I was tidying up my papers last night, taking a little longer than I thought. It’s amazing how much paper comes through the letterbox. Some of it is useless, some of it is actually useful. Amongst the useless stuff are numerous credit card application forms, book club offers, wine club offers, personalised number plate promotions, magazine subscription forms…the list goes on.
However, whilst sifting out the useful stuff, I came across a few pamphlets and magazines which caught my eye. One was from the Co-Operative Bank detailing their ethical stance on banking. I also came across magazines published quarterly by Tearfund and World Vision. They detailed the plight of many people around the world, some caused by natural disaster, most caused by man’s inhumanity to his fellow man, but they also detailed how we can help them to change these situations for the better. Included with both magazines were also catalogues of fairly traded goods, where the producers are paid a fair wage for their labours.
How often we complain the world is unfair and then do nothing about it. We have so much power as consumers. We can choose who we purchase our goods from. Do we choose the cheapest source, regardless of the ethics, or do we choose sources which deal with their suppliers ethically?
I guess G.K.Chesterton was right, “What is wrong with the world? I am….”
Since I’m quoting, I’ll finish with a quote from Big Tent Revival, “To change my world, I gotta change me”.