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FEAIURE
SEEllS llF LIBERAIIII]I
4-5 REFtEGIttllts
Paul Bayes, Viv Broughton, Mary Condren & Simon Pillinger
6-8
9-10
CAMPAIGII$ FtlCUS
DebbieWhite, GrahamMartin & Chris Mead
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DavidMcloughlin
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Stephen Canning & Jelly Morgans
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Hattie Hodgson &Jo Musker
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I
SAM STAICHER
Join us in March to
explore these themes
of liberation and to act
for justice. Book your
place now by visiting
www.movement.ofg.
ulc/seedsofliberation
We live in a world that struggles
to come to terms with its
oppression. Writing shordy after
the Church of England voted a'no'to women
Bishops, we're once against faced with deep
seated frustrations and inequalities. While
the cease fire in Gaza and Israel seems - at
least at the time of writing - to be holding,
it hasnt emancipated both Palestinians from
occupation and Israelis from the fear of
terrorism. As we uncover a more and more
barren landscape, we know it is in these
moments the ground is ripe to sow'seeds of
liberatiori.
This edition of Mooementlooks forward to the
Seeds of Liberation conference in March. We
reflect on how SCM has been inspired and
shaped by the message of Christ's liberating
love since the first iconic Seeds of Liberation
conference inT973,askingwhere we can move
forward in the Kingdom ofpeace and justice in
a world that groans for liberation.
Hattie Hodgson and Jo Musker, our Faith in
Action interns, share their reflections on their
work as part of the project. Hattie exposes
the coercion, abduction and deception of
the vulnerable in human trafficking, and Jo
draws our attention to asylum seekers who are
shackled by prejudice and denied hospitality.
In his article, David Mcloughlin shows us
as a provocative teacher, reflecting on
Jesus
Jesus'Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
as a tool to open the eyes ofthe oppressed and
empower them to act for social justice.
You'll find plenty of activism throughout
these pages, including updates on the Tax
Justice campaign from Church Action on
Poverry and Chris Mead from the Christian
Aid Collective shares his top tips for running
a good campaign. Father John
Dear SJ talks to Mooement
about nonviolence, and urges us
to be a movement for peace.
SCM office: 504F The Big Peg,
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Quarter, Birmingham 818 6NE
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PAGE 2
r0YEl{En - t$suE tf3

SCM had a great tirne at the
Greenbelt festival this year, despite
the hear,y rain and waterlogged
campsite! Staff and volunteers lead
worship in the Eden Venue, and
'Str"rdent Sessions' in conjunction
with the Methodist Church in their
Galilee venue. We also met lots of
rr
'_b
\
s,
-a
students at our stall in the G-sonrce,
and gave away lots of SCM goody
bags! Huge thanks to our volunteers
who ernbraced the mud and kept
smiling throushout the weekend -
you are ali arnazing!
(
.?
*
t :fF-
SCM Friends and staff attended a
day conference in October hosted
by Project Bonhoeffeq the Tiust that
funds the Faith in Action project.
Project Bonhoeller had convened
the group to think through ways in
which Bonhoeffert thoughts could
further inspire Christians to put
their faith into action. We heard
encouraging stories from each other,
about involvement in teaching,
politics and campaigning in Britain
and elsewhere. Someone pointed
out that this exchange between the
different generations present was a
rare and valuable experience.
The formal inputwas from theologian
and SCM Friend Paul Ballard. He
stressed how Bonhoeffer reflected
on the failure of the Lutheran
Church in Germany to understand
and resist Nazism. Bonhoeffer was
involved in the Confessing Church
but went beyond and became part of
the unsuccessful plot to assassinate
Hitler.in 7944. He was executed in
WHll IS MY IIEIGHBIIUR?
At the end of October around
40 students from across Europe
gathered in Velletri, Italy, for the
World Student Christian Federation
Europe regional conference 'Who
is my Neighbour? Xenophobia and
Migration in Europe'.
The week consisted of some great
speakers, panel and group discussions,
and time for prayer, friendship and
socialising.
