Ian M. Fraser

From the Holy City:desires and devices –thoughts for theupcoming GeneralElectionWith the UK General Election less than six monthsaway, member Ian Fraser reflects on governmentdesires and devices …

The desire of a government to retain power can lead to devices tocamouflage failures. To check on such devices, voters must be alert. Howdoes government propaganda today square with reality?Jesus said ‘read the signs of the times’. Here are some: foodbanks in a richcountry, where well-being of the whole population is meant to be thenormal responsibility of government. ‘Burdens heavy to be borne’ laid onshoulders least able to bear them, while well-padded shoulders areexcused. A full week’s work getting under-subsistence pay, while zerohourswork deprives workers of hard-won human rights. Young people‘Living with Poverty’ on a November BBC TV programme: ‘Aniya and herbrother find themselves living on noodles for days, while their mother goeswithout. Aniya sometimes hears her crying in the next room.’A Chancellor, in a mansion with six bedrooms, imposes a Bedroom Taxon those in cramped quarters.Scribes and Pharisees were people in power in Jesus’ day. The MosaicLaw had authority but they would interpret it to get round it. It decreedthat parents in need should be provided for. Finance for that could bedeclared to be corban – a sacrosanct offering to God – and then beused otherwise. Tax dodges such as we have in our time had suchpredecessor practices condemned by Jesus. It was truth that had to belived, and he was the Way, Truth and Life. In our time, Margaret Hodge,Chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, and colleagues havehad to put government words about ending tax havens into thecontext of what has been weak practice. Hodges’ critique is true toJesus’ judgement. Time was being wasted on trivialities, while ‘weightiermatters’ of law, ‘justice, compassion and straight dealing’, were neglected.Still today, these gospel measurements of policies are crucial.Jesus spoke about fasting in a way which relates to austerity measures

in our time. He said, ‘Don’t put on a show’. Measures of austerity havedone just that – paraded as if they were a brave and honest dealingwith a crisis situation. Instead of that, the crisis was used as cover to putin place a right-wing ideology for which there was no electoralmandate. What was put in place was one-way austerity. The wealthydoubled their wealth over five years while so many others had willed onthem a scrimped and marginal existence. Jesus said he had come thatall people might have ‘life in its fullness’.Jesus declared that we should love our neighbour as ourselves. Todaythe call is to ‘be suspicious of yourneighbour: he/she may be milkingthe system to your disadvantage.We should curb benefits to thebone.’ The word ‘welfare’ ought toindicate the normal responsibilityof government for the nation’swell-being. It is devalued, linked tothe description ‘scroungers’. Whatis covered up? One distractionconcerns the focus on thevulnerable, deprived, disabled insociety. This draws attention awayfrom the drain on the country’sfinances by the real scroungers –those who lie on cushions ofwealth. Their subsidies,allowances, low taxes, benefitsfrom relics of feudalism drainpublic money which is needed forsocially effective enterprises. Marxwould have had a field day had hefound a government as ready astoday’s to provide credibility forthe need for class struggle.Jesus renounced privilege in hiscoming to earth. He ‘emptiedhimself’ of heavenly powers tocome among us, exposed andvulnerable, as human as theymake them. He lived a humanitywhich the Father could work with,and made it available for us.Privileged status loads the dice infavour of those who do notdepend on merit and attainmentto get into positions of power, androbs the country of gifted peoplewho could offer superior skills.Writer Alan Bennett is one who isdisturbed at the way in whichprivileged schooling brings intopositions of power over otherspeople disabled by lack of contactwith and appreciation of thegenerality of humanity.Comprehensive education bringstogether people of allbackgrounds, while what is called‘public schooling’ separates them

and unfits them for public office. Itcan be renounced – witnesssuffragettes and such as GeorgeOrwell (he did not get the hang ofbeing down and out in Eton butin Paris and London). Otherwiseincreased inequality can be acancer in any human society.A device turned to can becaricature. Attlee was called ‘asheep in sheep’s clothing’. Kinnockwas given a pockmarked facewhich suggested a diseased mind.Victims should be clear about this:personal defamation is resortedto to distract attention frompolicies which have quality andrelevance.Osbourne gained power on falsepremises. He promised to curbborrowing and fails to meet evenhis own targets. Read-my-lipsCameron seems to have forgottenthere are people who do read lips.Laud privatisation? In reality itdiverts public funds from a serviceinto the pockets of privatespeculators and companies (twoof the ‘big four’ are still underinvestigation). Replace publicenterprise, which has been ratedinternationally to be botheffective and economical, withservices where profit is king, andyou mar the character of the NHS.Where profit is king, servicesuffers.One final example of a device isthat of allocating blame. Thefinancial meltdown was not thework of the previous governmentbut of bankers who replaced aservice culture with a casinoculture – and, rescued by thetaxpayer, demand bonuses wherejail might be appropriate. They didnot learn a casino culture at thefeet of Gordon Brown but of theThatcher/Reagan combine, whopromoted deregulation, loosenedconstraints and diminishedaccountability. That style ofoperation attaches to the present,not the previous government. lPrayerHoly Spirit of God, in all ourdecisions, keep us attentive to themind of Jesus Christ, who is theWay, the Truth and the Life for the

world. AmenIan M. Fraser is a long-time member of the IonaCommunity. His new publication is Genesis, Genderand Church

Georgina Shields and Ben Raw, interviewed by Neil Paynter

Making a statement: an interviewwith Iona volunteer GeorginaShields and Iona CommunityYouth Worker Ben RawPart of the vision of the Iona Community’s Youth Team is getting more youngpeople they work with in Glasgow – in youth clubs, schools and churches – tocome volunteer on Iona or at Camas. Coracle Editor Neil Paynter chats with

Georgina Shields, who recently volunteered on Iona …

Neil: Hi, Georgina. Thanks for coming into the office to chat. OK, so how didyou meet up with the Youth Team? And how did you come to volunteeron Iona?Georgina: I’d been to Iona in previous years, for Youth Festivals, so I metChris [Chris Long, Iona Community Youth Worker] there, and then Ben cameon to the Youth Team and I met him. And I knew about volunteering onIona, and I’ve always volunteered in my community.My big sister was a Clan Leader for the senior Youth Festival, so she knewabout volunteering and she introduced me to Iona.Neil: So was there a point when you got involved with the youth work inGlasgow?Georgina: Yeah, I’d been to Iona reunions, and then Chris, Ben and I talkedabout me going to Iona to volunteer. And I wanted to do it because Ididn’t think anybody from an Urban Priority Area had ever done it. So Iwanted to make a statement.Neil:What area are you from in Glasgow?Georgina: I’m from Provanmill/Blackhill.Neil: OK, well tell me about your experience of volunteering on Iona. Wasthat a hard experience, an amazing experience, a mix of both?Georgina:… It was really good. It was amazing. It was very spiritual aswell.Neil:Was that a surprise?Georgina: Uh-huh. I’ve never really been into goin’ to church, and when Iwent to Iona I was there every day.Neil: So you were probably surprised at yourself.Georgina: Yeah.Neil: Were people, like family and friends, surprised that you were going tochurch every day?Georgina: They were a bit surprised, later on, ‘cause they’ve always sort ofpushed me to go to church.Neil: Oh, right.Georgina: Just because they never ever left. So it was quite a surprise toall of them. But they all found it hard when I went away. ‘Cause I went awayfor 7 weeks originally, and then ended up staying an extra week.Neil: So they would miss ya.Georgina: Yeah.Neil: So what was it about the Ionaexperience, going to church on Iona,that made it different, or let you kindof give that a chance, do you think?Georgina: I think it was to do withIona, because if you think about Iona,with the story of Columba, it’s veryspiritual.Neil: It’s the history?Georgina: Yes, the history. When I’dbeen to Iona before I always went tosome of the worship. When I startedgoing to volunteer it was really good,and things started to make sense.Neil: Things started to come together.Georgina: Yes.Neil: So what was your job on Iona?Georgina: I was in the Mac kitchen.Neil: Pretty busy job. Really full-ondays. Did you get pretty close as ateam in the kitchen? Usually when

you’re working with people on Iona ina team, you know, in the shop or thekitchen, you get pretty tight.Georgina: Yeah. I got really close toquite a lot of them. One of the girls –we had arrived on the same day. Wewere staying in the same place. Andwe were supposed to leave on thesame day, but I stayed an extra week.And when she left, I was upset. I wasreally upset because I wouldn’t seeher. And I had to work with a wholenew team I didn’t know, and it wasquite difficult.Neil: It’s hard when you get soclose to somebody and then theyleave. You stand on the jetty andwatch them and wave goodbye, dothe Mexican wave and all that, andthen other people come, and youthink: Oh, now I have to open myselfup to all these new people, and I justdid that … And then they left.Georgina: Yeah.Neil: It’s kind of a metaphor for life,unfortunately.Georgina: People say: ‘Oh sayin’goodbyes isn’t hard.’ It’s not hardthe first couple weeks, because youdon’t know people that well. Butonce you know people – it getsreally difficult.Neil: Yeah, work with them for 6 or7 weeks, in high-pressuresituations, where you pull together.Georgina: It was really difficult.Neil: Do you keep in touch withthem now?Georgina: Yeah. I’ve talked onFacebook.Neil: Are they all over the place? Allover the world?Georgina: There’s some in England,America, Sweden, Finland –everywhere.Neil: So now you can visit them.Georgina: (laughs) Yeah, holidaydestinations.Neil: That’s always the good thing:a place to stay for free.Ben: That’s one of the best thingsabout Iona: travelling the world,being able to stay for free.Neil: That’s right … Can you thinkabout any times on Iona, Georgina,when you think back tovolunteering, any special times:could be in the Abbey, or walkingdown to the north beach with

friends, or just being by yourself.Anything come to mind, any reallyspecial times? Or a really hard,challenging time?Georgina: It’s a bit more hard,because my mum was in Glasgowand she wasn’t well.Neil: Ah.Georgina: And I was up there andcouldn’t come back.Neil: That’s really hard.Georgina: And it was quitedifficult, knowing that she washere, and I was there. But mostly itis fun times, when we were dancingand singing in the kitchen (whenwe were supposed to be working).Neil: That’s part of working.Georgina: It was just so great.‘Cause my friend was up there, theResident staff Children’s Worker. Sowhen I first went up, I didn’t reallyknow anybody. And he was like:‘Let’s go to the beach.’ And I got toknow a lot of people.Neil: Sounds like you had a reallygreat time. Any plans to go back?Georgina: I’m actually going backfor Christmas.Neil: Oh, good. Christmas is agood time there. That’s for abouta week, isn’t it?Georgina: 12 days … I’ve never beenaway from home at Christmas, so itwill be a real test.Neil: Yeah … So you being away fromyour family was very hard for you andhard for them, it sounds like.Georgina:When I first went I was like:I’ll be here two weeks and then I’ll behome. I couldn’t manage … And thenit felt like it was 2 weeks – but it was 8weeks – it was all over – and I wantedto come back.Iona helped me grow up … A lot …It’s hard to explain ‘cause when I firstwent I probably acted really young, alot younger than what I am. And Icame back, and I have grown up: I’vehad to change life. It has actuallyhelped me with college, helped meunderstand different things. Knowingthat everything can’t happen at once.Things take time. And to look forthings.Neil: That’s interesting … And I guessworking with all those differentpeople on Iona – that’s not easy todo – from all those different places, all

