The marginalised are people too!

Ryan’s rewiring didn’t go according to plan.
Unfortunately the electricians needed access to the loft and the loft was full of stuff.

I say ‘stuff’ some would probably call it clutter or even rubbish.

Ryan doesn’t have very much and he is therefore loathe to get rid of anything. He keeps everything and that includes things that most people would throw away empty cans, packaging, pen tops (with no pens) newspaper cuttings, magazines – everything! He is also very protective of his own independence so wasn’t that willing for me to help. In the end he did allow me to do some cleaning up. Although reluctant for me to help did want me to stay, as long as I was there he could talk to me rather than the voices in his head.

Among the 'stuff'' was a photo of Ryan with his Mum taken in 1996 when Ryan was 20. It was Christmas dinner and his Mum and the house they were in looked pretty.

It took most of the day but eventually the loft was cleared. The electricians are coming back tomorrow – I pray that everything goes well.

Have you ever noticed how clever people who write books on mission and stand up at conventions telling us how to reach the lost use words and phrases like “marginalised’, ‘disenfranchised’ or ‘people on the very edge of society’ . Such descriptions drip of the tongue with the ease of a well known scripture verse or hymn. They talk about friendship being the new evangelism and they use clever acrostics to deliver their newly published paperback plan for redemption.

The ‘marginalised’ are hard work; they have mental health problems (especially paranoia), addictions, debt, bad friends, estranged partners, emotional baggage and worst of all very little hope. Of course they can and do get saved (Hallelujah!) and as we rediscover the true spirit and sentiment of Salvationism more will (Hallelujah again!) But let us never, ever talk about them as if they are mere pawns in our game to check mate the Salvation Army into being what we think it ought to be.

The marginalised are people, God’s children, Jesus died for them and we are often their only hope.

Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost in the Army.

A