My Neighbours!

The bible says ‘Love your Neighbour’, So in the last year, we have really tried to love our neighbours, all 72 of them! You see we live right next door to The Salvation Army’s Kabete Children’s Home, which caters for 72 children aged 3 to 18 years.  Like many countries around the world, The SA is committed to supporting children to reside within a family environment in their community. The SA does a great deal of family support and preventative work in Kenya in order to ensure this happens in a great many cases. However with high mortality, largely due to HIV/AIDS, road traffic accidents and poor medical care there are times when this is not possible. That’s where Kabete comes in. But they struggle!

Many Salvation Army institutions around the world like Chikankata (Zambia) where I was before and Kabete Children’s Home (Kenya) live on a hand to mouth basis. They are often short of money, lack basic facilities like water, have huge debts, and generally struggle. However, the personal pressures of this situation often lead people into much higher levels of commitment and trust. I experienced that at Chik and live it with my neighbours. But I also see that Jesus still does miracles today through ordinary people. I have seen that at first hand  at the hospital and the children -  many who go on to lead inspiring lives and hold down professional jobs. Helped and supported by ordinary people.

Bill Hybels, writing in his book Courageous Leadership about setting up the Willowcreek church testifies;

“Nothing deepens trust in the goodness, grace and miracle working power of God like financial pressures that we have faced every week”

This has been my experience and I know the experience of other who run places just like Kabete and Chikankata.

I also wanted to write that I have really kind friends. For instance they have given to the Playground project our children having been raising the money for.

The Salvation Army is a great international organisation and we continue to give thanks to people like those in Sweden who paid for this Christmas trip. We also give thanks to God for His continued provision through his people.

 People around the world really do care about the poor and poverty. The media warps the view of the world. For every war, there are churches and aid agencies helping people who are displaced. Where there is hunger, there are people who handing out food. Where there are sick, there are hospitals and clinics. Where there is Orphans, there are children’s homes and OVC programmes . Where there a people who are poorer, there are richer people giving a lot of money and supporting their brothers and sisters.

But it is important to remember that responding to poverty is not just a justice, fairness and giving issue.  It is also about love! Promoting justice and fairness and giving resources changes things for others, for sure, but love changes things for the giver or the campaigner and makes the experience so much rich. It bring people together in their relationships and brings us closer to God.

‘If I give all I possess to the poor…..but have not love I gain nothing’ (Paul)

Politically Correct Too!

I have been challenged by Commissioner Adams recent article "Politically Correct". How inspiring! (see http://insight.salvationarmy.org.uk/politically-correct )

The Commissioner, in my humble opinion, comes out fighting with regards the current and complex situation regarding the overly bureaucratic and sometimes compassionless funding situation for people who are homeless.  The call to justice is refreshing and challenging and has attracted a great deal of positive comments.  I stand behind the Commissioners views and indeed many of the subsequent comments demonstrate that we are so relieved and inspired to hear a leader speak out on an issue close to many our hearts.  Thank you Commissioner Adams for leading by example.

But I also had another thought.  When I headed up a department at our UK headquarters, we were building new hostels (or Lifehouses) for people who are homeless.  Nice, beautiful and modern accommodation. Places that represent care, dignity and hope.  Yet, you would rarely find a Salvationist in them - that would be a real message of care, dignity and hope.  We protest (rightly!) about the current situation and the political agendas but how many of us are actually involved or engaged in our homeless ministry.  The problem is not just the government – the problem is also me.  Until I moved to Kenya last year, I lived for two years near to a great hostel which was situated in Braintree. Did I ever go near it? No I did not! There’s the problem. 

Come on Salvation Army – we can do better. If we want the some of the beds from our local Lifehouses not to be subject to the clearly ridiculous government funding rules, how many of us would be prepared to give more to our church, of which the homeless ministry is part.  How many of us would be willing to roll up our sleeves and “do something”, in order to free up professional staff time to support some of the people Commissioner Adams speaks up for. How many of us even know the staff who work in our homeless centres? So do we have any right to criticize the government when most Salvationists are not really supporting the homeless ministry? Sure some are, most aren’t. Ask you local SA Centre Manager to get the local picture.

Gary Hagen, President of the International Justice Mission stresses this point when he writes this about justice… “When governments and those whom God has placed in positions of power fail to protect those who are weak, God looks to his people to be his voice of judgment and his hands of rescue”. So we can make our proclamations and I, for one, am proud that the Commissioner has spoken up for the oppressed but do we express our indignation from the sidelines or we can team up together as an Army to use the resources, skills and relationships we have to serve those who need us most. We need to be that voice, we also need to the hands of rescue. What a double whammy message that would send to the govt. Just saying!