Recently, my mind has been returning to my past. If I mentioned this to my two sons, they would immediately assume that I was entering my dotage. I have, however, been reflecting on the times I worked with the homeless in West Bromwich and Birmingham. The following is from a collection of my experiences with them.

I have worked with young people, mainly females who have suffered horrific abuse at home, usually from someone who is supposed to love and nurture them as they grow into adults. This abuse becomes a part of their childhood and unless they can manage to break free, they are condemned to suffer it, usually in silence. It takes tremendous courage for an abused person to make a conscious decision to break free. This will involve them leaving home, with very little in the way of possessions or money. The fortunate ones will find their way to a hostel where they can for a time 'relax' and take the first steps eventually towards rebuilding their shattered lives. The unfortunate ones will end up wandering the streets and living in cardboard boxes, where their vulnerability will be plain for all to see.

Why is it that there are never enough resources to deal adequately and compassionately with those who for their own personal safety have to leave home and face yet more dangers on the streets? Is our society really that uncaring, do we shrug the problem off and blame the politicians? We all read of cases of abuse and cruelty in the papers, the stories of the street drifters, yes our reaction is that someone needs to do something and quick! The problem is that very often that someone is not you or I. There are not enough good Samaritans to go round! I can guarantee that the majority of us have, at some time, passed by on the other side and ignored the problems on the opposite side of the street.

My work with the West Bromwich Food Bank has given me contact with those in our society who are marginalised, the homeless, the families and individuals caught up in the poverty cycle, the women and children facing domestic abuse, the list is endless.

I believe that we as society should do everything we can to improve the quality of life of those who very often through no fault of their own end up facing horrific situations and have no idea what to do. It's no longer an option to pass by on the other side of the street!

Here we go again

This last week has absolutely flown by and as I sit writing this blog, I realise that it will soon be Christmas! This is just an aside, as I want to write about this week and what has happened. During the week, we had another agency sign up as a partner in the Food Bank which was great as previously we had been assisting them on an informal basis. The 'fame' of the food bank is spreading and we are getting positive feedback from clients and agencies which will count for a lot when we start applying for funding! Latest figures tell us that we have now supported just ovr 300 adults and 93 children with emergency food supplies.

On Thursday night there was a meeting of the Food Bank steering group at which I seemed to be doing most of the talking, this was odd, as I am not a member of the group. I am there as Project Co-ordinator so everyone asks me questions!

Friday morning I arrived at my church where I am employed part time as an admin person. The first thing I noticed was the door. Not unusual you may think as all churches have doors. True, but this door was different in that someone had jemmied it open and left a right mess behind. With all sorts of thoughts going through my mind I opened the door and the firs thing I saw was the letters which had been delivered that day! On entering the church, the alarm went off immediately. A check of the building revealed that the office laptop had gone.

A call to the police was made and then I had to call the church leadership to give them the good news (again). This was the second time in about two months that we were targetted. The first time they tried to get in through a side door which resulted in us having to find the cost of a replacement. (We have a £250 excess on our policy). Anyway, to cut a long boring day extremely short, the door was secured by 7.00 pm and I went home.

Is there a point to this blogpost I hear you cry through gritted teeth! Yes there is! As a Christian church we believe that there is good and evil in the world. We believe that if we are doing something to show the love of God to our community then the devil will do his best to stop it or discourage us that much that we stop trying. In reaching out to the community, we have made ourselves a target. We trust God and have faith in Him that 'all things work together for good to those that love God'.

Akways look on the bright side

I have some good news for all the avid readers of my blog! According to Professor Jones of University College London, human evolution has very nearly reached its peak. We can only expect to increase life expectancy by a maximum of two years and we are as close to utopia as we are ever likely to get.

There, don't you feel just a little bit better knowing that? Amid the global economy going into free fall, a certain politician making a come back for the third time and people suffering poverty as never before, it's just wonderful to know that we have nearly reached perfection and that we should expect no more!

Evolution always reminds me of that story where a monkey after reading Darwin's theory of evolution, comes to the startling conclusion that 'I am my keepers brother'.

Seriously, if this is as good as it gets, we have been seriously misled somewhere along the line. My Bible tells me that things will get better, one day there will be no more sickness, no more death, no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow (Revelation 21 v 4) Now that's what I call perfection!

Church, coffee and croissants

Today, Sunday 5th, we did something different at church, apart from starting on time! About 30 of the congregation gathered from 9.15 am to take part in a free breakfast and to enjoy a time of fellowship before the main meeting. On offer was cereal, toast, croissants, fruit juice, toast, tea and coffee (with bacon rolls for those who wanted something less healthy). Superbly organised by someone who is so modest he did not want his name mentioned it was a great time.

Following the breakfast, those present then took Communion together. This was special, as we remembered the true meaning behind Communion. It was also the first time, I think, that we had had Communion in a setting other than 'normal' church. After a short break we had our usual Sunday morning celebration which despite the time we had already spent at church went really fast.

It's a great way of doing church, it builds relationships and strengthens and deepens the sense of community that is so vital to the church. Can't wait for the next breakfast, due on Sunday November 2nd at 9.15. The only niggle I have is that I only had one bacon roll and someone knocked my filter coffee over!

I am not a number I am a free man

Some years ago, there was a programme on t.v. called the Prisoner. For those not old enough to remember, it was about a secret agent that wanted to resign but was kidnapped by his own people and interrogated. As part of the dehumanisation process, he was stripped of his name and given a number.

It may have only been a work of fiction, but have you noticed how, when you try and ring a government agency or indeed any firm that gives a service, they are only interested in you as a number. It's either your national insurance number or a reference number they want. (That's assuming you are fortunate enough to get to talk to a real person, rather than listening to a voice saying how important your call is for 27.75 minutes).

We need to get back to the concept of treating people as people, not as numbers. If it takes a little longer to sort - so what!

My God is a God of the personal - He knows me by name and what's more He actually cares what happens to me! Even better, I don't have to wait on the phone for hours to talk to him.

Think on these things!