those different backgrounds. You haveto find a way to, I guess, be, like yousaid, more grown up. More mature,listen to people. Be patient, I guess.Georgina: I’ve always found it easy tomake friends, but I don’t deal well withbig groups of people in one place.Neil: Yeah.Georgina: So that was very difficult toget over at first. There’s, like, 70 guestsin one room. And you’re coming in atthe end when everybody’s sat down,and it’s like you have to take a stepback and relax before, because youdon’t expect that amount ofpeople.But Iona’s made me look atdifferent ways people think, andjust open up to as many people asyou can.Neil: That’s brilliant … How did – Idon’t like ‘labels’ too much – buthow did coming from an UrbanPriority Area affect your stay onIona? You said that you wanted to‘make a statement’. Were you ableto do that? ‘Cause Iona’s good,because you get people from allsorts of backgrounds. Sometimes itcan be a bit middle class though.Even the Community itself, I wouldsay, might be described as middleclass, although some of us do comefrom an ‘urban priority’background, and many membershave good, deep links into thatexperience and have worked inthose areas all their life. But wereyou able to ‘make a statement’?Georgina: Yeah. Two weeks after Iwent my friend came, and he’s froma Priority Area the same as me, so itwas quite an eye-opener for meand him. ‘Cause we would go to thepub at night, a couple of times, andwe’d be sittin’ there with, like, our‘pocket money’, as they would callit, and there’s people sitting therewith a wallet full of money. Andwe’re sitting there with nothing,and it was a real eye-opener. Iactually sat and had a conversationwith someone, who was from amiddle-class area, and went toprivate school. And they wereasking where I was from and I toldthem, and they were like: ‘Oh, right’… And I was just like: ‘Yeah.’ And Iwas havin’ a conversation, and he

said something like: ‘Oh, people likeyou don’t apply to volunteer.’ Andthat sort of touched a couple ofbuttons.Neil: I bet.Georgina: ‘Cause I didn’t like it.And I just said to him: ‘Well, peoplelike me don’t get the chance.’ Andhe just didn’t speak to me … And Ithought: I made a statement there.And I made him think about whathe’d said. Because it’s not fair.Neil: No, it’s not fair … Were thereany times, making a statement, anytimes when you were talking topeople, who came from differentbackgrounds, or a different country,where you came to some sort ofunderstanding? You know,sometimes it takes some time tocome to some sort of middleground or understanding, or to finda little connection, where in theend you’re thinking: OK, well, we’reall human beings here …Georgina: A lot of the other peopleunderstood how hard life can be.One of the Resident Staff membersthat I know, I call her my ‘Iona mum’,she sort of knew where I camefrom, so I didn’t have to explain it.Neil: That’s good.Georgina: She just sort of knew.Neil: She understood.Georgina: And a lot of the peoplejust took me as I was: I didn’t haveto change. So that’s what I likeabout Iona as well.Neil: There is a big thing on Iona,usually, where people are reallyaccepted for who they are. It’s areally good warm feeling, I think.Sometimes when you go back tothe ‘real world’ you miss that, butjust kind of carry it in your heart.Georgina: Yeah.Neil: So what are you doing now?You’re going to school taking …?Georgina: I’m doingAdministration.Neil: Sounds good. Where’s that?Georgina: Glasgow Kelvin. So I’mbased in Cowcaddens.Neil: You’re livin’ at home?Georgina: Yeah. I still live at home,because I don’t have money.Neil: Mum will be happy anyway.Georgina: Yeah.Neil: How long’s your course?

Georgina: This is my last year, andthen I go to university for twoyears.Neil: Do you know what universityyet?Georgina: I’d like to go to GlasgowCaledonian.Neil: So you’re in the process.Georgina: Filling in forms …Neil: Sounds really good. And soundslike you’re keeping in good contactwith the Youth Team guys.Georgina: Yeah, I contact them everyso often and catch up.Neil: And have you been up to Camastoo at all?Georgina: Yeah. I volunteer with adifferent organisation called the GKExperience. And I’ve been twice withthem. And I went up when it was thePriority Areas holiday, the first year,and I went up the second year – and itwas really good.Neil: So you’re an Iona/Camas veteran,I would say. That’s great.Georgina: (laughs)Neil:What about the Camasexperience do you like the most? Youexplain the Iona experience reallywell.Georgina: Well, the Camas experience… It’s different. It’s like the other sideof the world. But I don’t know, it’s justall scraped right back.Neil: Yeah, good way to put it. Basic,simple …Georgina: Cold showers (laughs). Andthen you’re sleeping with a sleepingbag. It’s like campin’, but you’re inside.Neil: Big sky – lots of stars.Georgina: Uh-huh – it was so good,just to be outside and see all the stars.Do different activities …Neil: Yeah, brilliant …OK, so, Ben – I think you were sayingto me before, that a big part of theyouth work lately has been thisemphasis on making long-termconnections with folk you work with.You and Chris do lots of work in youthclubs, churches, schools – the wholething – and you’re trying to makelonger-term connections to try to getyoung folk to maybe, if they want to,to volunteer on Iona or at Camas.Ben: Yeah, definitely. We wanna give young people we work with thechance to go up. Because, in some ways, we think there’s a lack of mix ofpeople, and I think Iona is rich because it brings lots of different peopletogether. And you can have different people in terms of different nationalities,

but also you need people from different backgrounds as well. Andwhen that happens, when you bring people together, the understanding isenriched. And that’s what the Iona Community want, the ProgrammeCommittee want, right through: a vision of the Community is to bringdifferent kinds of people together.And Georgina has talked about what she has got from the experiencebut – she has given so much as well. Incredible amounts. You know, theconversations in the pub were really important for people, to understand,to be challenged; and just the amount of praise and feedback we’ve gotfrom Georgina’s experience makes us dead proud. And she should bedead proud of herself. And we just want this to continue; and Georgina’sthinking of going back again next summer. And how do we look atdeveloping that more? Can we give Georgina more responsibility? Can wetie in with her school work, and therefore give her an experience which isrelevant to maybe future job applications?Neil: Lots of possibilities.Ben: Yeah, lots of possibilities. And we need to go with this kind of vision,we need to be open to these ideas. ‘Cause I think there’s so much in thereand it’s amazing. It’s what Chris and I really enjoy about our jobs: to seepeople flourishing. Georgina is absolutely flourishing from Iona and wejust want that experience to happen for more people …Neil: Anything else you want to say, Georgina?Georgina: I just want to thank the Youth Team, because if it wasn’t forthem, I probably wouldn’t have got to Iona. lGeorgina Shields is a member of the Poverty Truth Commission, 2014-16.

The garden issinging: from theCamas Diary 2014The Camas Diary is a blogwritten by Camas residentsand volunteers …

It was lovely to have the Cre8 crewback at Camas – we felt like friendsright from the start.Like last year, they were keen on the‘Iron man challenge’, which is to goswimming every morning. It wasamazing to see the young peoplestanding by the shore, supportingeach other and cheering each otheron for getting into the water. Therewas a great amount of splashing andfun every morning.We had many games and songs in thecommon room at night. Some of thekids who weren't convinced at thestart, joined in later in the week andseemed to appreciate what Camashad to offer. Many kids especially likedto go fishing and caught tasty fish.During one of the art sessions, Timmade a fire lantern. On the last night,

after the Camas Challenge, he lit it andwe watched it float up between thecottages …During the Community Kids Week wehad a ‘Camas Exam’ where the kidsmade up questions in Camas fashion.Here are some highlights:What does music taste like? …Raspberry pavlova.Who would win in a dance battle: alamp-post or a mailbox? … A lamp-postmethinks.What is the exact weight of a feather?…Depends how fat the chicken is.We also had an amazing CamasChallenge, with the upstairs diningroom decorated like a jungle. After ascrumptious meal, we went for a gameof camouflage behind the garden …Today it is raining, after ideal weatherof sun and more sun. The garden issinging for the sun and the rain …Last week we had Simy fromTownhead in Glasgow, a group whoreturn time and again, and we reallyenjoy this relationship with theyoung folk and their leaders. Thiswas Declan’s 5th visit this year! Thisweek he is on Iona volunteering atthe Youth Festival, along with Ryan,who was also here last week.The week before, we welcomed theGK Experience, who work withyouth groups across Glasgow. I wasvery impressed with the GK staffand young leaders. They weresuper amazing – so positive, caringand patient.The week before GK we had StPaul’s from Blackhill in Glasgow, avery close group. You could see thestrong bonds between the youngpeople and their leaders. They sanglots of songs about their home,each other and the Camas staff,which made everyone laugh andsmile.The week before that we had amerge of two groups: one from ayouth group in Muirhouse inEdinburgh, and the other a churchgroup from Texas. The groupsappeared to be very curious abouteach other and to form bonds offriendship and cultural/languageexchange: e.g. ‘Yoll’: a Texan way ofaddressing more than two folk.So much happens each week – somany bonds formed, conversations

had and activities tried. Every weekyoung people always seem to lovegetting involved with the cookingand baking. Birthdays and anniversariesregularly crop up, with manyvariations on chocolate cake.This evening Barry, a vollie from lastyear, is bringing his youth group,‘The Barn’ from Glasgow. Veryexcited – and very glad they arearriving at 6pm. So we all had awell-needed lie-in till 12:00 whenwe started the Saturday jobs.There’s always more we want toshare with you, but there’s so littletime to do that. I hope thesewords feed your curiosity, andhopefully we’ll see you down thetrack sometime not too far in thefuture. lhttp://thecamasdiary.blogspot.co.uk

Rachel McCann‘NO ONE SHOULDBE LEFT BEHIND’Wherever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rightsare violated. To come together to ensure these rights are respected is oursolemn duty.’ – Joseph Wresinski, ATD Fourth World17th October is United Nations Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Everyyear on the day people across the world come together to listen to andhonour those living in poverty.In Britain, the increasing number of people living in poverty and risinglevels of poverty indicate that this situation is urgent. With the traditionalsafety net for vulnerable people being systematically eradicated, a millionpeople being forced to use foodbanks, punitive sanctions on benefitrecipients, and the mistreatment of asylum seekers, many people are inconstant crisis. There are 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK, ormore than one in four, and 16 parliamentary constituencies where 40% ormore children live in poverty.1 The effects of poverty on childdevelopment and education are well documented. Women and ethnicminority groups also suffer disproportionately.It is not just people who are unable to work – or to find work – who areliving in poverty. Five million people in the UK now earn below theminimum wage. In Scotland this is one in five people, and 120,000 peopleare on zero-hour contracts.2 This comes at a time when wage increaseshave not matched the rise in the cost of living and household incomes

