Sometimes I wonder if I was born in the wrong generation. They started talking about ‘the good life’ on the Leadership Programme and I immediately thought of that 1970s sitcom starring Felicity Kendal and found myself pondering vegetable patches and dungarees. Not very Gen Y. Surely Kayne West and his 2008 Grammy Award winning rap song ‘Good Life’ should have sprung to mind instead!
What comes to your mind? And what would you say if someone asked you what your vision was of the good life not just for you, but for everyone?
I ask because I’m increasingly realising that people’s view of ‘the good life’ doesn’t just affect them. Our understanding of how we should live influences all that we do and, more fundamentally, the type of people we are seeking to be. It shapes our relationships, our approaches to business and economics, the communities we get involved with; it determines how we spend our time and money; it influences decisions about our future and colours the way we analyse history.
Learning to distinguish the main visions of ‘the good life’ as they have emerged in the Western tradition is a key part of the Leadership Programme. It’s helped increase my appreciation of exactly where the differences between them lie and, in our post-modern pluralist context, provided me with a necessary foundation for coherent and faithful engagement. But the Programme didn’t stop there. Exploring what a Christian vision of ‘the good life’ might look like in the here and now was where it all got exciting.
I’ve discovered that the Christian vision of ‘the good life’ is rooted in a Father’s love for his children shown through the redemptive power of sacrifice in Jesus. This love brings about restoration and transformation; it speaks of justice and peace, of love without measure, hope in despair, of community and togetherness, of people before profit and faithfulness before success.
It gives power to the weak and a voice to the voiceless. It is here and yet there is much more to come.
Author Profile
Hi, I’m Katie McAvoy, an alumnus of the Institute for Faith and Culture run by CARE and formerly the IFC’s Associate Director. I’ve been involved with the CARE Leadership Programme since 2008.
The Programme equips the rising generation of Christians (that’s you and me!) to be leaders in the world of public policy and wider culture. If what I’ve been talking about excites you then you can find out more about the Programme by visitingwww.care.org.uk/leadershipprogramme.
The application process for the 2012-13 intake is now open and the application form can be accessed online.
