AUSTERITY

At the heart of austerity lies self-denial, a rare virtue in today's world. Some would say it is the essence of virtue itself, underlying all others.

More than ever before the Me-Society has ruled, promoted by those wanting control over people and profit.

Baby-boomers, in the 1960's, adopted self-serving self-esteem as their banner, inculcating the importance of self-image in their offspring, preparing them for consumerism.

A generation less prepared for austerity is hard to imagine. Banks, unions and consumers see only their prosperity denied. It seems we will die if there is no 'progress', no increase in self-pleasing, no better life, however defined.

The greatest tragedy is the complacency of those calling themselves Christians, blind to the danger and wallowing in self-ease. Talking to the church at Laodicea, Jesus Christ says they make Him retch with their luke-warmness and will be spat out of His mouth.

For what can we hope? Society is desperately sick but there is little hope of our world being healed without us acknowledging that there is a Creator God and we are made in His image, now distorted beyond recognition. Restoration of the dignity of man will mean sacrifice, service and suffering, seldom spoken of and unpalitable to Western man.

Perhaps it will be another 'Niniveh' with secular man, who has more insight and concern, leading the way in repentence and so restoration. Perhaps our new coalition government will be true progressives, but only if they acknowledge the one and only God who made them and brought them into power for His purposes.