Jill Saward hit the headlines in the UK yesterday.
Some of the headlines hurt.
A more sensitive headline was::
"Jill Saward, who became a sexual assault campaigner
after she was raped during a burglary at her father's vicarage in 1986,
has died after suffering a stroke."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38525269
Back in the late 80’s Jill volunteered to be interviewed
in a Big Top Tent at the Greenbelt Festival in front of
about 2000 young people packed in tight sitting on the grass.
It was a twice x 2 hours daily Rolling Magazine Programme
- loud dance music, Messy games, lots of fun & energy
with injections of meaningful questions & experiential exercises thrown in.
I remember it being a delicate interview and my questions
were deep, delicately worded to both being sensitive to Jill
and developmental for the teenagers present.
She spoke beautifully & helpfully in a way which was useful to us all.
About being aware as to not put ourselves in danger but also
about how all of us need to be aware of others who had suffered
traumatic abuse & violence.
In the midst of a bustling festival there was stillness.
Jill a beautiful human, was determined to use her
massive negative in her life and turn it into good -
in terms of educating us all.
An example to us all I think.
Turning negatives from the past
Into positives going forward.
We can never change anything from our past.
We can’t change others
but
we can change our own behaviour
inside out.
Thank God for Jill
and her years of giving out as a an
educator
campagner
and
a Beautiful Human
Rest in Shalom my dear friend.
*
"Forgiveness is giving up all hope
of having had a better past."
— Anne Lamott
*
