Thursday, December 08, 2005


In the early years in Youth Club Work I have physically confronted, and wrestled with, the biggest and toughest teenagers who are now violent, professional criminals.
In later years we developed a team principle of not physically ejecting any young adults from the club.

So what do you do when someone sprays ammonia at you, takes drugs in front of you, spits in someone’s face and starts a whole package of trouble? That isn’t a hypothetical question when doing youth work in East London.

The point is that no matter what the physical size of the person we deal with,
no matter what status we possess,
our response to them needs to be one of love,
not oppression.
It’s so easy to be in control when dealing with small children,
the aged and perhaps the physically and mentally disabled.
The very violent and aggressive young adults I have worked with and loved
- have challenged all my methods and attitudes.
Feeling powerless and not ‘in control’ has affected my whole life and love principle.
For the good.
Jesus’ Kingdom is about a Kingdom of Love,
not one where power rules and where people compete.