“Please, have you got any change?” – a question most of us are asked when walking through city streets – but are we only being asked about the odd coins in our pockets?

Perhaps we should think about a change in our attitudes, our judgments and our relationships.

We are halfway through a year that has brought profound change in the way we live our everyday lives. Like most crises, these emergencies offer both danger and opportunity. We have witnessed the first pandemic most of us have experienced and the way it affects those already marginalised and disadvantaged. We have learnt to appreciate previously unsung and underpaid members of our society upon whom our lives depend. We have seen the anger and despair resulting from racism.

We have seen how changes during lockdown have improved our environment and been given the opportunity to live our lives differently in the future. Our military have been given the chance to see a different way to use its skills and discipline in helping our hard-pressed NHS and social services. Might this also offer the opportunity to convert the armed services into emergency response services available to be deployed both here and abroad?

As we are anticipating changes in our economic state, a new report, ‘Banks, Weapons and  Nuclear Weapons – Investing in Change’ is particularly appropriate. This report, researched and produced by nine Faith groups and organisations, including Christian CND and Pax Christi, looks at the policies, practices and investments of some of the most popular financial institutions in the UK. Those of us whose salaries and pension funds provide us with an income might not realise that billions of pounds of our money is invested in the production of nuclear weapons. The money that keeps us alive could be produced by weapons that threaten death to millions.

The report tells you which positions have been taken by these institutions, how they engage in their practices and how transparent they are.  There are also suggestions for the kind of action their concerned customers might take.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. 

‘Investing in Change’ will inform us about where our treasure is hidden away. 

If we Invest in change, what rich harvests for everyone!

Report at: https://moneyoutofnukes.wordpress.com/

Patricia and Michael Pulham are on the Executive of the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CCND), a member of the National Justice and Peace Network.

NJPN comment_19 Jun