be a shareholder, contribute, receive help and rewards.” It sounds great, but. But .... in the context of the promised massive cuts, and the rest of it, I wonder. But maybe I should give them more of a chance because I, too, want to offer a positive spin – only my spin is God’s spin.