WWJD?
One of the real problems with this job is that it comes complete with so many built-in occasions for failure. Things that you can't avoid, that show that you're really not much good at being a vicar, or even a Christian.
This morning some of our flower ladies came to the door with the news that there was a stranger in church, lying down next to one of the radiators in the chancel. When I went to investigate, I found an unkempt, bearded homeless man. He had slept rough last night and was cold and hungry. So I made him some sandwiches and tea, and told the flower ladies we would let him stay there and get warm, and he would probably move on when he was ready.
I was still getting reports that he was fast asleep there in mid-afternoon, from people going in to clean their bit of the church, who were not prepared to do their cleaning if it involved being in the building alone with an unpredictable stranger. I said we'd let him stay a bit longer. He was still there when I went for Evening Prayer, when I woke him up, with some difficulty, and asked him to leave as I would soon be locking up. When I told him I was not going to make him another cup of tea at that point, he became abusive and it took me 15 minutes to make him leave, having to listen all the while to a stream of accusations (that I was a liar, hypocrite, unbeliever, fascist, wimp, paedophile etc.) and threats which were so deranged that fortunately I could not make head or tail of them, though I think having to face God and burn in hell featured there somewhere.
I don't find WWJD a great help in these circumstances, which I am relieved are not frequent. WWJD? Why, heal the man, of course. Or take him into his home and set him on his feet. Trouble is, I can't do the one and am not prepared to do the other. What I most wanted to do was knock him down or call the police, neither of which Jesus would have done, so not doing them myself was at least a small success.
Does being God's person mean we should let the mentally ill, whom society isn't helping, spend the night in our church buildings? What can we do for them? I've failed to do much for this man today. The community is still failing him, too. But somehow that doesn't seem to console me much.
This morning some of our flower ladies came to the door with the news that there was a stranger in church, lying down next to one of the radiators in the chancel. When I went to investigate, I found an unkempt, bearded homeless man. He had slept rough last night and was cold and hungry. So I made him some sandwiches and tea, and told the flower ladies we would let him stay there and get warm, and he would probably move on when he was ready.
I was still getting reports that he was fast asleep there in mid-afternoon, from people going in to clean their bit of the church, who were not prepared to do their cleaning if it involved being in the building alone with an unpredictable stranger. I said we'd let him stay a bit longer. He was still there when I went for Evening Prayer, when I woke him up, with some difficulty, and asked him to leave as I would soon be locking up. When I told him I was not going to make him another cup of tea at that point, he became abusive and it took me 15 minutes to make him leave, having to listen all the while to a stream of accusations (that I was a liar, hypocrite, unbeliever, fascist, wimp, paedophile etc.) and threats which were so deranged that fortunately I could not make head or tail of them, though I think having to face God and burn in hell featured there somewhere.
I don't find WWJD a great help in these circumstances, which I am relieved are not frequent. WWJD? Why, heal the man, of course. Or take him into his home and set him on his feet. Trouble is, I can't do the one and am not prepared to do the other. What I most wanted to do was knock him down or call the police, neither of which Jesus would have done, so not doing them myself was at least a small success.
Does being God's person mean we should let the mentally ill, whom society isn't helping, spend the night in our church buildings? What can we do for them? I've failed to do much for this man today. The community is still failing him, too. But somehow that doesn't seem to console me much.
posted by Tony at 11/05/2004 07:17:00 pm
1 Comments:
Thanks for this Rhys. At least the fact that he was SO offensive makes it easier for me to refuse him any privileges if he does come back.
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