I ranted about the rugby world cup. I need to say that I am not anti-sport. It is a strange phenomenon that we tend to get carried away with our sporting teams. It happens all over the world. In the UK people get carried away with soccer, and there have been soccer hooligans and unsavoury behaviour. Our local rugby team (the highlanders) changed the colours of the jerseys, from roughly blue and gold to almost a lime green. You should have heard the furore! It was like the end of the world! One man who overheard an argument in his workplace said to me, "They should visit Christchurch and talk to some of the people who have nearly lost everything. The colours of footballers jerseys really don't bloody matter!" Sport is artificial life. That is fine and it has its place. But I wonder if we get so wrapped up in artificial living (sport) because we have not got deep significance in our normal living.
Night Shelter
I am on the Dunedin Night Shelter Trust. It has been a long journey getting the shelter up and running. We have recently restructured and had to make two jobs redundant and hire a new person, because of financial constraints. We are reliant on grants and donations and we have to be as efficient as possible. There is not a great number of people using it but it feels like we should have a shelter available when it is needed. We have a street appeal coming up, I hope we get a good return. I have spent a few Saturday mornings working there tidying things up, and fixing things. I have an ongoing concern to keep us viable and I wrack my brain for clarity about the way forward. ... then sometimes I ask, "Why should I care? Most of the people using it probably take it for granted. Some probably deserve to be on the street!" But something inside says, "There ought to be a place available." and I can't walk away. I have met some lovely people on the Trust, my life is enriched by their friendship.
I could lose a job!
I need to give up a chaplaincy to make more time in my life to do more church related stuff. That is going to be good but also difficult. I have also heard that another of my chaplaincies could be lost because of nationally based decisions. I could be made redundant! I think I will struggle with breaking the relationships I have in that workplace. I went there the other day knowing this though the locals did not know. I felt so sad as I went around talking to people. Wait and see, but if it happens I will miss their friendship.
I am lucky for friendships
I look back on my week and I am very fortunate. My life is full of friendly relationships. We have Muthiah who looks after Space2B. He is a lovely Indian man who is nice to be with. I have two lunch times with St John Ambulance people and go around fire stations regularly, along with my other two chaplaincies. I am met with friendship again and again. We have Curly and Margaret who join us in running the drop-in centre and there is always good humoured banter during the night. Robbie (He likes "Robert" better) is a drop-in guy who is around the church every Sunday to help out. He and I enjoy banter, but deep down we like and care about each other. At drop-in there are people we have known for years, and while some might see them as "clients" they are to me "friends". (Jonathan, Saraya, Summer, Maurice, Jennifer, Glen, Honi, Mark, Bert, Ken, Terry, Nick etc. etc.) I open the door on a Friday night and I try to greet each by name as they come through the door. I try to say "goodbye, have a good week" to each as each leaves. (The "have a good week" is a prayer) We went to the Farmers' Market on Saturday morning. I parked in the yard at the Fire Station. When we got back to the car I saw a firefighter and slid into friendly conversation. We went to drive out of the gate and a big fire engine turned into it from out side, stopped and blocked our way. Four grinning fire fighters peered down at me. I wound down my window and some banter flew backwards and forwards, then with a good natured wave they drove the fire truck in and out of our way. Tonight I went for a walk with my running friend. We have run or, when necessary walked on a Sunday afternoon for an hour for several years. The conversation is catch up on our working weeks and mutually supportive listening. Another special friendship. I am a lucky, lucky man - I have lots of friendly relationships.
- The view from our front door across the golf course on Monday morning.
- Another friend, Emi, (she comes from Hungary and calls me "dad") suggested that Space2B needed a coat rack. So I made one out of timber that came from a Church cupboard we pulled out.
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