George Knight and the Magdalene Sister
January 25th, 2004
Dear Friends
A luxury of mutual giving is enrichment beyond the imagination of
self endowment. We buy for others, things we would never buy for
ourselves. For instance I decided that it would be good for my Dad
to read George Knight’s trilogy on Adventist History and Heritage,
and took the opportunity to read them myself before wrapping them.
(No, I am not skank – it’s a tradition my Dad would be proud of!)
Likewise my daughter bought a DVD called ‘The Magdalene Sisters’ for mutual viewing lets say. A shocking story about girls in Ireland, banished for life to servile convents, for the shame of a promiscuous indiscretion. A regime only discontinued seven years ago! One tut-tuts – ‘aren’t these salvation by works people awful’. How can people deny ‘belonging’ to their own kith and kin in order to maintain an illusion of family perfection and truth?
Yet these same issues and behaviours have transcended our church history. Open door - shut door, Law and/or Grace, Salvation by faith and/or works, The Spirit within and/or without, Service and/or Leadership, Spirituality through intimate feeling and/or through inspired word etc etc. Narratives around names like Bates, the Whites, Waggoner, Jones, Butler, Smith, Daniells, Kellog, Brinsmead, Ford and many others. Whilst we might boast that ‘truth has triumphed’, we also need to recognise that it has come at the expense of a wounded family. Many who once belonged – no longer belong. Sent to the workhouse by their own family! It may be true that the separation of big names came as a consequence of big egos, but many unknown soldiers and their families, have also lost their way in the melee. (Not to speak of those we do know!)
During the next month our Life Development thrust will take on its visual incarnation. Our hope is that the God who loves with an everlasting love, a love that says ‘you belong to me’ unconditionally, will embrace our community. My prayer is that in giving of ourselves we will be endowed with the wealth of friendship – In Christ.
Thank you for your contribution toward this end.
Yours truly,
Victor Pilmoor
Treasurer (redeemed from the workhouse)