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Feeling Secure

A little perspective can lead to a lot of enlightenment, especially during times of uncertainty like we are experiencing right now.  

During challenging times, many of us feel less than secure and find ourselves verbalizing old adages – such as the much beloved, “there but for the grace of God go I” – in an effort to gain some measure of high ground against the rising tide of uncertainty.

The difficulty with the aforementioned adage is that while it is, to some degree, an expression of thankfulness for a privileged position, the comparison it demands exists only as a result of someone else’s misery.

There is a very real and present danger lurking beneath the surface of many of our favorite adages in that they have a tendency to assuage our conscience and, when fully considered, offer little in the way of real comfort or security for us, or the unfortunate.

The “grace of God” statement, for example, suggests that God’s grace was not sufficient or extended to the downtrodden, unfortunate soul being offered up as the comparator. Consider the following comparison.

For most of us fortunate who live in the developed world, the first line of defense in pursuit of securing our standard of living in challenging times is to cut back on “discretionary spending”. In essence, freeing ourselves of the stuff we never really needed anyway.

In a small, run-down thatched hut somewhere in the developing world, a widowed mother contemplates becoming a prostitute in order to save her children from starving to death. She believes she is without options and views this choice as the only way she can earn the meagre amount of money required to secure a future for her children. We should not judge though, less we too be judged by our lack of action, which, in a very real way, makes us complicit in the decision she is about to make.

Friend, the truth of this heartbreaking circumstance is this - a widowed mother is willing to trade her body for the well-being and security of her children. She is willing to die a little each night in order to ensure that her children live a little each night.

Yes, it is morally repugnant to us, but our inaction should be too.

Perhaps the real message of an adage such as, “there but for the grace of God go I,” is a call to become God’s grace for the unfortunate soul on the receiving end of the lesser position that elevates our sense of well-being and security.

Let us be mindful of where we find our sense of security in times like these.

David S. McKenzie
Executive Director, HOPE International Development Agency