Abundant life

This is the text of an article I wrote recently that was published in the Petersfield Herald on Friday 9 January 2009

Is your glass half full or half empty? Rose or grey-tinted spectacles? Both optimists and pessimists are in danger of seeing their view of the world as the “correct” one. The pessimist is of course only being realistic, while the optimist knows that “talking something up” can make a real difference. Some say that pessimism might be making the economic downturn worse, while others point out that over-optimism about the value of intangible financial assets is what brought about the problem in the first place. So who is right?

The stakes seem particularly high at the start of this new year. There seems to be both more pessimism and more optimism around at the same time. As I write this, there is a lot to be pessimistic about, especially rising unemployment and the credit crunch. Yet there is a sense that from the ashes of the economic meltdown something better could emerge – a more realistic attitude to money, more transparency, perhaps a gentler, greener way of living. And soon we shall witness the inauguration of Barack Obama, who seems to have created and ridden a huge wave of optimism about what he called in his victory speech “the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.”

Which side of the fence would Jesus of Nazareth stand on? He was certainly realistic about the human condition, our weakness, our inability to be good, and he accepted humiliation and suffering without trying to pretend that there could be an easier way. But in his teaching and actions he made it clear that bad people and bad situations can always be put right – nobody is beyond redemption. But Jesus takes us far beyond the question “half full or half empty?” Here we have someone who lived a life overflowing with God’s love and goodness but who also “emptied himself” totally in identifying with the poor and oppressed. Jesus embodies the wonderful, life-affirming attitude that many Christians try to live by. He would not have us argue over which shade of spectacles we should use to look at the world, but invites us to embrace abundant life, whatever colour it turns out to be.