Recession and Good Neighbours

The woes of our current economic climate will bring many challenges over the coming years. Increasing redundancy, home repossessions and a recession are creating a situation where the financial givens of recent years can no longer be taken for granted.

The tragedy of this economic downturn is that, due to the reckless risk-taking of others and the gambling casino culture within our banks, many decent hardworking people are losing their jobs and their families are facing really tough times. That is something that we, as a society, should be ashamed of. However out of these hard times I believe we are already seeing a renewed sense of togetherness in communities, with many people carrying out selfless acts to support those in difficulty.

Generosity is a strong British tradition. Generosity not only with regard to financial matters, but also a generosity of spirit. British people have an unrivalled sense of justice and fairness. There is a recognition that we have a moral duty to stand up for our neighbours.

Where I live in York, I would point to the example of the workers at Portakabin. Faced with the possibility of 40 employees being made redundant, the entire workforce decided to cut back their working hours to ensure no-one would be laid off. The individual sacrifice of these workers to save their friends has shown all of us the real meaning of partnership. We swim or sink together.

We are living through a time where some at the top of society have put financial gain before the welfare of those at the bottom. We see it in the bankers' bonuses and the MPs' expenses. We have a responsibility to look out for our neighbours and to support them. People are more important than profits.

Of course this is not just economics. We need a deeper vision. A political vision alone won't do it. It is not about what governments can do for us but what we can all do. The Church and all religious communities will make a special contribution. We start with a great advantage - a moral framework and a big vision. The Christlike vision we hold to has a threefold base: respect for the person, care for one another, and selfless service.

The response to the recent floods in Cockermouth have shown us the truth, nobility and vitality of such a vision. In Cockermouth we see the selflessness of those prepared to put themselves in harms way to save others, of the care extended to those in need and the ability for a community to pull together to show love to those hit worst by a catastrophe. As Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, I am giving degree awards over the next two days to those who are graduating in the area, predominantly as teachers, and already I am experiencing first-hand this amazing community spirit which is helping them to deal with the effects of the flooding.

When times are tough, we often look around us to our friends and family to help us through. But how much more incredible is it when we receive help from the unlikeliest quarters, from those who apparently have little to gain from their actions. The story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible commands us to help those in need – no matter if they are a stranger, or from a different background to ourselves. As a society we are interdependent and we feel each other's suffering. We may live on an island, but we should all remember that no man or woman is an island!

I hope that in the darkness of the economic gloom that we will create a new generation of Good Samaritans in Britain, who will support and encourage their neighbours and ensure this country is pulled back onto its feet stronger than ever before.

Our young people must be galvanized into a new peace corps and help us all to pull together.

This article originally appeared in The Sun on Wednesday 25 November 2009.http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2744784/Archbishop-positive-on-recession.html