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Jane Winter writes about Moving On the new resource from Canterbury/Rochester Diocese, written by The Revd Angela Cooke.
Passionate people
‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell in to the hands of robbers who stripped him, beat him and left him half dead. A priest was going down the road and when he saw him he walked by on the other side' The words were slowly read, with certain pride and much hesitancy. The reader then paused, took off her glasses, looked at the congregation and said ‘Can you believe that, he walked by on the other side?' and again with real passion and compassion ‘he walked by on the other side!' She went on to ask why we all walk by and do not spontaneously share the love of God and the love of Jesus Christ, which radiated from her as she spoke. Sue is from the Gypsy Traveller community in St Mary Cray. This occasion was the first time she had publicly read in church. No one present at that service will ever hear the story of the Good Samaritan in the same light again. Her challenge was unforgettable.
Persecuted people
The event was the launch of a new resource written by Revd. Angela Cooke, retiring parish priest at St Mary Cray and Diocesan Gypsy Traveller Adviser. It is the culmination of two years research into ministry among Traveller communities in Rochester diocese and across England . The launch came on the day the Sun newspaper negatively perpetuated the discrimination of Gypsy Travellers in the national press. Angela Cooke spoke with passion and love for the community who have welcomed her so warmly. St Mary Cray has the largest domiciled Traveller population in Northern Europe , the discrimination reported by the press is a living reality for this group of people.
Prophetic people
Roger Redding, Chaplain to Gypsy Travellers in Salisbury Diocese told wonderful stories of Traveller life, of sharing holidays and learning so much about true family values. He spoke with prophetic conviction of the church's responsibility: to stand alongside a minority group who daily face discrimination that would be outrageous in other communities, to campaign for justice for people who are cruelly evicted from lands they have lived on for hundreds of years to welcome and encourage a community who live through constant persecution and abuse to learn to understand the rich gifts a different culture offers for it is our Christian responsibility and joy to offer the respect and love worthy of all God's children.
Pilgrim people
Bishop Michael Gear began the launch reminding us all that we are pilgrims – travellers on the journey and that we journey together with those we meet on the way. That journey takes us to the ‘Old Rugged Cross', a favourite Traveller hymn, and the Cross is our guide, Jesus our companion as we travel ‘one more step along the road'. All those who participated were determined that this work must not stop with the launch of the book. Indeed a number of people involved with the book are keen to develop this ministry and that response is being taken seriously by Church in Society. The service inspired challenged and encouraged the congregation of church representatives from across the diocese, local authority workers and the Gypsy Traveller community. The lunch that followed was a real treat, where good food, good wine and great hospitality enabled everyone to share together.
The book was welcomed and is already being used.
Copies of Moving On (at £5 cheques payable to ‘Church in Society') can be ordered through:
Church in Society
2-3 Bedford Place
Maidstone Kent ME16 8JB
tel: 01622 755014.
email office@churchinsociety.org
the website www.churchinsociety.org