are lower in real terms than in 2010. People are working long hours, yetstill facing poverty. For those who cannot work due to health problemsand disability, the situation is one of ongoing fear due to the callousnessof cuts and the ongoing pressures placed on them by a system which initself is harmful to mental and physical health; a system which has forcedill people into work or into hopelessness, with tragic consequences.Poverty is a matter of life and death. Today, the words of liberationtheologian Leonardo Boff still ring true: ‘Social justice represents one of themost serious challenges to the conscience of the world. The abyss betweenthose who are within the world “order” and those who are excluded isincreasingly widening day by day.’ 3We are bombarded with a corrosive collusion by government and mediaabout people living in poverty – a deliberate smear campaign against themost vulnerable in our society that seeks to displace the causes ofpoverty and shift the responsibility for it, when the reality is that, with thepolitical will to change, no one need be in poverty in the UK in 2015. TheUK is one of the most unequal countries in the world: the only G7 countrywhich has wider inequality than it did at the turn of the century.4The constant struggle of not being able to afford the basics of food,warmth and shelter is a way of life for so many people across Britain. Thistakes its toll on body, mind and spirit. If we consider Maslow’s ‘hierarchy ofneeds’, people who are struggling to survive have little chance of ‘thriving’,or to use Jesus’ words, little chance of experiencing‘life in all its fullness’.Statistics may illustrate the situation, but it is the voices of those who livein poverty that reveal the daily realities.In Glasgow each year on the 17th, at an event organised by Bridging theGap, folk gather in George Square to mark the UN day. Courageouspeople tell their stories, and acandle is lit to honour each person.Marie McCormack spokepowerfully at this year’s event.Marie is a single mum of two andan activist who is passionate aboutchallenging poverty and fightingfor people’s rights. She believesthat everyone should be treatedwith equal respect and dignity,irrespective of their financial andsocial circumstances.These are her words:‘No one left behind.‘Today, here in George Square, and in42 other countries around the world,we have come to mark the UnitedNations Day for the Eradication ofPoverty:‘To stand together, to bear witnessfor those who are living in povertyand struggling to survive, not onlytoday but every single day of theirlives. Our theme, on this day andevery day, is that NO ONE SHOULDBE LEFT BEHIND.‘In Scotland today, too many of usare left behind because we are notseen as we really are: human beingswith equal rights. If you are healthy,rich, smartly dressed and full of selfconfidence,that’s what others see

when they look at you, and you willnever be left behind.‘The disabled, the poor, thehomeless, the unemployed, the oneswho cannot find the voice to standup for themselves, or are just tootired and too defeated to do so, weare the ones who are left behind.‘All we want is to be treated asequals, treated with respect, treatedlike human beings. We are not theones who caused the moneyproblems, but we are blamed forthem.‘We, and our children, are left behindby cuts to benefits.‘We, and our children, are left behindby sanctions imposed bygovernments who see us asscroungers, not people.‘We, and our children, are left behindby a society which rewards greedand forgets about compassion.‘We, and our children, are left behindby a media which demonises us andencourages others to despise us.‘It must not continue like this. Weand our children must not give uphope. We must not let the worldforget us or write us off as useless.We must make the world see thatwhat really matters is not money orpossessions or appearances.‘What matters, what has alwaysmattered and what will alwaysmatter in a civilised world, is humandignity. We must find our voices,stand together and work towards abetter, fairer and more compassionatesociety, one in which NOONE is left behind.’ 5Marie’s words are a call to keepworking for fairness and socialjustice. There are many projectsand people involved inchallenging the situation in thiscountry, to try to ensure that ‘noone is left behind’. The courage anddetermination of people inpoverty (and those who workalongside them) to find creativeand compassionate local andnational solutions and to supportone another is something that isoften unreported and unnoticed.Seeking and creating signs of hopethrough the energy and inspirationof faith is our challenge. As Boffsays: ‘What is necessary is a

spirituality of resistance and ofrenewed hope to turn ever back tothe struggle in the face of the defeatsof the oppressed.’6Please consider what you can doto further challenge the injusticeof poverty in Britain and to helpbring about change. For example,Church Action on Poverty is askingpeople to pledge to meetingregularly with their MP to demandan end to inequality. As we seek tofollow the command to ‘defend therights of the poor’ (Proverbs 31:8–9)here are a few websites forinformation and inspiration:ATD Fourth World: http://www.atd-uk.org/Bridging the Gap: www.bridging-the-gap.orgChild Poverty Action Group: www.cpag.org.ukChurch Action on Poverty: www.churchpoverty.org.ukCommon Weal: www.allofusfirst.orgDisabled People Against the Cuts: http://dpac.uk.net/Keith Hebden’s website: www.compassionistas.netThe People’s Assembly:www.thepeoplesassembly.org.ukThe Poverty Truth Commission:www.povertytruthcommission.orgUK Uncut: www.ukuncut.org.ukWomen for Independence:www.womenforindependence.orgwww.mirror.co.uk/authors/ros-wynne-jones/:a weekly column called ‘Real Britain’ where journalistRos Wynne-Jones enables people who are living inpoverty to share their stories and be heard. lNotes:1. Child Poverty Action Group2. Office for National Statistics, quoted by STUC in theHerald, 10 May 20143. From interview to the Comunita Italiana,November 20014. Study by Global Suisse Bank reported in manynewspapers5. Used by permission of Marie McCormack ©6. From Introducing Liberation Theology, by LeonardoBoff, Paul Burns (translator), Clodovis Boff, OrbisRachel McCann is a member of the IonaCommunity.

Kenny McBride and Sarah Purcell

What is the Poverty Premium?Why does it cost

more to be poor?An excerpt from the report Food, Fuel, Finance: Tackling the Poverty Premium,published by Church Action on Poverty, which presents findings from Closingthe Gap in Scotland, a partnership between the Iona Community, Christian AidScotland, Faith in Community Scotland’s Transformation Team, the EpiscopalChurch in Scotland, the Poverty Truth Commission and the Poverty Alliance …

According to Save the Children (2010):‘The Poverty Premium is a notional extra cost that people on lower incomescan pay for goods and services, compared with the cost that is paid for somegoods and services by higher-income families.’Due to the way that markets are structured at present, those on the lowestincomes pay the highest unit prices for essential goods and services suchas food, fuel and finance. They have weaker market power, meaning thatthey are unable to choose cheaper options.It is estimated that the average annual Poverty Premium paid by lowincomehouseholds is £1,280.1 Assuming that at least three millionhouseholds are affected by the Poverty Premium, this amounts to £3.84billion each year. In combination with stagnant incomes, low wages, fallingbenefit levels and rising prices, this is an expense that families in povertycannot afford.Research has found that paying higher prices for utilities and credit canraise the cost of a minimum household budget by around 10%. This canfurther exacerbate poverty and hardship: for someone already on a lowwage it can make the difference between being £9 and £34 a week shortof meeting their needs (as specified in guidelines on the Minimum IncomeStandard).2One reason for low-income households’ lack of market power is theirexclusion from communications. Only 26% of low-income householdshave home Internet access (compared to 73% nationally). This limits theiraccess to lower-cost financial products and services, online savingsaccounts, cheaper energy tariffs and cheaper goods.The key areas where people are forced to pay the Poverty Premiuminclude:Food: The cost of food has risen substantially in recent years. This is aparticular problem for low-income households, who have less disposableincome to spend on food. Food is often more expensive in poorer areaswhere access to big supermarkets is limited. People in poorer areas oftenhave less access to healthier foods as well.Fuel: Low-income households pay higher-than-average prices for gas andelectricity tariffs, or pay more per unit of consumption. 13% of householdspay for energy by prepayment meters, which costs on average £253 moreper year than paying by direct debit.Finance: People on low incomes pay the highest interest rates onconsumer credit. 1.5 million households have no access to the most basicfinancial products such as bank accounts and loans. A further 4.4 millionare on the margins of financial services. Excluded from mainstream credit,these people are reliant upon high-cost credit offered by doorstep lenders,

payday lenders or rent-to-owncompanies (who on averagecharge £82 for every £100borrowed).3Insurance: Because deprived areastend to have higher crime rates,low-income households in theseareas pay on average 48% more forcar insurance and 93% more forhome contents insurance.4Furniture: Unable to cover largeone-off expenses, people on lowincomes who need appliances orother items of furniture often haveno option other than to purchasethem through rent-to-owncompanies. They end up payingsignificantly more than they wouldif they bought the items throughother channels.Funerals: People often pay morethan they can afford for funerals.Affordable options are often notavailable or properly advertised.Funeral costs have risen by 71%since 2004 to an average of £3,284.A government grant is available tohelp with costs but it has not beenincreased since 2003; the averagetotal award to those on lowincomes stands at £1,250, andalmost half of all applications arerejected.5THE EFFECTS OF THE POVERTYPREMIUMGrassroots work by Church Actionon Poverty and partner organisations(in Greater Manchester,Stockton-on-Tees and Goldthorpe,Yorkshire, as well as in Glasgow) hasfound that the Poverty Premium isa big problem. People in thesecommunities were affected by lowincomes and high prices, a lack ofchoice about paying over the oddsfor essential goods and servicesand a sense of vulnerability,powerlessness and isolation.People wanted to have a choiceabout and control over the costs ofgoods and services, and to be ableto influence change and challengethose who provide services.Around one fifth of the UKpopulation (13.5 million people)live in low-income households. Thisincludes a substantial proportion ofworking people (around 60% ofadults in poverty are employed).

For people in poverty, unplannedexpenditure (due to an emergencyor unexpected price increase) canhave a severe impact on householdfinances; it could mean that ahousehold has to suddenly cutback on heating or food or resortto doorstep lenders or paydayloans. Research has found that lowincomeconsumers thereforeprioritise control, clarity andconvenience over long-term cost.They cannot risk being charged thefees and penalties for missedpayments that come with moremainstream products. Instead,many low-income consumers relyon more expensive paymentmethods and financial products,such as cash payments, doorsteploans and prepayment meters.6Financial choices are also affectedby employment status, Internetaccess, place of residence andincome level. Low-incomeconsumers have more limitedaccess to the Internet and thereforeless access to information, financialmanagement and cheaper prices.Mainstream financial providershave often closed down theirbranches in low-income areas, andhave shown that they are notinterested in lending to lowincomecustomers – who are seenas high-risk and low-profit. This hascreated an opportunity for highcostlenders to step in and offertheir products to people on lowincomes who have no access toother financial services.There is a clear market failure toprovide for the needs of lowincomegroups. The lack ofcompetition to supply affordableproducts to low-income userscauses prices to be higher. In somecases (e.g. prepayment meters andhigh-interest credit) there is clearevidence of uncompetitivebehaviour to the detriment of lowincomeconsumers.7 Regulationand government interventioncould help through ensuring fairtrading and competition,intervening in product and pricingstructures or by giving direct helpto vulnerable consumers, forexample through social tariffs or

bill reduction. lNotes:1. The UK Poverty Rip-off: The Poverty Premium, Savethe Children, 20102. Addressing the Poverty Premium: Approaches toRegulation, by Donald Hirsch, Joseph RowntreeFoundation and Consumer Futures, 20133. Understanding and Combating Financial Exclusion,by E. Kempson and C. Whyley, Joseph RowntreeFoundation, 1999; and Financial Inclusion in the UK:Review of Policy and Practice, by L. Mitton, JosephRowntree Foundation, 20084. The UK Poverty Rip-off: The Poverty Premium, Savethe Children, 20105. Cost of Dying Survey, Sun Life, 4 September 20136. Addressing the Poverty Premium: Approaches toRegulation, by Donald Hirsch, Joseph RowntreeFoundation and Consumer Futures, 20137. Addressing the Poverty Premium: Approaches toRegulation, by Donald Hirsch, Joseph RowntreeFoundation and Consumer Futures, 2013To download Food, Fuel, Finance:Tackling the Poverty Premium:www.churchpoverty.org.uk/foodfuelfinance

Ewan Aitken

Cyrenians:working for atruly inclusive societyMember Ewan Aitken is the CEO of Edinburgh Cyrenians …

