You Have The Power
Lizzie Freear encourages you to use it
![[Picture of a globe made out of bank notes]](power.jpg)
Photo: pro.corbis.com
You are a very powerful person. You can change lives. The world is in your hands. This might not seem very likely to someone living off a tiny grant or loan and groaning under a huge pile of essays, but it’s true. You spend thousands of pounds every year, and you probably have the right to vote in this country. That gives you power.
This is particularly relevant to Christians. Jesus gave us the commandment to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. This involves actively doing something, even before we’ve stepped out of our front door. Christians tend to get very noisy about what people shouldn’t be doing, and forget about what they should be doing instead. The Greek word in the New Testament often translated as sin actually means ‘to miss the mark’ — this implies not doing the right thing as much as it does doing the wrong thing.
As Christians, we also believe that God created the world, and put us in charge of all the animals that live in it. As Camilla Wimberly wrote in issue 93, as Christians we have a responsibility to care about the environment. You just don’t abuse a gift as great as this.
Does money make the world go round? Of course it does. Money gives the possessor power. They can influence those around them, purchase what they want and do what they want. You might think that this is a bad thing, but I’m not sure. I think it could be quite useful.
Is the world exactly as you want it? I didn’t think so. The wonderful thing about the fact that money makes people powerful is that we all have money. We can choose who to give our financial support to. Whatever your ideals, you can help realise them using your money, possibly combined with your word. A complaining letter has so much more weight when it states that you are no longer buying that particular product until improvements are made. The materialism of society needn’t be a bad thing for Christians, and anyone else with a conscience and a desire for good quality products and service.
Any action that affects another person is a moral action. There are very few things that this does not include, if you think about it. Our task as Christians is therefore to show love to other people in every single action. This is by no means an easy thing to do, and I don’t claim to have accomplished it. All I urge you to do is to think before you do anything. Even if you are just buying a box of cornflakes or talking to your friends, think about what Jesus would do in your position, and what he would want you to do.
Whatever your dreams are for the world you can help make them real. Fairtrade is just one example — many people choose to buy products that will benefit third world countries rather than exploiting them. If you have an ethical concern about a product (perhaps you would like to know about its origins), or a product you would like to see, then don’t just sit there! Write them a letter. They want your money. They have to listen to consumers. Your spending power may not be huge but it is significant.
Don’t even think of using the excuse that it won’t make a difference, your measly little contribution. Aside from the fact that there could be millions of other people using the same excuse, the point is not to change the whole world — be rid of corporations, bad farming practices and unfair trade overnight — but to change someone’s world, to make the life of another person worth living, to save the lives of a dozen fish, to make your housemate that bit happier.
This is the season of lent, a time for repentance, for giving and for learning more about your faith. This is the perfect time to make a resolution to do something more with your life. You are an incredibly lucky person, and it won’t take a significant amount of money or effort to share that luck. This is not only an option that you have, or a right, but a responsibility. You don’t like the pictures you see on the news? Well, do something about it.
I hear plenty of people complain about the government in this country, but how many people actually write letters to them? You can do more than just refuse to vote for the relevant party, you can tell them what would make you change your mind. They want your vote. Surely it’s only fair to let them know how they can get it?
Remember that money is no more than a tool, and a tool that you can use to your advantage, and to the benefit of others. Make time to help others, or just to spend time with them, and think about what your actions support. Being a Christian is not just about going to church and reading the Bible, it is about loving your neighbours, trying to live like Jesus. I do not mean to lecture you, but please just remember how powerful you are, and the effect your actions can have. You can change the world. Please do.