The Quiet Revolution

Holy Trinity Church, Hastings

 

Change in society is always interesting.  And we live in interesting times.  In recent years we have seen uprisings in Middle East states, where people have dared to protest against - and in some cases overthrow - powers in government.  Much emphasis has been placed on social media as an important element in this: but my own suspicion is that social media have been no more than a tool, rather than a prime mover.

 

My view that something was afoot on a more global basis has been reinforced by the re-election of Barack Obama.  It now looks as if the Republicans severely miscalculated in failing to acknowledge the power of racial and social minorities, who voted with their feet.  We are probably witnessing the end of white Anglo-Saxon dominance in American politics.

 

Something similar has been happening in the UK, with the unravelling of sex scandals involving first Jimmy Savile and then a Welsh children's home.  After decades of silence, the victims have dared to speak out.  And whether the Tory right wing likes it or not, any suggestion of a cover-up in both cases appears to be linked inevitably to an Establishment perceived to be exploitative and out of touch.

 

What we are witnessing is a rapid erosion of trust in institutions that have let people down: and the acquisition of courage and a voice by the victims.  Time was when those in power could abuse their position.  That is less and less the case, either in the Middle East or closer to home.

 

The Christian churches have largely been sidelined in this process: the Catholic church has been discredited by a series of paedophile scandals, and the Anglican church is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as part of the Establishment that is failing to carry out its responsibility.  

 

This failure is, in the end, what it is all about.  Poorer sections of the community will tolerate disparities of wealth if they believe that the rich and powerful generally exercise their power for the greater good.  That is the responsibility that comes with privilege.  But history across the Channel shows graphically that where the responsibility is not observed, retribution is inevitable.  

 

Antony Mair