Categories: durham
Date: 30 May 2010 19:30:49
Doing Streetlights means you're out there showing God's love for everybody. Now that is ok in theory, because let's face it when you are giving out flip flops or whatever you don't know whose who. Last night, although I didn't have to face the issue I realised what that means in practice and how loving your neighbour works.
Wandering through town were a bunch of guys who, you could tell from their singing, had been on the EDL march earlier in the day. They were part of the "night time economy" last night as they were walking through town chanting "No Surrender" and other such interesting things. Had they needed it, which they didn't, they were people we would have gone to assist. In that situation I would have had no qualms going and helping the people I had earlier in the day been protesting against. Streetlights is about showing Christian love, and Christian love is about being there for everybody, including those who have profoundly different views to yourself. They were there sharing a message of hate, we were there sharing a message of love and hope!
Oh and for anybody who is not sure what the EDL is about and why, as posted yesterday, I had spent the day in Newcastle on the UAF demo the Guardian have this interesting film about them. (Note yesterday, thankfully, was peaceful and didn't see the violence that had happened elsewhere).