Under surveillance
Over 60 years ago in George Orwell’s novel of a totalitarian society,
‘Nineteen Eighty Four’, the phrase ‘Big Brother is watching you’ came into
popular use. The idea was that the dictator was able to spy on his subjects
through their TV sets day and night. A frightening prospect.
In recent years, the Big Brother principle has been adapted into a game show
format, whereby the public generally can, via their TVs, watch a number of
contestants’ every move, virtually, as they live for a few weeks in the Big
Brother house. I’m afraid I call it pathetic, but others call it fun, while
the contestants think of fame (or infamy) and hopeful fortune.
More disturbing, however, was the headline in my paper recently: BIG
BROTHER’S 3 MILLION TARGETS. It seems that three million snooping operations
have been carried out over the past decade under controversial anti-terror
laws. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) passed in 2000 has
spawned all sorts of intrusive measures to check up on us, supposedly to
protect our society from terrorism, but also in fact to carry out petty
surveillance by some councils to check whether families were cheating on
school catchment area rules, or to find out what we put in our rubbish bins.
The campaign group Justice is demanding RIPA be scrapped altogether.
Whatever might be the rights and wrongs of necessary surveillance in our
society, one thing people forget, or refuse to believe is that there is a
God – the Almighty God – who has been watching mankind since creation – not
in a vindictive, possessive way, nor in a flippant, voyeuristic manner, but
because he cares about us as his much loved creation.
In Psalm 14 David the psalmist says: The Lord looks down from heaven on the
entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks
God.
He does that because he loves us and wants the best for us. Sadly the psalm
continues:
But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not
a single one!
And in Psalm 33, after exclaiming: ‘What joy for the nation whose God is the
Lord,’ the writer says: ‘The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole
human race.
From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts,
so he understands everything they do.’
Oh that the world would understand and respond to God’s loving watchful
care. But that can only come about through trusting in his Son, Jesus for
eternal protection against the terrorism of Satan’s assaults.
Psalm 33 again: But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely
on his unfailing love.
I’m so glad of that sort of surveillance.
Aren’t you?
Steve Piggott
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