Dear Inner Circle,
The best presents come unwrapped and go easily unnoticed. Our mission is a bit like that. For those who come here wanting to make a difference, it is an invitation to look beyond the self and to the gifts every human possesses. For those who are struggling, it is an invitation to see that others are there with them and for them, and that they are more than any label or diagnosis that has been allocated. Relief from these self-applied labels and the erasure of familiar dividing lines, even if for a fleeting moment, helps us be recaptured by the awesome reality that we simply belong together within the family of humanity. This opens us up to adventures and discoveries never before thought possible.
Last week, two lifelong mates huddled in a hospital room to watch the Grand Final, one in the bed and the other visiting. Long before the final siren had rung, the place had been locked shut. The visitor eventually managed to escape, but it felt like a jailbreak, something he “may or may not have participated in many moons ago.” He’s enjoyed regaling us all with this tale all week.
Then there was the man who came in soaked after a rough weekend sleeping out. A volunteer handed him a cup of tea and took the time to sit beside him once he’d freshened up with a shower. Twenty minutes later they were swapping stories about their mums, and by the time he left, neither could have told you who had been helping whom, and soon they worked out they knew each other and had grown up two streets and ten years apart. Those are the kind of tables we want to set; where hope, discovery and possibility are passed as easily as the sugar.
If you come into our centre at Kings Cross this Monday morning, you’ll notice something a little different. Weekends can be a testing time for many who come through our doors. There is limited support and buffeting weather can lead to extreme exhaustion. So we’re giving something new a go: a simple breakfast for all who come in. Volunteers, staff and anyone else around, please bring your hunger and your joy with us from about 9.30am for an hour. What better way to start your week than with friends, and who knows what might open up in the breaking of bread together?
Thank you for being part of the Inner Circle,
Jon
Rev. Jon Owen
CEO & Pastor
Wayside Chapel