Two consecutive news stories this morning.
This is the day in the month of January when a large percentage of UK citizens have no money. The post-Christmas pay-check isn’t due, the credit card and store card bills are due, and apparently the option for many is more credit or use savings. The Finance Adviser was asked how people can avoid such levels of personal debt – apparently a significant number of us are still paying off Christmas 2006. Her advice was straightforward – re-schedule existing debt to as favourable a rate as possible; make a payback plan and stick to it; don’t spend more than you can afford; save modestly in an ISA. Overall advice, spend less.
Second story. The high street retailers are anticipating a difficult time between now and the summer, and particularly up to Easter. The credit crunch, the big Christmas overspend, the overall uncertainty in the financial world, are all leading to a slowdown in spending and a lowering of consumer confidence. Even if interest rates come down that might not be enough. And if businesses fail, jobs are lost, credit remains unpaid, mortgaged homes are at risk, so we need to stem a rising tide of threatening business liquidations. The answer – consumers need to spend more.
So to avoid debt, spend less. To avoid recession, spend more. Consumer prudence and consumer confidence, with mutually exclusive results, it seems. Now Mr McCawber was no financial adviser, and had he lived in our era of Credit Card Consumerism he’d have ruined himself in a week. But he still had the right kind of idea even if he couldn’t live it.
Income 20 shillings a week, expenditure 20 shillings and sixpence a week – result, misery.
Income 20 shillings a week, expenditure 19 shillings and sixpence a week, happiness.
OK if you can do it. But I’m left wondering about the relationship between consumerism and contentment; and about the connection between the urge to buy and the hunger for personal value; and about how as Christians we live wisely, and follow Jesus faithfully, in a society where spending and not spending can be at one and the same time social virtues, and moral problems, or social problems and moral virtues!
What would it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness in a society where moneylessness and money availability, credit and consumerism, are apparently both necessary for our common life to function? Forgive us our debts………hmmmm?
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