Cyrenians in Edinburgh began in 1968 with a drop-in café in theGrassmarket for those living on the streets, or otherwise homeless, who

found themselves excluded from other services. Though not a religiousmovement, Cyrenians is named after the biblical Simon of Cyrene, themovement growing out of the Simon Community in the early 1960s. Thetwo movements remain independent though close.From the very start, Cyrenians has been an inclusive movement workingwith those most excluded. Edinburgh Cyrenians opened a residentialcommunity in late 1968 where volunteers and residents shared all of life– there were no lines between helper and helped, there was justcommon living on the journey to change. A farm was purchased in 1972near Kirknewton where another community was founded, aimed particularlyat those for whom the urban environment was unhealthy.In many ways those early Cyrenian days were completely bonkers.Volunteers shared not just meals but rooms with residents. The conceptwas that a visitor shouldn’t be able to tell who was who. They weregroundbreaking projects in their day, but certainly wouldn’t pass anysocial work or Care Commission inspection today.Much of the work of the Community’s volunteer scheme in the 1980s, ofwhich I was a part, would be seen in that same light today – shared flatswhere teenagers were invited back for coffee and conversation; youthgroups of 50 plus run by two staff; detached youth work on streetcorners with no back-up or emergency plan – and yet was also cuttingedge and transformational. At Cyrenians a great deal was achieved withgroups that mainstream services couldn’t get near – because rules werebroken and social norms of inclusion and exclusion were challenged.45 plus years on, and we have far greater regulation to conform to andQuality Standards to meet. And rightly so. But there remains somethingof the rule-breaking and challenging of social norms still in themovement.The Cyrenian vision is of an inclusive society where everyone has theopportunity to live a valued and fulfilling life. We do this by supportingpeople excluded from family, home, work or community on their lifejourney. We know that that exclusion is often as much due to the waythose on the edge are seen by society, as it is by the choices of thosewho find themselves on the edge.Cyrenians employ ex-offenders as mentors for people just out of thecriminal justice system, turning lived experience into an opportunity andsupporting a group who find it eight times more difficult to find work,mostly because employers simply will not see past their conviction.We train women who have completed Community Payback Orders tomentor women just starting out on their CPO.Our Recovery Service uses a similar peer model. Those who are free ofdrug or alcohol use for three months become group leaders andmentors for those still on the journey. The journey is long, and wheninevitably folk stumble, the senseof being judged, and supported,by community, neighbours andfriends is a huge challenge, andcan be life-changing.Our community garden in thegrounds of the Royal EdinburghHospital provides a place wherethose who are institutionalisedcan begin a journey back to thecommunity by sharing a spacewith those who one day may betheir neighbours; a space wherethey can share the joy of that mosthuman of community-buildingactivities: the growing and eating

of good food. Yet the biggestbarrier to those with mentalhealth challenges moving backinto the community is how mentalhealth is perceived by society, andwe address that too.Our Conflict Resolution serviceswork with families where there is ateenager at risk of leaving thefamily home due to conflict. 5000teenagers leave home every yearin Scotland due to family breakup.Last year we worked with 220families, and in 80% of the casesthe family stayed together; and inthe vast majority of the othercases, the move away becamesomething the family agreed onand saw as positive, rather thansomething done withoutreflection and in anger.Conflict is a reality of anyrelationship, yet time and timeagain the families we journey withsay that one of the biggestproblems they face is the stigmaof ‘having failed’: everyone else’sfamily is doing just fine but theyjust couldn’t cope. That’s why wehave set up the Scottish Centre forConflict Resolution to work onchanging the cultural view ofconflict and to build people’scapacity to deal with it before itgets out of hand.Our services also includeEnterprise to Employment,homelessness prevention, welfareadvice, budgeting and cooking,befriending, a volunteerprogramme (in which, in 2014, 825volunteers gave us 69,000 hours oftheir time and talents) – and muchmore. For example, we feed 1500people a week throughredistributing surplus supermarketfood. 10% of all supermarket foodis wasted – heads for landfill. Solast year we redirected 450 tonnesof food to the plates of some ofthe most vulnerable. It is mad thatwe have built a business modelpredicated on other organisations’inefficiency. But that madnessbecomes an opportunity, and weintend to grow this work.Through all this work, Cyrenians isabout challenging assumptionsabout those on the edge:

questioning how society dealswith those who ‘don’t fit’, askingwhy the systems society has tohelp are often the biggesthindrance to lives beingtransformed.And these are the kinds ofquestions that my journey withthe Iona Community has helpedme to ask.Cyrenians may be a long way fromits ways of working in its earlydays, but the questions it raisedthrough those ways of workingare questions that still need to beasked today, and asked in waysthat challenge what we mean by atruly inclusive society. lwww.cyrenians.org.ukchanging the cultural view ofconflict and to build people’scapacity to deal with it before itgets out of hand.Our services also includeEnterprise to Employment,homelessness prevention, welfareadvice, budgeting and cooking,befriending, a volunteerprogramme (in which, in 2014, 825volunteers gave us 69,000 hours oftheir time and talents) – and muchmore. For example, we feed 1500people a week throughredistributing surplus supermarketfood. 10% of all supermarket foodis wasted – heads for landfill. Solast year we redirected 450 tonnesof food to the plates of some ofthe most vulnerable. It is mad thatwe have built a business modelpredicated on other organisations’inefficiency. But that madnessbecomes an opportunity, and weintend to grow this work.Through all this work, Cyrenians isabout challenging assumptionsabout those on the edge:questioning how society dealswith those who ‘don’t fit’, askingwhy the systems society has tohelp are often the biggesthindrance to lives beingtransformed.And these are the kinds ofquestions that my journey withthe Iona Community has helpedme to ask.Cyrenians may be a long way fromits ways of working in its earlydays, but the questions it raised

through those ways of workingare questions that still need to beasked today, and asked in waysthat challenge what we mean by atruly inclusive society. lwww.cyrenians.org.uk

Sparks of the Light: news frommembers, associates and friendsMadge Irving (on the Saidiana Project, Kenya): I recently visited Kenyaand thought that the Iona family would like to know that I was delightedto see the excellent work being carried out by Fridah Wafula andMarksen Masinde, Iona associates, in the western rural area near Eldoret.My husband and I first visited in 1999, having meet Fridah when she wasworking as a volunteer on Iona. We were interested in the SaidianaProject, which was a product of Fridah’s work during her time on theisland, and to which we donated a sewing machine. At a later date ourdaughter visited them and we were able to send some knittingmachines which Ayr College had offered us. The Saidiana Project startedin a small way with mainly knitting and sewing training and support forwomen in Marksen’s congregation. It has since spread out from theinitial church-based group to be inclusive of the whole community – itnow encompasses training in health issues, agriculture and sustainableeco-projects, support for small business initiatives, and has a dedicatedbuilding for work-based training and meetings.It was wonderful to see Saidiana House, which is situated near the homethat Fridah and Marksen have now completed. Their land encompassedonly a mud hut, a pile of bricks and a dream when we last visited.Marksen and Fridah want to acknowledge the assistance they have hadfrom Scottish friends in the completion of Saidiana House and theirlovely home, in which it was a delight to stay. In Coracle recently, MarySmith mentioned her continuing work for Saidiana, organising thetransfer of small amounts of money gathered in Scotland from a varietyof supporters (stewartandmary@googlemail.com).We visited families in outlying districts who are benefiting from theproject. We were delighted to see one of the Ayr College knittingmachines, still working beautifully, thus providing an income which issupporting a family.Marksen is now the Director of a teacher-training college in Kitale. Oneof the students, who graduated during our visit, is one of eleven childrenwhose father recently died of AIDS. She will now become the mainprovider for her family. We were delighted to be the carrier of some

generous sponsorship funds to the college, and this was muchappreciated.Fridah and Marksen’s children, who we saw off to school at 6am eachmorning 15 years ago, are now living and working in Nairobi. Their sonKenneth is due to graduate as a doctor in December of this year. We dohope that he will be able to visit Scotland prior to doing his internshipyear in Kenya, and that he will follow his parents’ example and do a spellof volunteer work on Iona sometime.I just thought you’d like to know how a chance encounter and continuedinterest has developed and blossomed and how much appreciated thatinterest has been, and how we, as the Iona family, stimulate andencourage one another through the years.North Country Family Group (USA): ‘Slainte mhath!’ The North CountryFamily Group (part of the North East USA Regional Group) pronouncesthis Gaelic toast to good health (with a wee dram!) after each membervoices their intention for the following year. Three times in the last fouryears we have met, amid the beautiful autumnal surroundings ofVermont, as we begin to learnwhat it means to be accountableto one another as a Family Group.We strive to gather more often,but we are also aware that themodel for Family Groups here inthe USA may, with the challengesof geography, have to evolveslightly differently than they do inthe UK. ‘Family Groups are wherethe theology of our communitybecomes embodied’ oneCommunity member is quoted assaying in Pathways for Pilgrims:Discovering the Spirituality of theIona Community (Wild Goose). Insome cases here in the States, theembodiment process may have tobe supported more throughelectronic connections and prayer.But this weekend, we were joyfullyface to face once again – eight ofus, ranging in age from 11 to 75.Our practice has been to gatheron a Friday night, sharing a simplesupper and then a ‘check-in’ timeand creation of loose agendatopics for the next day’s morningsession: e.g. creating a culture ofpeace; retaining hope in the faceof global catastrophes; rejuvenatingseemingly interminableefforts to witness for compassionateinclusivity. Not easy topics!Which is why the next morning,the discussion is carefullyfacilitated by one of us. This oftenextends into lunchtime.(Responsibility for all meals isshared between members.) In theafternoon, we try to get out forsome walking, followed, with luck,

by a nap or quiet time apart.We re-gather over a simplecommunion, followed by dinner.And then the ‘intention’ time –always a challenge, this sharing ofa commitment to formulation. Itmakes each of us vulnerable. Butthe vulnerability, of course, is partof what brings us ever closer toeach other. (The scotch helps.)

Note: the younger members toastwith a non-alcoholic beverage, butdo participate in this process! Ithas been our observation that theyounger members of our FamilyGroup have provided keenperspectives and have beencatalysts for deeper commitment.Sunday morning takes us to thelocal church served by theconvener of our Family Group,Michael Caldwell, followed bylunch with the congregation.And then we wend our wayhomeward, feeling anew the loveand expanded support of ourFamily.We share this report in hopes thatother associates in the USA, wholong for more involvement withthe Rule of the Community andthe Community’s commitment tosocial justice, will be encouragedto form their own Family Group towhatever extent possible. Ours isonly one model: as PeterMacdonald reminded us lastspring, the growth of the IonaCommunity in the USA dependson remaining contextual.John R. Leech (USA): Recently Ihave observed and participated ina variety of border andimmigration ministries in southernArizona and northern Mexico,from hospitality (el comedor, KinoBorder Initiative, Sonora) todeportation proceedings (Specialprocedures court, ‘OperationStreamline’, Tucson federalcourthouse), from keeping vigil atel Tiradito shrine, rememberingthose who have died crossing thedesert, to training with TucsonSamaritans, and serving at thecomedor with Samaritans ofSahuarita and Green Valley.I have spoken with members of St

Michael and All Angels and StAndrew’s Episcopal Churches inTucson, and with volunteers of theCasa Mariposa/Restoration Project,who have been meeting people atthe Greyhound bus station inTucson, people recently releasedfrom detention by ICE/BorderPatrol.This past year the big news hadtwo parts. First, the Tucson busstation began receiving eightypeople a night, women withchildren, released with instructionsto appear for a hearing within amonth at an immigration court –presumably near family already inthe United States – lest an orderfor removal close their case. Nowarning. Just dropped off.Second, the incredible news thatthe Border Patrol has flown athousand kids from Texas toArizona and then put them into awarehouse (I’ve seen it from theroad – it is meant for pallets offlour not for people) in Nogales,AZ. These were unaccompaniedminors from Central America (ElSalvador, Guatemala, Honduras),refugees from violence andextreme poverty. The warehouseserved as a temporary (promise:72 hours) detention facility. It is onLa Quinta Road near the truckcrossing into Mexico.One thing I have been thinkingabout lately is that this situation issimilar to so many others inhumanitarian relief anddevelopment work: there is animmediate crisis that gets ourattention – and an ongoingproblem that needs sustainedeffort.All of a sudden on our ownsouthern border is an immenseinflux of refugees, in tworemarkable groups, women withchildren seeking to be reunitedwith their families, and unaccompaniedminors, mainly teenagersbut also younger children, whohave been sent north withoutadults.Preponderantly these people havecome north through Mexico fromEl Salvador, Guatemala andHonduras. Why? Besides a sell-job

by human smugglers, there areeconomic and political reasons forthis migration.People come to Arizona to work,to reunite with their families, or tofind and begin a new chapter intheir life.We need to practise a theology ofhospitality – a spirituality ofmigration. We were strangers oncetoo. So, an ongoing need is there.The need for change – in ournational policies, in our practicesof welcome, in our influence onconditions in other countries, inour attitudes toward the‘foreigner’ – continues.

