On being spoon fed…

Gen Peterson asks - is the grass greener… in Sweden?

Those who have had the unfortunate experience of hearing me rant on about social policy will know that I love Sweden! It is my dream of the model welfare state where everything is free, equal and democratic. It is a land of free education and healthcare and childcare, of 13 months parental leave, of generous pensions and of Ikea!

Last year I had the opportunity to spend two, very full days touring social programs in Stockholm. Do I still believe it to be a dream land? Yes and no. The reality has some unexpected side effects that I had not considered until now. Three things stand out.

1. No matter how good the system is, people still have problems! I visited drug and alcohol facilities, homeless programs, domestic violence shelters, education facilities and family centers and I realise that no matter where you are or what you do, people still seem to find a way to need help from Frälsnings Armen (The Salvation Army). I like to think there are ways we can prevent people from breaking their lives. I know that there are, and I know it is our duty to try. But there are many who still somehow get trapped by the evil of this world and need literal, and spiritual, salvation. So while I still admire the social democratic welfare state, I was reminded that salvation lies not in a political regime, but in Jesus.

2. It seems that when the government is generous with its provisions, people inevitably come to rely on the government as their primary source of support. For many Salvationists, this leads to a feeling of complacency about our social mission on earth. There was a general expectation that everything should be free. Because of this, people tend to become slack raising money for additional needs or in volunteering to help fill the gaps of provision. It seems that when the government is generous, we become stingy. There are many things the government should provide for its citizens through the taxes of those who are privileged to hold a job. However, in addition to this, it is also all our responsibility as believers to tithe, to give in self-denial, to offer care and love and support within our social services and corps. The government, no matter how wonderfully socialist in endeavour, does not take the place of our mission as Christians!

3. It seem odd, but when people have it really good, they often get depressed. Sweden has one of the highest suicide rates in the world! They have arguably the best political and social system in the world, yet their people are still fatally unhappy! Why? Not sure. One theory is the lack of sunlight. But a more realistic theory is that people lose sight of the value of life when it is so easily attained and supported. Essentially the argument is that satisfaction comes when you have earned your security, when you personally invest in your life - rather than when you are completely looked after by others. Nothing to work for, nothing to live for. When hard times do come, people are lost, unable to cope with the unexpected pressure and so they give up. I´m not sure I agree with either theory, but I do know that everywhere I go I meet people searching for fullness. That fullness doesn’t come from money, or food, or health or education.

So in your thoughts on justice, please consider the ultimate meaning of life and look to find a way to offer that to others. We need a social revolution, of course. But additionally, we need to remember to offer the broken world all that they need, and not just all that they think they want.

Writer: Genevieve Peterson is an officer in the Australian Southern Territory. She is currently appointed to the Social Programme department as a social policy consultant and is helping to transform the neighbourhood of Collingwood in Melbourne. She is more Brengle than Coutts, more Catherine than William, more Grimace than Ronald, more pepper than salt, more Phoebe than Monica, more rice than pasta, more Ashley than Mary-Kate, more Ernie than Bert and more Wall-e than Eve.

3 Comments to On being spoon fed…

1. Thanks Gen for a very interesting post which highlights some important issues.

   However else we minister grace to people in the world, unless they come to true faith in Christ Jesus, they will miss out on that grace which is essential to living life in relationship with God through His Holy Spirit - the only life worth living.

   Regards

   Bernard
Bernard Martin on May 18th, 2009

2. Such a thought provoking article on social issues! Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I often used to listen, for just a short time ;o), to a right wing talk show host from the US on CNN (who has since moved) and although his right wing rant on socialism used to really irritate me, your take on it puts some of his comments into perspective. I like that in Canada we have a socialized health care system, but we also have to pay into it if we can afford it, and those with low incomes receive assistance with that. Perhaps it’s striking the right balance between helping those that need the help and giving others the opportunity to help them too.

   Thank you for such an interesting article.

   Kathie
Kathie Chiu on May 19th, 2009

3. Australia and the UK also have a social system which is paid into much like the Canadian system. It works to a point. Both work for different reasons, to different ends, and stop short at different points.

   The problem with ‘pure’ socialism the way Marx and Engles envisioned is that it is impossible to make a reality. The experiment of the USSR and the various French Republics over the years shows us that. Human nature just won’t allow it. It doesn’t even exist in the Church - just look at how autocratic and power driven the church is. So not even if the whole world were converted to Christianity would we have such socialism.

   The theories you propose in your article Gwen, actually do make a lot of sense (particularly the one about striving for something), and there is a whole host of Psychological experiments and data to back them up (even if there are some methodological problems with them, the conclusions are reasonably sound). To put it in more basic terms, the human condition simply will not allow us to experience full happiness, or abide someone else experiencing full happiness all the time. We have to have hardship and striving in order to understand we have happiness. If we don’t, we ‘invent’ it. Also, the hardship and striving causes adrenalin to flow in our bodies (a purely physiological, autonomic response), which is theorised, may in fact ward off depression and focus our minds on staying alive rather than ending them. A very interesting discussion on that point is in the movie ‘The Matrix’ with Keanu Reaves.

   The issues really are very complex though when it comes to why people are so unhappy, and why such socialism, although great in theory, can never work in reality. The human Psyche will not allow it. It does however find limited success in very small communities, but even there, it only works for a while. They still need a governing council, who can not satisfy everyone all the time, so there always ends up being division, or a split etc.

   It is a very thorny question though - what to do about the injustice ane inequality in the world? In many respects, as sad as it is, it’s just a fact of living in the physical realm, and will not be remedied this side of eternity. We simply have to do our small part to help the small number of people we can, and acknowledge there will be hosts of people who suffer and die unjustly that we can do nothing for.

   We further end up in a double bind. The more people we keep alive, or help out of homelessness etc., the more people there are to provide for, and the thinner the available resources stretch, and the more power hungry people become to protect their position etc. Once again, this is human nature, which not even the church changes. I have to be carefull here, because if it wasn’t for medical science, I would not have seen my first birthday, and would have died MANY times througout my life, and it is only medical science that keeps me alive today. So, I’m one of those that stretches available resources (even though I have a job etc.).

   It is an interesting discussion though.

   Yours in Christ,
   Graeme.
Graeme Randall on May 19th, 2009

Leave a comment