Dear Inner Circle,

It is not unusual to be stopped at the door in the cold mornings. Usually it’s by a familiar face, waiting to have their first warm cup of coffee or a hot shower after a long cold night.

Once recently though, I was confronted by a man I’d never seen before. After three whole minutes of checking us out, he pointed his finger at me accusingly, “Yes, but when do you save them?” I gently but firmly invited him to walk with me to the top of the street. “I just did,” were my parting words as I sent him on his way.

So much pain has been brought into this world through attempts to turn people in to fix ‘em up projects, it’s important to be soft at the edges but firm in the centre. While that may sound like a jingle for chocolate (mmmmm now I’m hungry) it also is a way of being in the world – open to all but firm in where you stand. Often a desperate parent will ask for a tour of our Chapel, in the hope that an accompanied walk through our little corner shop of compassion will be just the tonic required to save their teenager from entitlement (their words, not mine). It really is the same as the chap above, through a different lens.

We have a deep mistrust of anyone trying to save anyone here, you may have picked up on that one after one or two Inner Circles. We try to see others, and when there is a true meeting between two, then both walk away changed, the ends and means are the same and utterly opposed. Did I mention there is also a fair bit of paradox here too? No one should be defined by their worst moment, just as no one is always their best, that’s a tension hard to handle within let alone without. When there is true meeting, life abounds and purpose is usually never too far behind.

Having just shared all the above, I was enjoying a nice cup of hot tea to start the day when I sat next to a mate. We don’t have to talk much, or we can talk heaps, both are ok. We’ve laughed, fought and have even shared a tear together on occasion. She told me how a mutual friend we’d just lost once broke into her laundry to feed her kitten and we laughed until we didn’t, as this friend was gone far too young. We sighed, and when I asked how much pain she is in currently, she grimaced, but then stated beautifully, “Yeah, but I always remind myself that I have a roof over my head now, so I don’t complain about the pain.”  

What a gift perspective can be. Where presence draws us closer, perspective creates distance. The magic is in learning when to draw closer and when to sit in the disarming silence of separation.

There’s a secret ingredient hidden in the soul food that we serve up here on cold winter mornings. It’s the love that our volunteers pour into our community every single day. It is in their smiles, jokes and “off the record” kindnesses that they extend. They are a beautiful and selfless bunch who joyfully sacrifice their time to serve others. If it takes a village to raise a child, well it takes an unruly mob to heal a broken heart. So, this is a thank you to all our volunteers, next week I will double all your pay, I promise!

Thank you for being part of the Inner Circle,

Jon

Rev. Jon Owen
CEO & Pastor
Wayside Chapel