Philip FoxFellowship at the State HospitalFor more than 44 years, associate Philip Fox has been regularly visiting folk atthe State Hospital in Carstairs in South Lanarkshire …

I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me’(Matthew 25:36)I remember, as a teenager and a newly committed Christian, beingdisturbed by the challenge of this verse. Only when I moved to Scotland,however, did the opportunity arise to actively respond to it.In 1970 I was able to join a small group of volunteers visiting men, and atthat time women, held in Carstairs State Hospital, which in those dayshad an east and west wing separated by the main railway line. Our visitswere fortnightly to a specified ward, changed every 6 months or so, andwe spent our time in conversation and ‘news-sharing’ of happeningsfrom outside. In those days access to external news was more limited,just as effective treatment regimes were less available. The sad sight ofpatients sitting in a ‘vegetative state’ with mouth twitching (tardivedyskinesia) under haloperidol drug control was all too common.Suppressing uncontrolled physical and mental activity often added tothe difficulties of communication.Much time was given over to listening, becoming aware of some of thetragic circumstances, often family-related, contributing to why peoplewere there. For some a sense of worthlessness and rejection could not

be hidden, particularly when family connections were severed andvisiting was non-existent. In the circumstances, awareness of ourhelplessness to do little more than listen had a particularly telling effect.I realised that weakness could open us to the Very Being, the Spirit ofGod within us, able to help and transform all lives (including my own)when problems/issues are identified and acknowledged.Thus a sense of purpose in what we as volunteers were doing quicklybecame apparent: in us – a sense of warmth, joy and value confirmed thegood use of whatever talents we individually could use there; in thepatients – visible changes in attitudes, positive focus on the Gospel, withan emerging awareness and development of their own gifts/talents inrebuilding broken lives.In 1970 Rayne was one such patient, seemingly a poet. I thought I would‘help out’ by buying a copy of his first book of poetry, The Spark of Joy,just then published. During subsequent visits I also copied in blankspaces of my book his latest ‘creations’.Imagine then my amazement and humbling to read, in 2002, in theGlasgow Herald, an obituary of Rayne Mackinnon: the internationalaward-winning poet.The following, entitled ‘Stillness’, is one of his:The ward seems made for peace today.Like specks of dust in the sun’s rays, men's voices drift along the corridor.Then, the soft smack of dominoes upon a table.Doors bang timidly, afraid to break the calm; even the jovial wireless seemssubdued.For all inside, it seems, have taken note of a perfect day.Shouldering aside the stubborn haze, the hills have lost their shame.The bare blue sky thrusts back smallstraggling clouds into the distanceand oblivion.The soil, unburdened, opens all itspores, sucks in the stillness of the air.This mood will vanish soon, no doubt,but now the whole rough world seemsheld, and cradled in the calm.1Unwittingly Rayne raised myawareness of how God-given talentscan surely shine in seeminglyunlikely places! Much has changedsince the ‘70s but that potentialremains, not only as a factormotivating my continuinginvolvement today, but by beingprogressively inbuilt in the way thehospital runs.Carstairs, in combination with theScottish Prison Service, is nowundoubtedly a ‘flagship’ for the NHS,providing a second-to-noneenvironment where mentally andphysically disturbed men haveopportunities to show their hiddenpotentials for good. The facilitiesnow available reflect unprecedentedcare, education (witnessedin the recently instituted internalAwards Ceremony events) andtreatment, which includes a statedrecognition of the benefits of

spiritual input.So the weekly Christian FellowshipMeetings play a significant role,alongside ecumenical servicescurrently taken by the appointed RCChaplain, at which I generallyprovide the music. Indeed theimportance of music-making canhardly be overstressed. Over the last20 years or so teaching and singingnew songs and hymns has provideda wonderful expression for the lads.A typical meeting commences witha rapid-fire of perhaps a dozenMission Praise items chosen bythem, and an opportunity to teachsome new ones. There has evenbeen an occasion to write a hymnspecially for them (following a 9-week series looking at importantwords from the Bible):1.We are students of a Master whois teaching day by day – a Godwhose Son shows everyone theTruth, the Life, the Way. He speaks toeach one clearly – if we would beaware, with words that help to buildour lives and those with whom weshare.2. When we find ourselves unsure ofwhat our purpose is in life it’s Godthat gives it meaning and dispelsour inward strife; in following Hisfootsteps discernment can be foundto help us make decisions that willturn our lives around.3. Generosity we learn of andintegrity as well; the need to quitfrom lying and the ways we wouldrebel; in quiet contemplation –Christ's love shown on the tree;compassion and contentmentcomes – in mind to set us free!We share and reflect on a Gospelreading, before concluding with atime of prayer. The men also haveaccess to Bible-reading notes,which I use from time to time as abasis for our fellowship meetings.It has been a lasting joy andprivilege for me over more than 44years to be given the opportunityto use what God-given aptitudesand talents I have to help opendoors for others at Carstairs, tryingto meet the original challengeconfronting me as a teenager.All praise be to our Creator. lNote:1. Rayne Mackinnon, from The Spark of Joy, Caithness

Books, 1970Philip Fox is a church musician, who occasionallyfills in as Abbey musician on Iona.

WILD GOOSE PUBLICATIONSNEW BOOKS AND E-BOOKSGlimpsed in Passing, Joy Mead, book: £8.99 (plus post and packing);e-book: £5.10These poems come from the beauty of the glimpsed moment … a preciousjewel held for a short time amid the pain and sorrow of the world, then let gointo the bigger picture … The beauty is what we remember, what gives themoment its significance.Joy Mead is a member of the Iona Community. She has been involved indevelopment education and justice and peace work and occasionally leadscreative writing groups.Moments of Our Nights and Days: Liturgies and resources forbaptisms, weddings, partnerships, friendships and the journey oflife, by Ruth Burgess, book: £14.99 (plus post and packing); e-book:£10.20Moments of Our Nights and Days is a resource book for planning baptisms,naming ceremonies, weddings and civil partnerships and marking the manyother significant moments of our nights and days. There are resources thatdo not assume any faith commitment, as well as resources that reflectChristian belief.Sections include:Approaching birthBirth and birth blessingsAdoptionBaptism and naming ceremonies for young childrenSentences and blessings for baptisms, naming ceremonies and dedicationsBits and pieces for baptisms, dedications, blessings and naming ceremoniesLiturgies of baptism for older children and adultsParenthood and grandparenthoodSchool and growing upTeens

Celebrating friendshipLiturgies for celebrating relationships, marriages and partnershipsSentences and blessings for marriage and partnership ceremoniesBits and pieces for celebrating relationships, marriages and partnershipsBreakdown of relationshipsHomeWork and unemploymentHealth and caringMoments of our daysBeing who I amGrowing olderPrayers for travellingTO ORDER: 0141-332-6292admin@ionabooks.comwww.ionabooks.com

Suzanne Butler

Bring It All to Me: Fischy MusicIt’s fair to say that there is no shortage of connections betweenEdinburgh-based charity Fischy Music and the Iona Community. The‘Fisch’ and the ‘Geese’ have been swimming and flying harmoniously insome similar territory for many years, and many of you reading this willhave some awareness of the songs we write and the types of events andprojects we get involved in.The Iona Community and WGRG have been influential at key stages inthe development of Fischy Music, ever since founder StephenFischbacher spent a week on Iona in 1998, and returned to his citycentrechurch fired up with the desire to enable singing. Stephen wasalready an experienced worship leader and emerging songwriter, with aflair for songs that both children and adults could connect with. The‘Iona’ approach of using folk/world songs and tunes that were simple yetprofound in meaning was radical and exciting. The straightforward songteachingstyle that John Bell and his colleagues exemplified reallyencouraged Stephen that ‘everyone could sing’ given the right encouragementand the right song!The theology and values of the Iona Community have also made animpact on Fischy’s direction of travel over the past sixteen years.Incarnational theology – God revealing Himself to us through the personof Jesus and in everyday life – is at the heart of Fischy’s creative output,whether explicitly (in songs such as ‘Down to earth’ and ‘God beside’) orimplicitly in the song collections created for ‘all faiths or none’ in primaryschools and families. Iona/Wild Geese friends were again to provide

support at a transitional stage of Fischy’s early development. Stephenhad felt a strong desire to support children and families who were notchurch-goers, and the first ‘non-Christian’ album Build Up was launchedto huge acclaim from primary schools – but expressions of discomfortfrom a few Fischy supporters who felt that the young charity was losingfocus by making music that did not directly reference God and Jesus.Our friends from Iona were able to help strengthen our conviction thatsongs don’t have to be explicitly Christian to do God’s work in the world.Even now, though we make a practical distinction between songcollections aimed at churches or at schools, we’ve managed to avoid a‘split personality’ due to thestrongly rooted spiritual values weshare as a team and thecommitment to the concept thatsong can bring grace andchallenge to all ages in allsituations.Earlier this year we spent timewith the Wild Geese at Greenbelt.The mutual regard we all have forone another (and a healthy doseof dry Scottish humour) has led tosome great moments as we’veshared a space there over theyears. Highlights this year includedan impromptu mini-concert led bytwo Fischy fans – young sisterswho had been adopted a year agoand were working hard with theirnew family to put their distressingpast behind them. The girls hadconnected strongly with one ofour new songs, and sang it for usbeside our bookstall as if theirlives depended on it. The versesare drawn from Psalms such as 9,43, 55 and 57 where the Psalmistbattles with destructive ‘voices’which may be external or internal:Internal voice:Who do you think you are?You won’t get very farYou’re gonna make a mistakeYou are such a fakeResponse:Stop! Be quiet! I’m not listening.You’re just a voice inside my head.I’ll put my trust in God, my help,he knows me betterthan I know myself.I’ll put my trust in God, my help,he loves me morethan I could ever know.1Standing there with our WildGeese friends, singing with theselittle girls and their parents, wewondered anew at the pain thatcan be both contained andcomforted by a single song. That

same day, John Bell was kindenough to recommend our newalbum Bring It All to Me during hismain-stage presentation. Weenjoyed explaining to a stream ofinterested people that John hadindirectly set the album on itscourse, by recommending thePsalms to Stephen as a goodstarting point for exploring ideasaround God and expressing ouremotions. We hope that the albummight be a helpful resource for allof you in families, schools,churches and other groups.Perhaps some of them might evenfind a useful place in IonaCommunity gatherings andreinforce, once more, the sharedterritory between our organisationsand our mutual belief inthe power of song.Anything that ragesAnything that screamsBring it all, bring it all to meEverything that wondersEverything that dreamsBring it all, bring it all to meYou can bring me anythingYou can bring me everythingJust bring it all, bring it all to me. 2 lNotes:1. From the song ‘Who do you think you are?’ ©Fischy Music 20142. From the song ‘Bring it all to me’ © Fischy Music2014http://www.fischy.com/https://www.facebook.com/fischymusic

