|PIC1|My visits to the three main Party conferences at the start of the Autumn were full of interest and stimulus. We had excellent conversations with many MPs and I was amazed by their openness and deeply challenged by many of their observations. One of the MPs (and for all sorts of reasons it will be clear why I'm not going to name him or identify his party) strongly questioned our society's commitment to relentless economic growth.

He pressed passionately the concept of "enough" and suggested that that should be the new solid basis on which we should seek to build our economy. He reasoned that only when we curb our commitment to constantly increasing wealth will we stand any chance of supporting the world's poor. Inspiring stuff!

Since he shared those thoughts the world's financial markets have been in a frenzy. No-one could have predicted the melt down that we have seen over the past month, and as I've listened to the feverish reports and the anguished interviews I have kept returning to that conversation about "enough". It has felt as if they were prophetic words.

The apostle Paul comments that he has learnt to be content whatever the circumstances of his life. .. "whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want". (Philippians 4.13)

Our society would gasp in amazement at his words because that simply isn't the way that we think. If things are not exactly to our liking then we are encouraged to complain, and if there is any chance of pinning the blame on someone then we are expected to engage a solicitor and seek compensation.

Let's face it, however poor we may think ourselves to be relative to others around us, we all live like royalty when compared with the poor of the world. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be a part of a society which committed itself to rejecting economic growth and to giving thanks that we have got enough? I have no doubt at all that society would be much less stressed and much more peaceful as a result.

This is radical talk. It gets to the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to live in a state of contentment because true peace is never to be found in things, but in a secure relationship with him.



Jonathan Edwards is the General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. This article was first published on the Baptist Union of Great Britain website www.baptist.org.uk and is re-printed here with permission.