Halfway through the week we went on
an excursion to Rome, which included
visiting two organisations working to
tackle issues ofxenophobia in Italy
the practical issues of homelessness,
and the legal issues ofresidency and
immigration. It was while visiting the
1945.In his "Letters and Papers from
Prison", Bonhoeffer stressed that in the
coming religion-less world, Christians
would have to find new ways of living
out their faith.
second organisation, Sant'Egido in
central Rome, that the realities of the
issues we had been discussing really
hit home. There were hundreds of
people queuingto use the legal service
which this charity offered to help
people gain residency in Italy. Our
guide told us that up to 400 people
per day use the service which operates
3pm to 8pm, five days aweek.
Not only was the conference a great
way to learn more and engage with
the topic, it was also a really good
opportunity to meet people from
SCMs across Europe and learn about
their experiences of migration and
xenophobia in their own countries.
Ellie Bangay
The meeting closed with a wide ranging
discussion ofways in which such listening
to and learning from Bonhoeffer could
take place.
Mike W st

M0vEMEilr rssuE t{3 sPRiltG 2013
seeds
liberotion
refl
-
tons
Paul Bayes
Bishop of Hertford
ln the lead up to our 2013 conference,
Seeds of Liberation, Movement speaks
to SCM Friends that attended the first
Seeds of Liberation conference in 1973.
"In 7972 I was nineteen )'ears
old irnd studyine Drarna at the
Llnir.ersit)' of Birminp;ham. I
\vas trving to make sense of
God in ir world of injustice.
'\nd
I wirs wrtching Christian
triends, Chaplains, Professors of
Theologv irnd the like, trying to
sce rvhat mirde them tick inside.
Then I learned about the Berrigrn brothers, Roman Cntholic
1'rriests rvho stood up fbr pei'rce and rvho were prepared to suffer
fbr their firith, irs thel'opposed the Vietnam war in their books
irnd on the streets. I read Dzrniel Berrigan's books, especially
'Antrict is Htrd to Find',l.nd I f-elt I could begin to see a wav to
mirke sense of mv life ls a Christiatr itnd a peace activist.
Ancl I leamed about Thomas l\'lertou, a guy rvho hacl given
his lif'e to prir\rer and contemplation and how that had led
him to spelk out fbr perrce and justice irud love, and to make a
dill'erence lrom the edge of socien'.
But I didn't knorv anvone in the UK lvho u'irs doing that stuff.
And then I retrd Seeds of Liberation. And I leirmed about the
conference we're celebrating this year, where Daniel Berrigan
hrrd spoken and Merton had been honoured and where a
community of people in this country were on this journey too.
So I rnade contact.
AndI becarne pirrt ofa movement.Ijoined the Christian Campaign
fbr Nuclear Disannament irnd learned about campaigning,'about
civil disobedience, about how to pray on the street. I kept vigil on
CmiseMtch or outside Air Force birses, alongside Qrakers and
Dorninicans and other Anglicans including a future fuchbishop
(Rowan Williams) and friends f-rorn right across the churches.
Now and again I chained myself to railings or testified in court or
lobbied Piuliarnent and the General Synod. I kept try.ing to learn
to pray with integriry In short I did some of those things people
end up doing if drey're part of aJesus r-novement.
All this was only part of my Christian life. But it made sense of
the rest. It taught me about a faith that aims to make a difference,
irnd the heartbeat ofthat faith in a God oflove and justice. Seeds
of Liberation was a BIG part of that jolrrney for rne.
So I'ni delighted that SCM is celebrating this moment, this
confbrence, this book, this inspiration. Get involved. Who
knows where it will lead you?"
Viv Broughton
"If the gospel is good nett's itt
hrrd times, then ir dr:rtrghn'
chnrcl'r hill in Huddersfield in
197.i u'irs rr suitrrblv blerrk setting
fbr the rtnnuill SCII u'inter
cclnt-erence, Seeds of Liberirtion:
Sprir:itual Dimensions to Political
Stluggle. In the introductiou to the book oi the s,rurc u:turc
ptrblishecl lrrter thrrt velr bl SClI Press, I'tl,rote that the el'etrt
"...\\'ils held in respollse to rr u'idespread f-eeline xmong radicrrl
Christiirns thrrt tr re-e\irminzrtion of our tirith - in the context
of our nrore trstritlll irrticulirted politicil rirdicalisn'r - rv:rs lortg
or-erdue.The resPonse to the event \\'ils 2ll1 tlnusttitl one in that it
rvils not primarily an intellectual response; the re-examination
required was not so much a cerebral critique of theology or
politics but a flesh and blood discovery of spiritu'al roots. It
has proved impossible adequately to reflect in the form of this
book the substance of the actual event itself. The experiences
thirt could not have been planned and cannot be properly
communicated were preciselv those f-eatures that made the
occasion extrirordinarl'."