Keith Hebden

On meek refusalChurch of England vicar and activist Keith Hebdenwas Programme Leader at summer Community Weekon Iona …

August 2014 was my first visit to Iona in exactly ten years and my firststay on the island – what a privilege to spend it with Communitymembers, staff and volunteers. I had two roles for Community Week: onewas to facilitate the morning sessions as we explored our localcommunities being places of spiritual activism – the other was to have

fun and explore the island!One of my highlights from the former experience was our conversationabout what I call ‘meek refusal’ and some others call ‘non-violentresistance’ or ‘non-compliance’. I loved hearing people’s stories about theexamples children give us of ‘meek resistance’. Some of the stories had uscreased with laughter – I only wish I’d written them down!If you’ve ever looked after children – your own or those of someone else– you have probably witnessed meek refusal at its most effective.Children are experts in non-violent resistance. They have to be, sinceanyone who gets between them and another biscuit is going to bebigger and stronger. Here are some of the favourites that I’ve collectedfrom friends:l Cuddling and refusing to let gol‘I love you, Mummy – even when you’re cross!’l The general art of faffing plus wanting to do something entirelydifferent to what’s on offer!lWeeing himself in awkward places … lying on the floor howling –sorry, lamentingl Distracting me with random requests for a storyl Non-violent resistance to going to bed: needing extra kisses, statingrandom fears that need resolving, wanting more stories/songs/prayers …l My younger daughter has always ignored anyone saying anything shedidn’t want to hear … but open a packet of chocolate buttons under aduvet at the other end of the house, and she is there in seconds!l My daughter frequently uses the ‘sit-in’ technique or the ‘make yourselfgo really floppy and slippery’ one.l Silence; refusing to eatl‘He picked up chocolate that he knew he shouldn’t have, sat down andannounced: “Don’t worry, Mum, I’m eating it on the naughty stair.”‘And just so that you know that children aren’t the only ones with thegift, here’s a quote from a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams(CPT): I used non-violent resistance against a toddler … does that count? Iwas visiting some friends during a break in my CPT training. I went upstairsto read the littlest one a bedtime story and mummy came up too. I wassitting on the bed with baby … and the book. Mummy said, ‘Can I sit downtoo?’ Baby answers ‘NO!’ So, I sat down on the floor with mummy until babycould agree that there was space on the bed for everyone. I suppose it wasreally solidarity with parents. Don’t mess with CPT, kids.1Meek refusal has been an important tool for industrial struggles andpolitical resistance throughouthistory. So it is no surprise that itturns up in the biblical traditiontoo.Take the Hebrew midwives in theExodus saga, for example (Exodus1). The Hebrew people have beendomesticated as a slave castewithin a powerful empire: forcedinto back-breaking labour andpolitical impotence. The ruler ofthe empire becomes concernedthat a new generation of Hebrewsmay get political and rise upagainst him. So he orders theHebrew midwives to kill allnewborn baby boys on arrival. Themidwives seem to have twooptions: follow the orders orprotest them. But they choose a

third option, meek refusal.To be meek is to show restraint inone’s actions. Meekness allows fora measured and therefore moreproductive response tooppression. This is why Jesus saidthat ‘the meek shall inherit theearth’ (Matthew 5). Jesus knew thatthose who can restrain themselvesfrom merely reacting to someoneelse’s agenda will find a way tohave their hunger for justice morecompletely satisfied.So what do the midwives do? Well,at first they just don’t comply: theylet the babies live. But theemperor is not going to sit backand watch his orders ignored. Heis both a man and a God and theyare only women and of the slavecaste. He demands an explanation.The midwives said to [theemperor], ‘Because the Hebrewwomen are not like the [local]women; for they are vigorous andgive birth before the midwife comesto them.’ So God dealt well with themidwives; and the people multipliedand became very strong. Andbecause the midwives feared God,he gave them families. (Exodus1:19–21, NRSV)He gets an explanation: theHebrew women are too strongand give birth before the midwifecan arrive. Now tell me, MrEmperor: what do you know aboutgynecology then? Care tocontradict? I didn’t think so. Nodoubt this explanation would nothave washed with the emperorbut it stood nonetheless as thebarefaced but sidesteppingresistance of violence andoppression. The Hebrew peoplewere not yet in a position toescape completely from the gripof empire so they had to try everytrick in the book to work thesystem just to survive for now.In 1941 the Nazi-controlledgovernment in Norway tried toforce professionals to join up withfascist-affiliated bodies; they metwith meek refusal on all fronts. Theathletics groups disbanded, unionsrefused and forty-three professionalbodies signed an open andjoint declaration against

compulsory membership in theNazi Party. This resistance was metby violent recriminations, prisonsentences and repression thattriggered ‘mass resignations fromthe organisations and, far fromweakening them, gave them newvitality’.2 Schools and churchesjoined in with their ownresistance; bishops and teacherssetting the example of publicrefusal were sacked but continuedto publicly defy the Nazis, leadingto a massive climb-down from thefascist regime.Throughout Europe, civilianresistance saved more lives thanmilitary combat could ever hopeto lay claim to. This was especiallyso in those regions where Jewishpeople were fully integrated intowider society.Despite the overwhelming successof meek refusal compared toAllied military force, cultural ritualsin Britain perpetuate the statesponsoredmyth of redemptiveviolence. This is because ourgovernments know that if peoplegot wise to the power of meekrefusal, their rulers, elected andotherwise, would not be able tooppress, exploit or ignore themany more. lNotes:1. Member of the CPT team in Canada2. Unarmed against Hitler: Civilian Resistance inEurope, 1939-1943, Jacques Semelin, Praeger,1993Keith Hebden is a parish priest and SeekingJustice deanery advisor in Mansfield,Nottinghamshire, where he chairs the DiocesanGreener Churches Group. He teaches and writeson practical theology and spirituality. His latestbook, Seeking Justice: The Radical Compassionof Jesus (Christian Alternative), plotsexperiments in faith-based communityorganising and direct action. Some of hisworkshop material and other resources can befound at Compassionistas (www.compassionistas.net). He’s married to Sophie Hebden, afreelance science writer and they have twodaughters.

Debbie White and Sim Sharp, interviewed by Neil Paynter

A good way to spend my summer:an interview with Glasgowvolunteer Debbie White and PA tothe Leader, Sim SharpStudent Debbie White was a volunteer/intern at the Iona Community’s Glasgowoffice over summer 2014 …

Neil: Hi, Debbie. Thanks for coming into the office to chat. OK, so you cameto volunteer with the Community in the Glasgow office this summer. Whatwere you doing?Debbie: I was mostly working on a database, researching into organisationsthat might be visiting the Community. So lots of organisations thatwork with disadvantaged young people, students, homeless people,refugees and asylum seekers. I spent quite a lot of time doing that, whichwas very interesting.I also went to Iona and looked into what actually happens on the island ifsomeone goes to stay for a week. How do they tend to find theirexperience? So, I read a lot of feedback forms one particular week whenthe Community did a joint week with Historic Scotland, to see how peopleexperience their time.Neil: OK, so there were two parts to what you did as a volunteer then:

looking at the way Iona guests feed back, and working on the database oforganisations. And that database research was to encourage folk to go toIona, and to network with us, and for fundraising?Debbie: It was quite an extensive database – I think about 750 organisations– so it could be used for all of those things. Unfortunately summerwas not quite long enough to start contacting them.Neil: So that could be a really useful, rich resource for anyone who picks itup after you: a ready-made database of organisations to use in any whichway. Anything you want to add about that, Sim? You were working withDebbie.Sim: I think, about the database Debbie worked on, in terms of organisationsthere are also academic ones, like universities, and also churches.So it is quite an extensive, wide network. We want to create a variation inthe types of organisations we contact, and I think that Debbie has donethat very, very well. It is a huge database. So at the moment it is therewaiting for the next stage. Debbie has done the basic groundwork. For thenext stage we have to actually look at that database and how we’re goingto take it forward.Neil: And, Debbie, you said you also went up to Iona to talk to guests toassess the guest experience? … What did you find there? How did youenjoy that?Debbie: I loved it. It definitely made me want to go back.What I found is that a lot of people said that they weren’t sure what toexpect when they signed up for it. There were people who had beengoing to Iona every year for as longas they could remember. For them,they knew exactly what to expect.But the people for whom it wasnew didn’t. A lot of them weresaying: ‘This is amazing… But if Ihad known what it was like, I’d havecome earlier’ … Or, ‘I might havepacked something different’ … Or, ‘Imight have brought a friend, who Ididn’t think would be interested –when actually, he’d, or she’d, love it!’So, yeah, I think that was the thing.But overwhelmingly the feedback Igot from talking to people wasreally positive, about the sense ofcommunity; even those who hadjust met in the week felt a realsense of community.

When I was there, there were a fewgroups of young people around, inthe 15- to 16-year-old age group,and they didn’t all know each otherbeforehand – but they really gelledby the end of it. There’s just such astrong sense of community there,even over that short time. That’sthe thing that really stood out tome.Neil: The kind of magic thathappens on Iona and at Camasevery week: people not knowingeach other at the beginning andthen coming together by the end.

