Stockpiling

Hi

I’d like to think that out of adversity comes humour, I can’t begin to think what the shopkeeper was thinking when I bought 30 packets of ladies’ sanitary products and 5 jars of instant coffee this week. I didn’t have the heart to explain they were for the food bank, but I’m sure he understood I wasn’t simply stockpiling.

Talking of stockpiling I don’t know if I should life or cry at the sheer self-indulgence of those who have descended upon the supermarket like hunters chasing the fox in recent days and weeks. What does it say about our society, have we become so intent on preserving ourselves that we put the needs of others out of our minds and pretend it is someone else’s problem? 

This evening I eaves dropped on some conversation among family members who work in the retail industry, they were basically discussing the horrible customers of the day, and from what I can gather they were certainly not in short supply. Listening in, it took me back to my retail life at Argos, there’s nothing more jarring than listening to somebody bang on about how their child’s Christmas had been destroyed because the remote control didn’t have batteries with it on Christmas morning! 

The general public on one hand can be painfully irritating, but on the other hand can be incredibly generous and kind-hearted. Over the last few days, we have been receiving parcels for our foodbank and the volumes have been staggering. People putting themselves out to make a huge difference.

 

I’ve recently been approached by a journalist, who is writing a book about super-heroes, she mentioned me potentially being in the book, but I was lost in thought for a moment. ‘Hang on, I hope you are not suggesting I am a superhero’? The lady, rephrased it, but I still felt that’s the way she was leading. The thought of ever being called a ‘Superhero’ is utterly bonkers…Superman, yes! Batman, yes! Wonder woman’ yes! But not a priest in Burnley. It got me thinking what on earth would Jesus say if I rocked up and stuck out my chest, giving it ‘Superhero ready for service’. I think he would laugh his head off, and besides, underpants over my cassock is certainly not a good look with my figure. 

No, I think he would quickly cut me down to size and say something like, ‘Erm, you’re not a superhero, your simply doing as you should be doing, nothing more, nothing less. ‘Now take your underpants off from over your cassock and get back to work.

And I have little doubt that we should all be doing that work that Christ called us to do, all wrapped up in my favourite quote ever, ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’. I’d love to see that in flashing bright lights as the greedy beggars slowly get taken up the escalators in Tesco Burnley, and then flash up on their prepay terminal as they insist on loading up the clubcard points as well, and then 'greedy so ans so's to come on over the Boyzone soundtrack on the toilet roll isle. I’d love the totally stressed out person on the till ask, ‘Would you like to give your loo rolls to the homeless, cause they actually can’t afford to pay to use the public convenience, never mind the accessories that go with it.

Reassuringly and beautifully there are many millions of kind-hearted people who bust a gut and genuinely go out of their way to help others, I have observed that in abundance this weekend. But sadly, there is also a large group of self-centred, greedy, individuals that need to give their heads a wobble and get some perspective to the way they conduct their lives.

The next few weeks will see us being asked to work even closer and closer as community, some will succeed, some will try hard and do okay, and some will not give a fig what happens as long as they are okay and unaffected by COVID 19.

Those people are the ones who need the love of God as much as those on the fringes of society, in fact more. This is probably the biggest irony of all as many of those who struggle the most and manage to just about survive do so because of their faithfulness in the kindness of others through the love of Jesus.

And that ladies and gentlemen, is the genuine sadness, almost right up there with the virus itself.

Till next time,

Alex