Here's an excerpt from 'Booth's Drum' (Barbara Bolton) - 'Every year in Australia thousands of men, women and teenagers turn to the Army's prison chaplain or court officer and ask for help. They want a chance. They ask the officer to "speak for me in court"; they ask for contact to be kept with their families when they go to gaol; they ask for help in re-establishing themselves when they leave prison; they pour out stories of bitterness and loneliness and deprivation, of perversion and violence; or the bewildered story of events that had unintentionally lead to crime. They ask for practical aid, for sympathy, for understanding, for friendship, for help in believing that tomorrow will come and tomorrow will be better. The man or woman in the Army uniform is their link with hope.'
This is a book published in 1980. The same applies today. I have a friend who's a Prison Chaplain here in the NT. He knows people need support. They need our ears and our hearts. I think about this recently after a day where people received Welfare assistance from our 'Community Support' office. Sure, people need help with their phone bill, and in the NT, quite often it's the Power bill, but often there's a story behind the financial crisis, there's more to it than needing just a Coles Card or a loaf of bread. There's a story.
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Check out Army Barmy for some challenging blogs on evangelism.
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Fairtrade Fortnight. I was struck by the idea of having a Fairtrade Church service. There is so much God wants to say about Justice. Just check out Isaiah 58!
yes, there is always a story behind any request for assistance whether through a court or prison chaplain, any other chaplain or ER caseworker.
ReplyDeletewhen I used to do ER I would always enquire if there were any other matters - or sometimes by just asking 'how their day was going?' - out would come the story.