Debbie: Yeah, definitely.Neil: And you looked a bit inparticular at the guest feedbackform. How guests actually feedback to us. What did you find there?Debbie: I felt that sometimes thequestions that we ask people aren’tactually what we want to know. Sothe feedback forms could probablybe made more specific. Becausethe moment you ask someone forfeedback: if there’s something theydidn’t like, they’ll say; but they tendnot to point out the positives. Theymight say: ‘Oh, it was amazing!’, butthat’s not really helpful in terms offeedback because you don’t knowhow to build on that or how toimprove it. Positive feedback tendsto be kind of bland and nonspecific,whereas negative feedbackis more: ‘This is what I didn’t like.’But I feel that the important thingis these are feedback forms and it’sgiving people a chance to haveinput.When I was up on Iona there was afeedback session at the end of theweek where people were put intosmaller groups and discussed inperson how they found it. So then,with a combination of using thecomments made in that kind ofconversation, and also on a moreformal feedback form, that’s reallyuseful, because you can see whatdoesn’t work and what does work.You can make it better for the nexttime someone comes up.Sim:When I asked Debbie if she’dlike to go to Iona, one of thereasons was that I wanted her tohave the opportunity, and thesecond was to go up there andlook at the experience of guestreflections and also the formalfeedback form. I wanted to getsome feedback from somebodyfrom an outside point of view, withactually no direct involvement inIona. Because this is one of theprojects I’m working on now, so itwas good to have her point ofview.Neil: So these are two veryconcrete things we got from youvolunteering: a really rich databasethe Community can use in all sortsof different ways, plus your

reflection on how the Communitydoes feedback. So what did you getfrom the experience?Debbie: Lots. I’d not really donemuch office-based work before. Sojust being in that environmentreally helped. Also, finding outmore about different organisationsacross Scotland and the UK morewidely that I didn’t know existedwas really interesting; particularlyones working with young people:getting them more involved intheir local communities. Justfinding out about these peoplewho are doing amazing work thatyou don’t really hear about unlessyou’re directly involved in it.Neil: That’s inspiring.Debbie: Yes, it’s definitely inspiring.And getting a chance to visit Ionawas a highlight. Something I’vebeen meaning to do for the lastfour years since I moved toGlasgow, and never quite gotround to, never had the time, or themoney. So that was definitely a realhighlight, just getting up there toexperience the peace and thecommunity.Neil: Brilliant. And what’s yourbackground?Debbie: I just started my postgraduatedegree at the Universityof Glasgow in Medieval History. Igraduated this summer fromGlasgow in History.I was brought up in the Church ofEngland. Both my parents are vicarsin the Church, so I kind of had thisawareness of what Iona was from avery young age, havingexperienced the Wild GooseResource Group material in liturgy,and so was always kind of aware itexisted. And then came to Glasgowand said: ‘Oh, it’s here!’And I’m involved with lots of socialjustice projects outside of uni.Neil: Sim told me that you’reinvolved in the Student ChristianMovement?Debbie: Yes, which is a nationalorganisation, part of WSCS, theWorld Student ChristianFederation, where students in theiruniversities, and then on a nationalbasis as well, meet to discuss issuesof faith, social justice, community,

which is all very interesting. And I’mhoping to build closer linksbetween the Iona Community andthe Student Christian Movement,getting a group of us to go up toCamas or to Iona, which would beexciting.Neil: That’s really good.Debbie:We’ve got PeterMacdonald coming to talk to ourScottish student gathering, whichwe’re very excited about. He’sspoken at events of ours before aswell and he’s always gone down areal storm.I’ve been a trustee for the last twoyears, and I’ve just got re-elected tobe trustee for the next two years.So that’s a large part of my time. Itry to talk about SCM as much aspossible and get as many peopleinvolved as I can.Neil: Brilliant …I think it’s really good to have ayoung person like yourself, moreyoung people, volunteering here inthe Glasgow office because I findthat – while the Youth Departmentdoes absolutely amazing work withso many young people, and a lot ofyoung people come to Iona andCamas through it – it’s trying to getyounger people involved in themembership that I wonder about,which isn’t the Youth Department’sjob really. Because I find thatmembers, like myself, are quite old.So I’d be interested in, as a youngperson: what attracts you to theIona Community? What attractsyou to getting more involved withthe Iona Community? … Andwould there be anything that putsyou off?Debbie: I think one thing that Ifind really attractive is the verystrong social justice values. I knowthe Youth Department do a lot ofanti-sectarianism work, and want tomake a real change in thecommunity. And I think that’ssomething a lot of young peopleare very passionate about. Theyidentify problems in their localcommunity, or more widely, butdon’t always know how to changethem, but know they want them tobe changed. In the studentcommunity there’s a lot of people

who are involved in differentgroups. We’ve got a lot of societiesat Glasgow Uni which focus onhelping refugees and various othergroups of people. And I think that’swhat the Iona Community canreally capitalise on: this desire forchange amongst young people.Shared values, to a great extent,and the sense of community.And a lot of young people,especially when they come fromquite far away to go to university,don’t really have that rootedcommunity. I know sometimes I willgo a whole couple of weeks wherethe only other people I see arepeople my own age. And that canbe quite strange, because you don’tsee babies or old people, unlessyou find a church which has a widespread of people. And I think it isthe Church, and therefore also theIona Community, which can reallycreate that sense of community asbeing wider than just people ofyour own age. And then you canlearn from people both older andyounger than yourself, and theirwide and diverse experiences.Neil:Well put. And I think we canuse your energy too … OKanything that puts you off?Debbie: I guess – not speakingfrom personal feelings – for a lot ofyoung people there is that distressof religion and religious groups ingeneral. And in some cases thatmight be based on very personalexperiences. They might have beenvery hurt by a church communityin the past. And so there’s a reallybig task there for the Communityand for the church in general torehabilitate itself. And whetherthat’s by welcoming people whohave been excluded from church inthe past. Saying: ‘There is a place foryou. And you are still welcomed andvalued by God’s community, even ifyou’ve been completely excludedfrom it in the past.’ So I think that’san issue that applies to mostgroups that have a Christianbackground.Neil: I think that’s also a goodpoint.So this idea of having a volunteerin the Glasgow office was a bit of

an experiment. I don’t think we’vehad a volunteer, or many, inGlasgow, other than maybe withthe Wild Goose Resource Group.And it sounds like it’s been, as Simsaid to me before this interview, awin-win situation: we got a lot ofinformation from you and ideas,and you got some experience.How else can you see the IonaCommunity using a volunteer inGlasgow, a young person whowould maybe want to volunteer?Any ideas?Debbie: I think there’s all sorts ofways. Giving someone a project is areally good idea, because it’ssomething they can takeownership of. If you’re just comingin doing just basic admin stuff, Idon’t think that would work sowell, because you don’t really havea defined role, a kind of idea you’reworking towards, an aim: I’ve gotthis database. And I want to reach acertain number of contacts by theend of doing it. So I guess in thefuture, something like a fundraisingproject, because that would haveimmense benefit to theCommunity and be something alot of young people are very skilledat doing. Lots of people wouldhave done it on a smaller scale:fundraising events for differentsocieties, communities or charitiesin the past.And I like the opportunity to writethings. I wrote a few pieces for thewebsite, and I appreciated thatbecause writing is something Ireally enjoy.I guess finding something that willmake the most of skills that a lot ofyoung people do have.Neil: Sim, what do you think?Sim: I think what Debbie is sayingis really good and valuable. I thinkin the Glasgow base it is verydifferent. I think if I were to do allthis again next summer, it woulddefinitely be something projectbasedfor the volunteer. Somethingthey can actually contribute to,that would give a lot of feedbackand inspiration from the volunteer.And they would enjoy it a bit more,rather than just saying to them:‘This is it.’ Especially since we have

so many things coming up in thenext few years, it would be a goodidea to go towards that route.Neil: Debbie, anything you want toadd? Anything we missed?Debbie: Just that I really enjoyedthe experience and I’m very keento keep being involved in whateverway I can be in the Community – itwas definitely a good way tospend my summer. lDebbie White will be a contributing writer toCoracle in 2015.To read articles written by Debbie when she wasvolunteering:‘Columba’s Community: Historic Scotland on Iona’:http://iona.org.uk/2014/11/17/columbascommunity-historic-scotland-iona/‘The Iona Community at Solas’:http://iona.org.uk/2014/11/10/iona-communitysolas

reviewsA Simple Life: Roland Walls & the Community of theTransfiguration, by John Miller, St Andrew Press, 2014; reviewed by Anthony KramersHow did a handful of people living a simple life together as hermits in aMidlothian village come to shape the life of the Churches of Scotland?Committed to prayer and hospitality for forty-nine years, with a chapelmade of two garden sheds, the intentionally low-profile Hermitage of theTransfiguration has changed the hearts of many.Its friends gathered this summer to mark the launch of a book about thefruits of ‘welcoming others as Christ welcomed you’. Affirmed by Jean Vanieras ‘a remarkable book about a prophetic community which reveals signs forthe future’, A Simple Life was researched and written by John Miller, Ionafriend and former Moderator.The many who gathered heard tales of the hermits’ radical hospitality toall comers – from spiritual seekers from every Church and faith, to ‘60sadherents of Timothy Leary’s LSD experiments, as well as those whoanswered the hermits’ call to found a L’Arche community nearby in 1991.How can you resist a spirituality that includes in its charter a prayer thatwe be given the gift of humour in our lives, as well as the wisdom to valueall we are called to endure? Such perseverance for them has includedwelcoming in trust the signs of the end of the community’s visible witness.However, the signs of a simple life well-lived continue in the hospitalitythey inspire in others. lAnthony Kramers is a member of L’Arche Edinburgh.

Faith in Dark Places, by David Rhodes, SPCK, 2014; reviewed by Warren BardsleyHere is an important piece of writing, which ought to carry the healthwarning: ‘This book could seriously disturb your spiritual life!’ Any churchwhich takes the time to engage with it honestly may never be the sameagain. The title itself hardly suggests anything radical. It is the way thatgospel narratives are re-minted in the light of contemporary reality whichgives the book its powerful cutting edge. We are invited to be with Jesusin the company of Britain’s poorest and most dispossessed people.

The book begins with an account of two people taking part in a project tolearn about life in deprived areas of the inner city by living for the bestpart of a day on £1. In their encounters with unlikely people on themargins this becomes the door to a life-changing experience. The scene isset for what follows: a ruined abbey is symbolic of failure, which in theresponse of broken people becomes sacramental; a fried-egg sandwichshared by a homeless man at a picnic becomes a symbol of the Eucharist.Startling word-pictures are used to illustrate the truth of the extremehandicap of poverty. If Usain Bolt had two lumps of concrete tied to hisfeet any of us could beat him in a race. It’s not easy to get on your bike ifyou’re weighed down with concrete! Jesus signed his death warrant bydeliberately identifying with those weighed down by poverty. In anothervivid metaphor the author suggests that the crucifixion happenedbecause Jesus hated paint! While the homeless and hopeless cry on thestreets of the cities, the wealthy worship paint! Time and again Jesus stripsaway the gloss and exposes the sham and corruption underneath.The gospel, therefore, is not only good news for the poor: it is good newsfrom the poor: the wild deranged man haunting the place of death, who inhis self-destructive madness encounters Jesus, is brought to life andbecomes (according to Mark) the first apostle to the Gentile world; theoutcast woman of Magdala, healed by Jesus, is the first to give the goodnews of resurrection to the world. Good news from the poor.And the dying criminal at the point of absolute poverty, weakness anddespair speaks the word of life tothe expiring Son of God.‘Remember me when you comeinto your kingdom.’ Maybe,suggests David Rhodes, here is the‘first hint or whisper of resurrection’.But the gospel is also good newsfor the rich, who are not rejected byJesus. The rich young man is notsent away. He is embraced. Hechooses his wealth over againstreality. Not so Zacchaeus who letsgo of his money and finds life. TheMagnificat is good news for therich when they go away empty andpaint-free. When they are in aposition to receive from those whoknow what it is to be poor.Where does prayer fit into all this?Prayer is a relationship wherelistening comes first and honesty isfundamental. The Lord’s Prayer issubversive and revolutionary. Topray to ‘Abba’ is to negate thepower structures: the Kingdom isabout goodness, justice, bread andthe cancelling of debt. It is a prayerfor and of the poor, the kids, thepowerless ones. It is prayer to a‘womanly God’, a term which hashuge implications for genderequality and justice.‘In our search for reality andmeaning we discover that this gift,this precious sacrament of life, isoffered to us by God and, like the

fried-egg sandwich in the park, weshall receive it from the unwashedhands of the priesthood of the poor.Among whom stands Jesus.’This is a vital and stimulating book,especially in these times of politicalturmoil. Read it – and buy a copyfor someone else! lWarren Bardsley is a member of the IonaCommunity, working in the Kairos Palestinemovement.David Rhodes worked as a national newspaperjournalist, before his ordination as an Anglican priest.In 1994 he joined the ecumenical project Faith inLeeds and began running his innovative ‘retreats onthe streets’ to help Christians make the vitalconnection between their faith and social justiceissues. He is an associate of the Iona Community.

