by John Convery

On the 6th Sunday of the liturgical year I found myself preaching in a church in the East End of Glasgow. We were beginning to come out of a major global pandemic and were on the brink of a rise in the cost of living of monumental proportions. Energy companies announced a hike of up to 50% in our domestic bills. Universal credit was being reduced in real terms. The price of food was on a rapid rise. The cost of a ticket on our buses and trains were at its highest in years. Food banks proliferated in our towns and cities. Growing numbers of people were homeless and there was a severe lack of social housing. This was February, 2022, in what is already one of the most socially and economically deprived areas of Western Europe. I found myself in the midst of another one of God’s set ups.

John Convery s.x. is a member of the Open House board.