Thought for the Week

Equality is a value which is now widely accepted in many societies.

There is however, more debate about its precise meaning than about its desirability.

Does it simply mean that everyone should have equal opportunities or that no group should be discriminated against or should we be striving for more than this?

Whatever your view in the debates about equality, I think it is still pretty fair to assert that there is still plenty of work to be done.

A couple of months ago it was estimated in the UK that one per cent of adults (488,000 people) own 14 per cent of the nation’s assets, worth about £11trillion.

Meanwhile at the other end of the scale 15 per cent of the population (7.3 million people) own no assets at all or are in debt.

Inequality is not simply about ownership either.

This past week the news has been dominated by the horrific effects of tropical storm Harvey as it has wreaked havoc in Texas.

At the same time it is thought about 1,200 people have died (so far) in flooding across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

The media coverage of this devastation has not dominated bulletins to nearly the same extent.

Is this less important or devastating than the events in the United States?

It is a sign of progress that we talk the language of equality, but the language has to be matched by actions.

As a Christian I am convinced that all are equal because the Bible asserts that we are made in the image of God.

Those of us who assert our belief in a creator have to live in a way that declares all are equal before God. We all matter to Him. William Wilson Burnside Blairbeth Church