Monday, October 20, 2008
Responding to needs?
"What then is wrong with simple response to need as a motive for ministry? Nothing except that people are not always in need, and at all times resist definition of themselves solely in terms of need. They are people created for relationships with other people, and only the offer of such relationship can begin to acknowledge the fullness of their humanity...relationship must be between equals who work towards complete openness with one another. It follows that there can be no determination at the outset to speak of everything except our faith, no will to exclude the possibility that the person of another faith might accept the Christian faith because of us, and no pretence of indifference as to whether that might happen or not. We all have to run the risk of being changed."
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Very true. Who is the quote from?
Slight problem with that one. I found it in a report that was commissioned by the Church of Scotland about their work amongst the Asian population in the South of the city. But we don't have the appendix to the report, so we can't be sure who the quote is from. I think it's probably Michael Nazir Ali, Church of England Bishop, but I'm not sure.
