To transform unjust structures of society,
to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation

A sermon on the fourth mark of mission
Church of the Resurrection and St Barnabas, Eastlands Manchester
23 July 2017

What does it mean to transform the unjust structures of society in Eastlands, Manchester?

The Old Testament Prophets, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Micah… all used incredibly strong language to challenge violence and unjust ways in which the rich and powerful steal from and persecuted poorer and more vulnerable members of society.  Much stronger language than we would chose to use today:

You destroyed his vineyard and filled your houses by robbing the poor.
‘You have crushed my people and rubbed in the dust the faces of the poor.’
Isaiah 3: 13-15

Stop taking advantage of foreigners, orphans and widows. Don’t kill innocent people.
Jeremiah 7:5-6

You take over lovely homes that belong to the women of my nation
Get out of here you crooks.
Micah 2: 910

Jesus of Nazareth was equally not shy of challenging injustice, of calling out Zaccheus the tax collector for stealing from the poor, of turning over the tables in the temple, and of proclaiming good news to the poor.

And the Early Church, as we are told in the reading from Acts (4:34), “shared their possessions in common and there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”

Jim Wallis, the US preacher and activist, tells this story how as a young theology student he sat up all night marking all the passages in the Bible that referred to poverty and social justice – and then proceeded to cut them out of the Bible.  And when he’d done so, the Bible literally fell apart.

We don’t need to do that today, because the Bible Society have done the job for us – at least in terms of highlighting all the passages that refer to poverty and society justice.  They are virtually on every page.

So much so that the late Bishop of Liverpool, David Sheppard, famously wrote a book which was titled ‘God’s Bias to the Poor.’

And only last year Pope Francis talked about the need to ‘become a poor church for the poor.’

But what are we to make of the challenge of becoming a poor church for the poor? This is a question we are in the process of exploring at Church Action on Poverty.

What does it mean to transform unjust structures of society in East Manchester in 2017?

What are those unjust structures?

I’d be fascinated to have a conversation at some point as to what you think they might be?  What are the injustices that people in East Manchester experience?

At Church Action on Poverty we ask ourselves these questions of ourselves – and of people we work with – all the time. Some of the ones that come up frequently are:

Injustices in the benefits system, in the delays, errors and benefit sanctions which frequently leave people with no money for weeks – or months – at a time.

Injustices in relation to housing and homelessness, that are leading to increasing numbers of people sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester, in the midst of a housing boom – but the only housing that seems to being built are luxury apartments that are way beyond the pocket of even people on reasonable wages.

Injustices in the education system, which treat any young person who isn’t able to make 5 A-C grades at GCSE as a failure at the age of 16.

Injustices in the way people with mental health problems are treated as second class citizens by the NHS.

Injustices in the way that anyone on benefits are labelled lazy, scroungers, and cheats.

One of the worst things poverty and injustice can do is to take away peoples’ dignity; their sense of hope and their belief that they have any ability to change things.

In our response we must avoid making matters worse.  There is a kind of response which only talks about people in negative terms.  Funders, in particular, love you to describe how ‘bad’ a place is, before they are willing to consider giving you any funding.

The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth is that God is on the side of the downtrodden.  God is on the side of those suffering injustice.  God is on the side of those who society would count as worthless.

And more than that, every human being is created in the image and likeness of God.  Every person.

Every person in East Manchester is created in the image and likeness of God.  Rich or poor.  Man or woman.  Black or white.  Christian, Muslim or of no particular religion.  Every person in this community is valued equally in the sight of God.

As a Church, our mission is to celebrate this fact.

As a Church, our mission is to recognise the value in every human being, the creativity in every human being, the love and the capacity to be loved in every human being.

To recognise that God is already present and active in Beswick, through the lives of our friends and neighbours.

This is truly radical.

The fourth mark of mission is not about charity.  It isn’t about handing out food parcels or second hand clothes.   You’ll be glad to know it isn’t about setting up more projects, when you’re already too busy with what you are doing.

It demands us getting to know our neighbours – whatever their race, creed or colour.

It demands that we listen to their stories and build friendships together.

One practical example of this from Church Action on Poverty’s own work is in relation to supporting the development of ‘Self-Reliant Groups.’  Small groups of people who meet together on a weekly basis, save together £1 a week, and then use their own skills and creativity to make things which they can sell – and make a small income from.

It has been described as the ‘economics of friendship’.

Self reliant groups: the ‘economics of friendship’

Some of this we can do ourselves.  Some of this requires us to collaborate with others locally and more widely.  All of it requires that we are open to collaboration with what Roman Catholic theologians have described as God’s preferential option for the poor.

Niall Cooper
23 July 2017