Head of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation

I’ve no idea what the Head of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation will do for his or her forty grand. Is it a magistrate-cum-park ranger? Who knows, though I’m sure the hard-pressed parishes who have to cough up this money are only too pleased to see this new post established. I looked up the detail on Church of England’s website. A final paragraph gave the game away (emphasis mine):

The areas of public policy covered by the post will include a wide range of subjects including Diversity and Inclusion, Housing and regeneration, Health and Well-Being, Inequality, Economic Development, Environmental Justice Urban and rural Development, Penal affairs and Serious Youth Violence. The priorities of the role will change as the political, social and economic environment does, as different issues gain a higher prominence.

In other words, if one issue stops being popular, it can be ditched and replaced with something more prominent and photogenic. This approach really annoys me. If something is wrong, or unfair or unjust- tackle it, and tackle it till it’s changed. Don’t just read the Guardian each day looking for the latest hobby-horse ridden by the woke brigade. As worldly tastes change, merge and evaporate, so the poor old Head of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation will struggle to catch up. If Southwark and its fellow dioceses preached the saving, transforming power of Jesus Christ’s gospel, rather than bland, metropolitan liberalism, the many problems they perceive might be solved. The Church should be a prophetic voice to the nation, not a spiritual reflection of the nation.