A touching place:news and lettersEBOLA CRISIS APPEAL, fromChristian Aidhttps://www.christianaid.org.uk/secure/ebola-crisis-appeal.aspxPrayers for the Ebola Crisis Appeal:http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/ebola-crisisappeal/ebola-crisis-prayers.aspxIONA CONTINENTAL MEETING,July 2015, in Ratzeburg, from theGerman Region of the IonaCommunityThe next Continental meeting willbe held on Thursday, 2 July toSunday, 5 July, 2015 in Ratzeburg,halfway between Hamburg andWismar. We will meet inChristophorus Haus, enjoying thehospitality of a wonderful churchbasedteam.The theme is ‘Gathered andScattered: Dispersed Christians incommunity across a growingEurope’. In creative and relaxedways we want to discover how weexperience and live our Christianfaith in our daily environments andhow a growing Europe influencesliving and celebrating this faith.Coming from a variety of countriesand Churches, we differ – yet shareso much. Sometimes it seems as ifwe Iona-related and Iona-inspiredpeople have more in commonwith each other than with manypeople in our countries. Yet we arealso curious about our differences.We certainly don't – and can't –

agree on everything or do thingsthe same way within and outsideour communities, our churches, ourcountries. Let us learn about ourdifferences in culture andtradition – and let us explore ourcommon longing for a peaceful,welcoming and just life in Europeand radiating beyond Europeanborders.For more information, contact RolfBielefeld (see Members Book).THE 2015 ISLANDS PROGRAMMEThe 2015 Islands Programme isnow available:http://iona.org.uk/island-centres/IONA HOUSING PARTNERSHIPThe Iona Housing Partnership wasformed in 2003 to answer thegrowing demand for long-termaffordable homes for islandresidents. In September 2011, aftera long and successful fundraisingprogramme, the West Glebe fieldwas purchased from the GeneralTrustees of the Church of Scotland.The aim of the Iona HousingPartnership is to build five houseson this site to fulfil the local needfor affordable homes. We need toraise over £1 million to completethe project and have received agrant from Argyll & Bute Councilfor £180,000 to start us off. This is aproject with long-termimplications for the future of theisland. With your support we canmake these homes a reality. Formore information and to donate:http://www.ionahousing.org.uk/GENESIS, GENDER AND CHURCH,A NEW PUBLICATION BY IAN M.FRASER, WHICH CAN BEDOWNLOADED FOR FREEOn Genesis, Gender and Church:Ian Fraser sees in the first elevenchapters of Genesis – beforehistory starts with Abraham – apriceless treasure house of insightsinto how we are placed in theworld and how we are to berelated to God and otherinhabitants of our earth. All theseare worked out in perceptivepoetry and parable.Woven into the very fabric of ourplanet’s life is an inheritance ofhope. Humans beings are createdwith a family likeness to God. We

are given complementary gifts ofgender to work together with Godtowards the world’s fulfilment.Gender disinheritance results in adysfunctional world and church.We are called to share in mendingthe situation, that God’s kingdommay come and God’s will be doneIan Fraser has been a pastorlabourerin heavy industry, a parishminister, Warden of ScottishChurches House, an ExecutiveSecretary of the World Council ofChurches, and Dean and Head of theDepartment of Mission at Selly OakColleges, Birmingham. He is theauthor of numerous books, includingStrange Fire, The Way Ahead, AStorehouse of Kingdom Things andReinventing Theology (Wild Goose),which is used as a standardtheological sourcebook throughoutthe world.Ian is one of the original members ofthe Iona Community who helpedGeorge MacLeod to rebuild thecommon life and the Abbeybuildings on Iona. Throughout hislife Ian has travelled the world, aloneand with his wife, Margaret, visitingbasic Christian communities. He haswalked alongside slum-dwellers inIndia and Haiti; Nicaraguan andCuban revolutionaries; priests, nunsand catechists facing arrest and/ordeath in Central and South America;and small farming and fishingcommunities in the Philippines.To download Ian’s new publication,Genesis, Gender and Church, go tothe November e-Coracle:http://iona.org.uk/2014/11/24/ecoracle-november/Or e-mail Coracle for a copy:coracle@iona.org.ukIf you have any comments on Genesis,Gender and Church for Ian, which I’msure he’d appreciate, please contacthim through the Members Book, or emailme, Neil Paynter, at Coracle/e-Coracle and I’ll pass them on to him:(Ed.)

THE IONA COMMUNITY’SSUBMISSION TO THE SMITHCOMMISSIONFollowing the referendum vote on18th September, 2014, DavidCameron announced that Lord

Smith of Kelvin had agreed tooversee the process to takeforward the devolutioncommitments on further powersfor the Scottish Parliament.Lord Smith asked intermediariesand networks – the campaign andcommunity groups, civic societyorganisations and institutions thatalready speak to and for peopleacross Scotland – to bring togetherproposals and views of theirmembers and feed them into theprocess.During Autumn Community Week2014, a small group were asked tocome up with a submission onbehalf of the Iona Community.To read the Iona Community’ssubmission to the SmithCommission:http://iona.org.uk/?s=smith+commission‘WHERE'S THE JUSTICE?’ from theSouth West England FamilyGroupA regional conference open to all:Saturday 7th March, 2015, 11.00amto 4.00pm at the Mint MethodistChurch, Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3ATIt is clear from the Bible thatpeople are to look and work forjustice in society: the justice that isGod’s concern for thedisadvantaged, the powerless andthe poor. What should we belooking for and doing as weapproach a General Election?This day conference is formembers, associates and friends ofthe Iona Community, and anyoneelse who is concerned to try to liveout their Christian faith in theirpolitics as well as their prayers, intheir work as well as their worship.The day will include: anintroduction and overview of thejustice issues in the South Westfrom Martyn Goss, Director ofChurch and Society in the Dioceseof Exeter; a reflection on these fromTim Gorringe, Emeritus Professor ofTheological Studies at theUniversity of Exeter; small groupexplorations of the different issues;news from the Iona Community inSouth West England andworldwide; music and worship inthe Iona Community style; shared

lunch and an opportunity to meetother people in the Ionamovement.Contributions towards expensesare invited: suggestion £7.50.Booking is not essential but wouldbe helpful. Please bring somethingfor lunch to share with others.Coffee provided from 10:30am.For more information and to book,contact: David Osborne (seeMembers Book).SCRAP TRIDENT DEMO INGLASGOW, MARCH 2015Scottish Campaign for NuclearDisarmament and others areplanning a demonstration againstTrident on March 28th, 2015 inGlasgow. For more information:www.banthebomb.orgA SINGLE RECORDED INMEMORY OF KEANE WALLISBENNETTDavid McNeish, a Communitymember working as a probationerminister in the South East ofEdinburgh, has been involved inwriting a song with pupils atLiberton High School, in memory oftheir friend Keane Wallis-Bennett,who died in tragic circumstances inApril.Please support them bydownloading the song:http://itunes.apple.com/album/id943240698All money raised will go towardsthe memorial garden at LibertonHigh School.A MOMENT TO PAUSE, a bookletby members Peter Millar andKatherine RenniePeter and Katherine have togetherproduced a collection of inspiringthoughts, profits from which will goto charity. Many folk have valuedPeter’s booklets in the past. For moreinformation, contact Peter orKatherine (see Members Book) orthe Iona Community Shop.MEMBER LOUISE GREENMember Louise Green died onOctober 20th, 2014, aged 69 years. Atribute to Louise will appear in thenext edition of Coracle.Prayer: the 31st dayI remember those who have died:those who were part of my livingthose who live on in my life.God of the elements, You inhabit me:

family and friends and strangersare at home in me,stars and planetsdance in my bones and blood.I am me, and yet I am more than me;I remember, I learn, I dream,I touch death and life.God of eternity,comfort your people,living and dying.Quicken us with wonder,salt us with justice and integrity,welcome us with love.– Ruth Burgess, from Acorns andArchangels, Wild Goose PublicationsBread for the roadFollow the light you have, and pray formore light …– George MacLeodPrayer of the Iona CommunityO God, who gave to your servantColumba the gifts of courage, faithand cheerfulness, and sent peopleforth from Iona to carry the word ofyour gospel to every creature, grant,we pray, a like spirit to your church,even at this present time. Further in allthings the purpose of our community,that hidden things may be revealed tous, and new ways found to touch thehearts of all. May we preserve witheach other sincere charity and peace,and if it be your holy will, grant that aplace of your abiding be continued stillto be a sanctuary and a light. ThroughJesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Ruth Burgess

Some prayers for travellingWHAT ARE YOU LIKE, GOD?What are you like, God?You are here always.Whether I talk to youdance with youblow you kissesignore you.What are you like?You are here always.

What am I like, God?I’m a right mixture.I can be gentleand angryand hurtfuland loving.What am I like?I’m a right mixture.Keep me loving like you.Do I want to pray that?Do I want to change my behaviour?You are not far awayand I’m lost without you.Make me loving like youand walk with me always.CARPE DIEMCarpe diemgo for itpluck, seize, grab, enjoythe moments of our nights and daysa ride on the Big Dippersnowflakes fallinga multi-layered Knickerbocker Glorythe dance and crackle of burning woodthick soup with dumplingssunlight dancing on watera Christmas carola small, squat, red-eyed solemn toada good filma great concertmaking blackberry-and-apple jellyblowing airy dandelion clocksa first breathand a last onea warm hugshared laughter and tearsa project completeda well-loved storydragonflies and butterfliesbright stars and Venus in a December skyCarpe diemgo on, go for itpluck, seize, grab, enjoy, cherishdelight and dance inthe amazing momentsof our nights and days.WINTER TRAVELLINGMay the sharp frostmake us gasp for breathand etch intricate patternsof wonder and beautyinto the depths of who we are,and who we might be.TODAY AND TOMORROWTodayI love you, God.I trust you.I trust you with my dreams and questions.Today I walk with you.

Tomorrow?Who knows what comes tomorrow?You may.I don’t.Tomorrow I want to walk with you.The more I walk with youthe more I seem to be full of questions.The more the mystery deepens.And that feels OK.It doesn’t stop me walking.Some journey this,some hopesome faithsome baptism.TodayI love you, God.Let’s keep travelling.From Moments of Our Nights and Days:Liturgies and resources for baptisms,weddings, partnerships, friendships and thejourney of life, by Ruth Burgess, Wild GoosePublications, 2014, www.ionabooks.com

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SPARKLERS IN THE CLOISTERSSparklers in the Cloisters –sounds like fun.First you hold them in a candle flame,then watch them catch alight.Then you wave them around,dance if you like,try to write your name.Some clever clogshas a go at a Celtic cross,complicated, up and downand round and round.You try: yours looks likea crooked tree in winter,and a squiggly worm.You light anotherand try again;practice makes,well, almost perfect.All around youthere are crosses and circles,marks of belonging,blessings in the air.This is a great wayto be on pilgrimage.Sparklers in the Cloisters – a wow of light.Ruth Burgess