The problem with most Anglican clergy who harp interminably about social justice is: first, they tend to use it to replace the Gospel of man’s eternal redemption through Christ’s sacrifice and second, they want everyone else to give their money to the less well off – usually in the form of higher taxes – while living in the lap of luxury themselves. Particularly bishops.
Bishop Justin Duckworth may still fall foul of my first point but at least he gives his own money away, takes the poor into his own house and exhorts his fellow clergy to do likewise: “I would ask that everyone else should be engaged in the moral conversation of when is too much too much.”
So, Anglican Church of Canada bishops whose raison d’etre is prophetic social justice making: how about giving away a sizeable portion of your over $100,000 salaries and taking homeless waifs into your own homes. Convince us that you are serious.
From here:
Wellington’s Anglican bishop says he may cut his own salary to help fund a “living wage” for cleaners, caregivers and other low-paid workers in Anglican churches and social agencies.
Bishop Justin Duckworth, a dreadlocked, Jandal-wearing priest who was an upset choice as bishop last year, is also challenging other high-income earners to take less to fund higher wages for the 39 per cent of Kiwi workers who now earn less than the living wage, defined by union and church groups as $18.40 an hour.
His current salary is about $63,000, or $30 an hour, plus a house.
“My personal response is in the future I have to look at what I am earning and say, what is appropriate for me to earn given that many people in our society don’t even have enough to participate meaningfully in our society,” he said.
“I would ask that everyone else should be engaged in the moral conversation of when is too much too much.”
The bishop, who has lived his entire married life sharing his family home with people in need such as lost teenagers and ex-prisoners, said he and his wife, Jenny, were also considering how to make best use of the bishop’s official home across the road from Parliament when they move there later this year from the community for recovering addicts and others where they have lived for the past 10 years.
“We have always lived with people. We will do that again,” he said.
Heavens Above! was a 1963 film about an English vicar who also took social justice seriously; it didn’t work out too well for him, but the film, based on an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge – who also had a bit part – was very good.
Here is a clip. Notice an astute child observing that the visiting bishop’s representative has “got a tail like a great big snake; it’s black.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAYCYngNVdM
