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Now that the election is over, politicians will no longer be interested in us - or at least they'll be much less interested. So, unless we sign up to a political party or join a campaign network such as 'Make Poverty History', both of which are very worthwhile, is our political involvement only limited to elections when our votes are at stake? Is the 'political system' all there is to politics?

We are political simply by how we live our lives. Our values, our concerns, our priorities are reflected in how we spend our time and our money. And how we spend our money is of intense interest to all those who wish to get their hands on it.

Businesses entice us with all sorts of rewards for our loyalty and also survey our habits, learning more about us so that they can sell more to us. We're not so much consumers, or even customers - and we may even be consulted - but essentially we are being counted. And we do count, we do matter, but at what cost to our personhood?

It's an endless cycle - our spending keeps business going to give us what we want. Fairtrade is breaking into this circle. And Fairtrade has come a long way in the last 10 years, seeking to restore the balance between people and profits. But shouldn't all trade be fair? Is change only going to happen when it is allied to meeting our desire for possessions?

If as churches and Christians we all radically renewed our values and our spending habits to live more simply, then others may get to simply live. It should, and could, be very subversive. It's being political because we're aware that how we live is influential. And, rather than just being consumers, we would be choosing to use our buying power purposefully. Realistically, it may have a limited effect, but then we're used to that. It's the same with our votes.

Living more simply will prove challenging for all sorts of reasons. It might affect our status with friends, colleagues and neighbours. 'Keeping up with the Joneses' would have to be jettisoned as a justification for replacing 'new' for 'recently purchased'. But it's not as if we haven't an alternative vision to inspire us. Kingdom values are shown to us by Jesus in the stories he told.

So what is our treasure and where is it? To what extent is it our abundance of possessions located here and now in this life? Are we camels when we should be cotton thread?

Ethel White