Never boring!

Tough call

I have been involved in disestablishing people's jobs. The final decisions and meetings were this past week. Let me tell you, it is not much fun. I could never be a manager of a big firm, I would not have the courage to make the tough decisions. Anyway it has been a tough call. I have had to go with the chairman to each meeting with the staff. It has for me, been a steep learning curve. It impacts only two people, (not like the 40 people to lose their jobs at the local railway workshops!) but I really feel for them and wish we did not have to make the changes. I believe the new direction is the right way to go, but wish it did not hurt people in the process. That has been part of my week.

Van gone

Many years ago four firefighters came to Church. At the end of the service they led the congregation out into the street and presented me with a 1988 white Toyota van. That van did heaps of work. It carted tools and material during many Habitat for Humanity builds. It moved furniture. It helped move the night shelter twice. It has moved hay, rubbish and even animals. It has assisted many people. Its last big trip was a trip to Christchurch absolutely laden with furniture, inside and on the roof rack for my son. Unfortunately shortly after that trip the motor broke down. A garage attempted to fix it but found it would be a very expensive fix. The body was a little worse for wear so it was not worth fixing. I ended up purchasing another van for about half of what the repair bill would be. (The one I had an accident in last year) I parked the original up in my drive. I was loath to part with it. It was a special gift and had some special memories. A man wanted it and rang and visited several times. I think he thought I knew nothing about motors, and that it was an easy fix. When I told him the reality he still wanted it and towed it away on Saturday. I was sad. Even though there had been a number of mechanical problems over the years, I loved the friendship she symbolised.

Mixing with Tax-collectors...

Jesus got criticised for mixing with the wrong people. I feel like I have experienced a similar thing. A number of unemployed, hard up, "different" people come into Space2B at lunch times. Many come to our Friday night drop-in centre. Also in Space2B we partner with various community groups to run programs. We have a monthly session with one particular group. On Friday I received an email from the leader of the group requesting that we consider not allowing those men (some "with bad personal hygiene") to be in Space2B when their group is doing their thing. We are still working out how to respond. I felt sad. I know that they can be difficult and a number are very "different", but I hate to ban them? It just seems to be a denial of the very nature of Jesus (who we claim to follow) to stop them coming. A year or so ago in the early days of Space2B with the closure of a local centre that catered for the men, I could see the potential for such difficulties. Because of this potential I wanted to allow a drop-in to open in our drop-in centre space, but was unable to convince others of the need. If that had happened we could have met the needs of both groups and avoided the clash of cultures. Perhaps that decision could mean Space2B will never reach its potential? I think we need not ban them, but with half an ounce of tolerance and understanding I think we could cope. But the people in Jesus day tried to keep the outcasts in their place, and that seems to be still true today.

Photos: When I received the van years ago and just before it was towed away on Saturday.