I have manv good (though slightly blurred) memories of those
four da]'s - Joirn Bakewell fihning Fr Daniel Berrigan lbr
Ner'vsnight, fbr instirnce - but fbr those of tts rvho rvere there,
it sprrrked a mvriird spiritual and political journevs that :rre still
in progress. At its best, this is rvhat SCN{ has always done. In
similarly hirrd tirnes, I trust it alrvtn's rvill."
PACE 4
MIIYEMEII - rSSUr lf3

M0uEMEltI tssuE il3 sPniltc 20t3
Mary Condren
"'[he 1970s were '.r bitter
time fbr Christians. The
\/ictnarn War, thc Antirrptrrtheid
movement,
rrnd m:rny other struggles
around the world, often
tirelled or fostered, (and
vcry seldom opposed by
Christian churches) left
young Christiar-rs struggling to fir-rd hope, sustenance,
nourishment, and a wrry forwnrd.
Seeds of Liberation was bom out of that sense of despair.
We wanted to bring together those who had shown
extraordinary courage and leadership in their respective
areas of work. Jesuit priest, Daniel Berrigan, (who is still
alive), had spent time in prison for his role in burning drafl
cirrds and leading resistance to the Vietnam War. Bishop
Colin Winter hird been exiled fronr Narnibiir fbr his work
in opposing the regime.Jirn Forest, also ir dr:rfi resister, and
then working on behalf of pe:rce movements, were three
of our main speirkers. Feminisrn had 1'et to colne seriouslv
onto the irgenda, but we wel'e to rn:rke up fbr tl'rat orlissior.t
in subsequent events.
The event provided opporrunities fbr m:rny of those
working in isolated situations throughout Britain and
Ireland to come together to sh.are experiences, nourish
their commitment to justice irnd peace, .lnd to break
breird commur-rally, and without the heavy hands of r dead
clericalism reminding them ofwhy they should honour old,
jaded Refbrmation divides.
We sang, danced, read poetrv. listened carefi.rlly, and forged
new ways of being. Many many ye.ars later, participants at
that event tell us th:rt it was ir turnilts point in their decisions
either to honour existing conrmitrnents or to make some
new ones, to lives spent in the service ofjustice and peace."
Simon Pillinger is the Student and
Young Adutt Worker at Wesley
Memorial Church, Oxford. Here he
reflects on liberation.
'At the tirne of writing,
W
,'ne of the churches I work
fbr in Oxford, Wesley
Nlernorial, is almost ready
t() perform 'Moses, the
music'.rl'. Written and
:
pcrformed by members of
the congregirtion, the whole
I
cxperience has enc:rpsulated
the community spirit of the
cl-mrch.
The musical'.s linale is 'Liberation, the escirpe of the
I{cbrcws from Egypt, :rnd tl'reir crossing of the li.ed Sea.
It scerns ir Iitting cncl that after lbur yeirrs of work on the
rrrusical thrt libcration is the rcsult! Oncc that fin:rl song
is sung on the fin:rl night, 'Moses, the rnusicll'will [re,
figtrrertively spcitking, put to slcep. Wc rvill recover, rep;ain
our strcngth, and hopefitlly rcturn to I nrtrmal sleeping
plrttcrn rrftcr l:rtc nights and long rchearsirls.
l,ibcration nrciurs so m'.urv things t() so mrur], clillcrcnt
pcople. Oficn thc in.rirgc thirt is brousht to rnv n.rind is
tltc cnrrrnciprrtion of blitck sl:rvcs in thc confcclcratc scluth
aftcr thc Aurcricrn civil witr in thc Lgth centur} It is
thc bcsinuin.s4 of rr lonu rold of libcrrrtion for cclual civil
rights, and a battle to change attirudes that is still being
fought today. I cannot help but look ghrough history and
see 'liberatiori events, the release of the Hebrews fron-r
slavery in Egypt; the return of the Isrzrelites f rorn exile
in Babylon; the end of the British slave trade in the 19th
century; womcn gaining the vote in tl-re early 20th century;
the release of prisoners from Nazi concetltration cilmps.
