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Available for over a year

Later on today in Gloucestershire an auction of some remarkable photographs is being held. They were taken in 1877 in London by the Scottish photographer John Thomson and many are of destitute men and women, some recently released from prison, or begging with a baby in arms. Despite the sepier tones, they are humane, moving and disturbing, taken as they were before the highly influential report of 1883 The Bitter Cry of Outcast London, which revealed the city’s poverty as never before. The importance of meaningful work as a key element in helping families out of poverty is not just a Dickensian theme but one that has particular relevance this week which is Living Wage Week. An idea which has drawn support from all parties, not least the current Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the Living Wage is not an imposition but an encouragement to employers to pay a rate that enables employees not just to eat and heat but in the current jargon, to have a life. It is now set at £7.45 an hour alongside the minimum wage which is £6.19, higher in London. The church I currently serve is in central London and to make ends meet we raise funds by running small businesses. A series of markets including food and arts and crafts run in the church courtyard during the week, we run a diverse concert programme, a room hire business and rent out a property. In order to do this, we employ 18 staff full and part time, including cleaning and security, and in the past year, we’ve become accredited as a Living Wage employer. As a church running these enterprises we’ve tried to take seriously the spiritual arguments for this as well as other arguments advanced by Living Wage advocates; that it increases staff morale, productivity and commitment. Because the Bible has much to say about the dignity of work, about diligence in working, and not creating dependency in vulnerable groups. It also recognises in a rhythm of periodic debt forgiveness that there are structures and systems that mitigate against some groups, such as in Christ’s day, widows and orphans, so that circumstances rather than character can be the main reasons for destitution. I don’t think there is any clear blueprint for one particular economic system in the Scriptures, although many from Left and Right have found one over the years. But because of their common belief in the dignity of every human being, it is striking that faith groups from every world faith have been strong supporters of this Living Wage campaign, trying to make what are not always straightforward economic decisions for the sake of what we believe.