Helping the poor

As I sit writing this I'm in Pret, enjoying a coffee and chocolate croissant that's cost me about £3, money I don't think about spending, despite having just passed the Big Issue seller outside M&S. Poverty can become invisible to us if we choose not to see it. It can also be well hidden. How many well to do families have recently fallen on hard times because of job losses in financial services. I wonder how many don't admit it and try to hide it from friends.

Last Sunday Tim Jones, vicar of St Lawrence's church in York, said in his sermon that it was better for people in dire financial circumstances to shoplift rather than turn to say burglary or prostitution.

Whilst in principle I agree with these sentiments what Rev Jones actually said was "my advice as a Christian Priest is to shoplift". He qualified that he does not consider stealing a good thing but the least of a number of potential evils that desperate people might turn to.

He then sent a transcript of his talk to the local press.

There can be no doubt that he knew what sort of response his statements would get and that he wanted this out there in the media.

However I doubt he expected quite such a widespread reaction with media across the world covering a story that started in a small church in York and retailer groups condemning his statements.

The problem is that stealing isn't ok and claims from any shoplifter facing prosecution that they were stealing to avoid the alternatives of burglary or prostitution are likely to fall on deaf ears.

Whilst I haven't looked up stats I know the retail industry reports most shoplifting is of higher value items, not essentials.

What's more, most people in our society who become involved in prostitution or burglary do so because they have a substance abuse problem, usually an expensive habit to feed, and not because they can't afford to buy bread.

For me Rev Tim's argument is flawed and his reasoning questionable but maybe that isn't the point. Maybe he just wants to spark a debate. Playing devils advocate often works and he has managed extraordinary media coverage.

Time will tell how this pans out and whether he's branded as rogue vicar talking nonsense or people engage with the debate.

I can't help feel Rev Jones has gone about this the wrong way and risks overshadowing the tremendous good the Church is already doing. For example Christians Against Poverty, a national dept counselling charity that's helped thousands of people out of crushing debt. Or closer to Rev Tim's home there's the fantastic Family Matters York.

There is a big issue with the distribution of wealth in the UK. I'd like to see more people engaging in a debate about what to do about this, how to help those most disadvantaged in our society, particularly the homeless. The Church ought to be at the forefront of this and so many other social issues, challenging the well off and comfortable. All to often that isn't the case.

Has Tim Jones helped?

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