However, I tlink liberation is less of an event iurd rnore
of ir process thrrt nrrrnl, irre pirrt of. Without Cyrus the
Great, the Israelites t.niry never have returned frorn exile.
The work of abolitionists like William Wilberfbrce and
fltomzrs Clarks

t0YrtEII rssuE r{3 SPRIIG 2013
EIHIGAI LIUIIIff Forthcoming
camPargns
-
Sometimes when we focus on injustice, it seems
like such a huge issue that there's no way of
combating it. According to the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation, in 2010 there were 2.3 million
children living in poverty in the UK. This is over
1 million fewer than in 1998 and the lowest
number since the mid-1980s, but it is still a
huge number. Simultaneously, we see bankers
being given millisns of pounds in bonuses and
companies making huge profits, while benefits
and public services are being cut. You dorlt have
to look far to see striking examples of inequality
in our own country; in my own ciry Glasgow,
there is a bridge which, when you cross it, life
expectancy drops suddenly and dramatically. The
fact that, even in 21st century Britain, where you
live has such a huge impact on your future seems
to me to be entirely unacceptable.
Sometimes, when faced with these facts, it
seems like there is very litde which can be done.
However, this year SCM has a new campaigns
focus; 'ethical living'. The idea behind this is
that the way we live has a huge impact on our
environment and on other people. Some ways of
putting this into practice are simple; we are all
familiar with Fairtrade goods, and this is one of
the first and easiest steps we can take to ensure
that the products we buy are not adding to the
exploitation of those who produce them.'Ethical
living'is not limited, however, to buying a Divine
chocolate bar instead of a Nesd6 one.
Church Action on Poverty and Christian Aid
launched their'TaxJustice'bus at Greenbelt 2072,
which has been travelling across the UK to raise
awareness ofthe huge problem oftax avoidance.
The money lost through large companies not
payrng their tax is substantial; if this were
corrected, the cuts being made to health, education,
welfare and other public services would not be
necessary. Christian Aid has estimated that $160
billion is lost worldwide in tax dodging through
multinational companies exploiting loopholes in
the law. Companies like Amazon, Starbucks and
even Rangers (as an honorary Glaswegian, I've
learnt to keep quiet about that one) are at fault
here, and this is where we can make a difference.
By putting pressure on such companies by taking
our custom elsewhere, and on our government to
change the law, we have a chance to change the
lives of millions in poverty. It may not seem as
obvious a way to combat poverry, either globally
or in the UK, but for every $10 given in aid to the
developing world, they lose out on a further $15
due to tax dodging or tax avoidance.
As part of Seeds of Liberation,
sCM are leading a Day of Action
on the streets on Manchester
on Monday 4th March. We
are partnering with Church
Action on Poverty to lead a
day of creative, enjoyable and
celebratory actions praising
companies and individuals who
pay the tax that they should.
After spending the weekend hearing about and
reflecting on the problems facing the world,
the conference Day of Action is a chance to do
something proactive about one of the most topical
and important issues facing the world right now.
We hope you will join us!
Debbie Wbite
PAGE S
tllvEiltil - lssuE ll3

IAX IUSTICE Campaigning
on camPus
(
ChurchAction
on Poverty
\
When Christian Aid published its 2008 reporr Death
and Taxes, some people probably thought the authors
had picked a thoroughly boring, unsexy, issue. Four
years and a wave ofprotests later, and tax is a hot topic
for debate. No more is tax a fringe issue for financial
geeks. Tax is now a major focus for social and global
justice movements.
Britain is losing berween {35 and {120 billion a
year in potential revenue to tax dodging. This either
means evading tax, which is illegal, or avoiding tax -
finding a loophole to justi$r paylng less. Avoidance
often involves weaving a complex web of subsidiaries
in tax havens, passing profits between them to avoid
corporation taxes.
This means that, although Starbucks tells its investors
that Britain is hugelyprofi table, its accounts show losses
year after year. The profits, and the legal requirement
to pay tax, have long since left the country. Every
pound of
tax
dodged is a pound less to spend on education,
healthcare and other vital services. Those companies
who pay their fair share lose out for being'less efficient'
than those who don't.
