"Living Without Enemies"

Over the last couple of days I have been reading a wonderful book on pastoral care and community engagement called "Living Without Enemies" by Samuel Wells & Marcia A Owen. This book brilliantly explores concepts of: working for, working with, being with & being for. Many of us start out with understandable concern over certain community issues or lack of services and want to stand in solidarity with those affected ... 'being for'. Then we might be motivated enough to get involved in ways that practically help those in need ... 'working for'. But if we are wise, and we really want to make some long-term difference, we will offer ourselves to be part of a wider movement of human contributions, and facilitate organic grassroots responses, where the effort itself is part of the solution ... 'working with'. As we do this, then, in times of both despair and joy, we will be best placed to simply be with people - in silent solidarity, while closely listening, and deeply praying ... 'being with'. Surely this is the way to conceive of a church making a positive contribution to local community functioning! So those who see things along these lines - please jump on board. There are obviously many personal concerns out there in the Tarneit and Wyndham neighbourhoods - let's hear about these and embrace some transformational possibilites together.