Phillipa – thanks!

She is one of the most intimidating people I have met. In fact I am scared of her. There is an unpredictability about her. She could do anything, break a bottle in your face, pull out a dirty needle even a large kitchen knife.

The first time I met her was 2am one morning; half-naked, eyes rolling screaming obscenities at me because she was locked out of her flat. A drug user with severe mental health issues - Philippa represents an intense issue.

Then there was the time she single handedly sent our congregation cowering as she cackled and abused us all. Families left as she threw her crutches at anyone who moved as she completely lost it. Bethan my daughter was scared for months to go to church in case Philippa was there – actually so was I! As she left that day she shook my hand and thanked me for a lovely service!

Then there was the time she breathed venom in my face and told me coldly that she was going to stab me and my family. All because I’d seen through her schemes to rob Patrick blind.

I haven’t seen her for several years. Now as I lock the gate at the hall, I’m aware that Phillippa is stood next to me. Her gold tooth shining brightly contrasting with her black African skin. I’m more aware of her nose piercing as it is too close to my face. My heart beats faster, my legs feel weaker, palms clammy – I’m trapped, no one in sight. Just me and Phillippa. “Hello” I offer weakly. She smiles and says “thanks”. “Thanks for not banning me, for always letting me come back, for giving me another chance - I’m sorry I scared your children, I’m better now…” She smiles again and she is gone.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A bit of sally bashing....

Came across a good bit of Sally bashing over at salvationsoldiers I have to say we try and make sure that everything we raise goes into projects that build local community in Poplar but hopefully if you read this blog you get that sense anyway.
Read more

Types of Christian Spirituality...

Image
It is easy to think and to limit ourselves to a single approach to Christian spirituality. A 'if it works for me it should work for you approach' tends to narrow our appreciation of other ways which actually impoverishes our experience of spirituality. Urban T. Holmes has developed a means of exploring spirituality and helps develop an appreciation through discovering links between spirituality, temperament and predisposition. The diagram illustrates his ideas together with potential inherent dangers. The vertical continuum speaks and helps us understand our relational orientation to God. This ranges from engaging with God through understanding and theological process to a more emotive response. Horizontally speaks of a persons preferred means of pursuing the spiritual life. Kataphtic speaks of affirmation and the need of something tangible in an individuals spirituality- this may take the form of worship, art, even imagination with the use of metaphors, symbols and images play
Read more

Lost Voices of Mission...Fred Brown

Image
Along the world famous Oxford street in London's Westend; nestled in among the classy frontage of designer shops there is almost an unnoticeable, unimpressive wooden door. It is more or less alongside The Regent Hall's main entrance onto the busyness of Oxford Street. People pass the wooden door oblivious to the equally unimpressive wooden steps that go up three storey's to what was Regent Hall's youth club. When I was 10 I played on these bare wooden steps totally unaware of the significance behind and upon which I played. Many years later I discovered a university youth work course - as an induction to Youth Work - stopped outside this insignificant wooden door to point out that Youth Work as we know it in the UK started behind this door. ...whether that be the surbanite flower people that flooded the Westend to express their free love; or the hard core drug community this unimpressive wooden door became the 'portal' that blurred encounter between church an
Read more