What if we organized our society so that everyone has enough?
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18
In our previous posts, we shared thoughts and suggestions from participants on what we can do to make the idea of everyone having enough a reality (see ELQ: First Responses, Part 2).
It’s exciting that a few small groups in our Church have taken up the quest—freely exchanging their thoughts and reporting their ideas to be shared with all. Members of one group, Wake Up & Knit, know that their virtual gathering of knitters and handworkers is a comfortable and safe setting for them to pursue Life’s Questions. They welcomed this serious conversation and were stimulated by the challenge inherent in the question: What if we organized our society so everyone has enough?
We applaud the WU&K members for their generosity in openly sharing their thoughts with others. And we encourage everyone—either as part of a group or as an individual—to follow in their footsteps.
THOUGHTS FROM WAKE UP & KNIT
The lively conversation considered possible answers to the queries: Why? What? Who? When? How? The group also delved further into the potential challenges of taking on the important and complex issue of everyone having enough. Their discussion often led to even more questions…
WHY (is this question important)?
- Having enough gives people the freedom to live their lives, to grow and to feel good about themselves.
- When people have to make sacrifices or difficult choices to meet important needs, this means that, overall, they don’t have enough.
- If we make sure everyone has enough, is there a payback to society? Does there need to be one? Who decides what that “payback“ is?
WHAT (does having enough mean)?
- Shelter… Health… Opportunities… Education…
- Equity in how someone is treated.
- Having the necessary skills or support to take care of oneself.
WHO (needs enough)?
- It’s important to include people of color. One group member observed, “everyone means everyone.”
- Determining the things we need enough of can be influenced by whether it meets a short- or long-term need.
- Having enough can change over time. Sometimes we need more. Sometimes we need less.
- What would making sure everyone has enough require from each of us?
- Patience—understanding that getting to the point where everyone has enough is a gradual process.
- Trust—an enduring belief that we are doing the right thing.
- Does this mean one group loses because another group gets enough? Would this create fear?
- Can we look at this as: Everyone wins and no one loses?
- How do we decide what people should have enough of or what’s important? Are we being influenced by our own values/goals?
- What is the role of personal will?
- Does each person need to have the will to have enough of something?
- Do some people lose the desire to do better when things are given to them?
- Does this highlight the importance of giving people enough skills to be self-sufficient?
- Should having the will influence whether someone should have enough?
AND ONE MORE BIG QUESTION
- Does giving people something make them happy?
NEXT STEPS IN OUR EXPLORATION
We hope you are intrigued and inspired by the Wake Up & Knit group’s questions and answers… and more questions.
TO DO: Have a thoughtful and open conversation within yourself or with friends, family or a small group. Why not extend the exploration to how we could begin such a process?
Then, let us hear from you! You can leave a comment on this post or stop by our Facebook page. If your own or your group’s exploration might warrant an entire blog post, we’d love to hear from you! Contact Jeanne Farrington or me.
Meantime, we have more to share with you in upcoming posts. So stay tuned!
Social Media Ministry Team