A kairos moment for the poor

I profoundly believe that the times we are living through are more than a period of wailing and gnashing of teeth about bankers’ bonuses, recession and imminent public spending cuts.

I believe this is the kairos moment for us to explore new ways of doing things. Now is the moment for us to begin to create something other than an economic system built on greed and selfishness.

We have heard just this last week about the growing gap between the rich and poor in our own society. This gap is not only immoral, it is bad for all of us, harming our health and happiness.

When we look around us at the new products in the shops, at the mountains of waste in our landfill sites, at the homes lying empty while people languish on waiting lists and in temporary accommodation, we know that there is, in fact, enough for all. No one in our country should be lonely or hungry or homeless.

But, there is only enough if we do not retreat into our shells, pull up our ladders and bolt the doors. We need to get out there and greet our neighbours. We need to give what we can – which might be money but could just as well be time, space or a listening ear.

We must share our ideas and hopes as well as our skills and goods. Our churches and communities contain a wealth of resources, including no doubt, many that we are not yet aware of. We must rediscover and share them.

At Housing Justice we have made a start on this new Jerusalem by publishing, along with our poverty & homelessness action week partners Church Action on Poverty and Scottish Churches Housing Action, a handbook – 12 Baskets.

We took enough for all as the theme for action week but the handbook takes its title from the New Testament story of the feeding of the 5,000, when all the people “ate and were filled. When they collected the leftover pieces, there were 12 baskets” (Luke 9:17).

It contains examples of practical ways in which people already share hospitality, food, transport and lifestyles, to the benefit of individuals and their communities. Schemes such as Nightstop providing emergency accommodation in hosts’ own homes, Credit Unions offering basic banking services accessible to people on low incomes, foodbanks giving away boxes of good food to those in poverty or crisis, furniture recycling and time banks.

Poverty & homelessness action week runs from 30 January to 8 February so now is the time to get involved. You can download the handbook, and lots of other free resources, from www.actionweek.org.uk.

To inspire you further, here is the manifesto that got us going in the first place:

Enough! We’ve had enough greed and selfishness.
There is enough for all!
Wealth is not just in material things.
We are wealthier together than we are on our own.
Let’s use what we have. Let’s share what we have.
We have wealth we don’t yet know about.
Sometimes we increase our wealth by giving stuff away and opening our homes.
Let’s not wait for the politicians. We can do this ourselves!

Of course it will take more than a week, but that is no excuse for not making a start.

Alison Gelder is Chief Executive of charity Housing Justice, which works to support homeless people across the UK.