Darren McGarvey and I have some things in common. He was brought up in Pollok and went to Crookston Castle Secondary school. It could also be said that we have a common need to communicate. He is a writer, columnist and rap artist. For the latter he has adopted the stage name ‘Loki’. That caught my attention since some people think the name Pollok means ‘The pool of Loki’, Loki being the Norse god of mischief. It’s a well chosen name since much of Darren’s writing arises from his own experience of poverty, the issues arising from that, and what he sees as the inadequate responses of government at all levels. In the best sense he could be described as a ‘stirrer’.
I have been aware of his book Poverty Safari since its publication but for some reason never quite got round to reading it. It has been described as at least in part a ‘misery memoir’. There are repeated references to his chaotic early life with a mother addicted to drugs and alcohol and the consequential neglect he and his siblings suffered. He also writes about his own descent into drug addiction and his struggle to attain some stability and purpose in his life. But there is more to the book than this. The subtitle is ‘Understanding The Anger Of Britain’s Underclass’. It is an exploration of the feelings of those who increasingly feel they are on the margins, unable to influence political decisions that shape the quality and direction of their own lives.
I went to the book with expectations. I was prepared to hear how a person’s early social and economic circumstances can shape the rest of their lives. I was prepared to hear about the inadequacies of the education system in relation to those who are ‘born to fail’. I was prepared for gruesome details of a family life characterised not only by neglect but also danger. I was prepared for the tensions arising from peer pressure and the isolation in being recognised as ‘different’. What I wasn’t prepared for was the emphasis Darren places on the role of individual responsibility in lives that could be described as caught in the poverty trap. It is all too easy for individuals to blame external factors for the way they are but there are changes that can be made at a personal level that can diminish the effects of poverty and lead to a better quality of life. Darren calls on the ‘poor’ to recognise that the ‘system’ is not going to change any time soon but they can change and make life easier for themselves and those around them. Be aware of the effects poor diet, smoking, drugs and alcohol can have on your life and be prepared to make changes. Be aware of the anger within, how that can affect your attitudes to others and your willingness to listen to another point of view.
This is not to say that speaking out, campaigning and resistance to injustice should cease but as Darren writes:
‘ . . . one thing we have to concede is that part of the solution lies with the individual. It’s counter-intuitive to accept responsibility for certain things particularly when our circumstances are beyond our control. This is especially true if we have suffered abuse, neglect or oppression. But striving to take responsibility is not about blame, it’s about honestly trying to identify what pieces of the puzzle are within our capacity to deal with. This approach is far more radical than than simply attributing responsibility for every ill in society to a ‘system’ or a vaguely defined power dynamic . . .’
There is no indication in his book that Darren has in any way been influenced by Christian teaching but through his own experience he has come to recognise the importance of individual responsibility, the need for change within ourselves and our dependance on outside help if we are to make the changes that matter. These elements are consistent with a Christian perspective on life. Jesus’ core message focused on the need for ‘repentance’, a turning away from damaging values and priorities and a turning towards God and His ways which alone can lead us to personal fulfilment. Paul later called on Christians to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’, to look to Him to enable us to stay with God’s purpose for our lives. It is inspiring to read Darren’s words:
‘Today, I realise that the most practical way of transforming my community is to first transform myself and, having done so, find a way to express how I did that to as many people as possible.’
Darren has a message of transformation which he hopes to communicate to others. He has that in common with Paul although the Apostle had something even more radical to share. Having been shown the way forward in Christ was the ultimate transformative experience. He describes it as being like the light that God commanded at the beginning of Creation shining in his inner being and becoming a new creation. (2 Corinthians 4: 6) For Paul this is where radical change begins and from where the values of God’s Kingdom flow into society realising the vision of Jesus’ ministry in bringing ‘good news to the poor.’
