Friday, August 21, 2009
I sent an e-mail update a few weeks mentioning some of the changes that are coming up in the next year. As I write this, I’m taking a coffee break from packing, and feeling bemused by how many bits and pieces we have accumulated over the past year. I’m also in the process of filling out the ILA form for financial assistance on my upcoming “Postgraduate Cert. in Counselling” course; getting back into the discipline of studying will take some adjustment, if only part-time.
But all of these changes combined seem quite small in relation to this: in February, we’re going to have a new member of our family. If you haven’t heard already, Emma is pregnant! 14 weeks today. Quite clearly, the most exciting change for us in the new year. I’ve attached a picture from the scan.
Again, thanks for all of your support and prayers,
Paul & Emma
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Friday Football club has really picked up. We’ve moved up from five-a-side to a much more crowded six-a-side with subs. When I first started organising football, the guys were almost a bit too polite. They were quite clearly holding back, not really challenging opponents for the ball.
Well, that has changed. Everyone has become quite comfortable and now the guys playing at full pelt. Two weeks ago fights nearly broke out. It wasn’t helped by the rain, which makes the astroturf unbelievably slippy. A couple of the older guys with families (who feel the pain of failing a bit more than the guys in their late teens) don’t really want to risk getting injured, so they said that they would stop coming if football became anymore physical. I suppose this was inevitable when you mix about eight different nationalities and age differences of up to 20 years in a fast paced and physical sport.
So, I decided to appoint a referee. An Iranian friend (actually, he refereed for a club in Iran -- good to have experience on our side) and I decided to split the duties. I admit that I did this with some trepidation, as I wasn’t sure how the guys would react. Thankfully, it all went very well. Though there was some hargy-bargy over the validity of some of my calls, the addition of a ref went down very well. It clamed down the atmosphere a bit and everybody enjoyed themselves. It’s also good news for my volunteers, who quite often take a few knocks!
Another great thing about our weekly meeting for football is that we’re starting to become known by the staff and others who regularly use Petershill Park. I suppose that we’re a bit of an oddity; a guy in the locker room told me the other day, "Scots, Americans, Palestinians, and Afghans playing football together? Can’t say that’s normal in Springburn." The fact that we have a mix of Celtic and Rangers tops in the mix also confuses the issue for some. It becomes a great opportunity to share and a practical expression that integration, though not always easy, is definitely possible and that the church is at the forefront.
The team bibs, washed and drying.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Last week I again visited the Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre (IRC). I visit with an established charity; it’s a fascinating group of volunteers that visit... I suppose that the prospect of visiting people you don’t know who are in a prison (who may have made bad decisions that have landed them there) that’s an hour outside the city does not have universal appeal. So I’ve met some fascinating people – detainees as well as fellow visitors – in the past 5 months of visiting.
The more I have an opportunity to visit detainees at Dungavel, the more important I think it is. Most of the detainees have little hope, they have reached the end of the road, and are usually wrestling with regret over poor choices. Many of the detainees have only seen Scotland over the barbed wired wall that surrounds Dungavel – generally speaking, most of the detainees have been moved up from England, while those detained for immigration related issues in Scoland are moved down to IRCs in England. So isolation is a major problem. Having somebody from the “outside” helps the detainees to feel more connected to the world and it allows them to share their feelings with those who are not experiencing the same stresses. I have been told many times that the visits to Dungavel are the highlight of the week, a lifeline. Quite often we can only visit 12 detainees, and 24 have requested visits!
While I believe that there are cases of unjust detention, I do not want to come across as suggesting that detention is unnecessary or that everybody in Dungavel does not deserve to be there in some capacity (however, I do believe that the current trend of indefinite detention is harmful and a waste of resources; read the compelling reports on http://www.detainedlives.org/).
Jesus’ famous words about the marginalised, “...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. (Mat 25:35-36)” is not qualified by “but, really, only do this the poor who haven’t made any mistakes.” Unsurprisingly, there is an implied element of risky grace in Christ’s words, which disconcert and challenge me to address the plank in our eye before I judge, to leave my stones on the ground as one who has also sinned.
Sometimes at Dungavel, I am tempted to be overly judgemental about some of the detainees, or choose to visit those who have much more clear-cut cases. Yet, it is perhaps the most difficult who most need a visit. It is easy to have an idealised opinion of the marginalised; yes, we must be wise in our dealings, but grace by definition is something that is undeserved. During my last visit I met with a man who wanted to visit family, so he used forged documents… yes, a unwise decision, but the pain he is experiencing being estranged from his wife and son is real and must be addressed with compassion. Jesus never advocated an attitude of “just deserts”. Many times, the visitors cannot offer anything more than a listening ear and acting as a tangible connection the world beyond the 25ft walls of the IRC, but as Gustavo Gutiérrez commented about ministry to the marginalised, that there is “importance of gestures and ways of ‘being with’ that some may regard as having little political effectiveness.”
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Hi there,
As you can see, there have been some serious changes to the blog. It had been the same format for a year, so I thought that I’d try something different for a while. The new banner is of a photo I took of the Balgray Towers this past winter, looking over the shell of the old botanic gardens in Springburn park.
We’ve been on- and off-line today a number of times, but I’m pretty pleased with the results. There are a few things that should be tidied up, but now I need to head off to bed. All in good time!
Let me know your thoughts on the new layout.
Paul