There has been some success: Church Action on
Poverty and 'Close the Gap'partners such as SCM
forced the closure of a {130 million loophole that
enabled Tesco and Amazon to avoid VAT on online
CD and DVD sales. Starbucks, Google and Amazon
were called before Parliament recently, forced to admit
their efforts to avoid UK corporation tax.Tax collectors
HMRC have been given some new resources to chase
avoiders. And yet the big sums remain hard to collect.
The cities of Paris and Helsinki have decided that
companies should have to show their commitment
to paying tax before being allowed to bid on public
contracts. The argument is simple: if you want to
receive public money, you must meet a standard of
ethics that includes payngyour fair share of taxes.
If a local council can make such a decision, why can't
our universities? Even after fee increases, they still rely
on tax money. Britain's students have a long history
of successfirl campaigns that have directed
universities' spending habits; Fairtrade and
sweatshop campaigns are just two examples.
There is a debate to be had about how we
get that change, and it may take some
time. But I'm convinced that if we can
create change like this anywhere, it
can staft on campuses.
Groltam Martin i' a Frie nd
o.f SCful attd is Cantptigtts and
Comntttttiutiotts I/o/ttnteer dt
C/ttrrth Attiott ott Po.uerty, 'u/tcrr: /t,:
is .oorking u,ith
SCIVI to ct't'iltt
r('S0ilrfts lbOttt tnx
ott ttIiltf)il,t.
M0YtMEltI - tssuE fi3 PAGE 7

M0YEMEIII ll:i,i1
j jilii SPRlllG 2013
IllP ilP$
I'm just going to come right out and say this. I think
a lot of the campaigning we see these days is lazy,
short-sighted and ineffective.
It's not easy for me to say. IVe worked in the
international development sector for almost a decade'
I believe passionately that if we're ever going to see an
end to extreme global poverty then we carit just throw
money at the problem. We have to campaign. We
have to raise our voices in appalled, raucous unison.
We must go after the systems and mechanisms in
society that make and keep people poor.
A1low me one tortuous metaphor - if someone
catches themselves on a nail then the first thing you
would do is bandage the wound. But then youd find a
way to bang th.at stupid nail back into the wall. And if
you didnt have a hammer, you'd pester someone who
did until they got the job done. You'd make sure no
one else got hurt.
Campaigning is a tool and it's a hammer not a
bandage. Except in the above example, it is also
your voice. I didnt say I was good at metaPhors. My
point stands though - campaigning is important, the
Christian Aid's Chris Mead shares his top
tips for campaigning with Movemenf.
alternative is a room full of torn knees, a dwindling
supply ofbandages and no end in sight.
So, campaigning, eh? What's that all about? Marshall
Ganz defines campaigning as "highly energised,
intensely focused, concentrated streams of activity
with a specific goal and deadline."They're a form of
advocacy basically, one that directly mobilises the
public to take action. If we want to make the big
changes, then campaigning is the way to go.
So why did I begin this article by rubbishing a lot of
campaign work? Because I'm not sure we're doing it
well enough. I think many campaigns haven't been
thought through. They havent been planned to a
high enough standard. Campaigns are a story, they
lead potential supporters on a joumey that stretches
from ignorance through awareness to interest,
understanding and finally action. Each element
needs to come in the right order and be carefully
authored, otherwise it'll be confusing and ineffective'
Tiy telling a story, any story, all at once with every
element running concurrently. It doesnt make sense
does it? Unless we get the narrative beats in the right
order our message doesn't get through.
5 GAMPAIGIIIIIG IIPS
We dont alw:rvs hirve control of the c:rrnpaigns rve
run but if l'ou're starting from scratch here itre tn1'
top 5 tips for planning effective cirrnpitigns:
I Agr.. on the problem before votr begin. One
problern. Don't tr\r to do too tlttch. Commutlicate
a simple, compelling vision stronglv and
ellbctivelri What is preventing the change you
wiurt to see? What ztre the c2luses of tl.rat core
problen-r? What are the direct effects? Whv hasrit
tl're chirnqe happened on its or,rm?
2 Atro thir-rk about rvho u,ill be involvecl in the
campraign. Identifv potential allies, competitors,
opponents rnd, ruost important of all, the
decision rlaker. Who has the polver to rnrrke the
change vou need? Tailor your campaign to thetn,
not vour supporters who alreadv irgree with l'ou.
3 A .^,l-rpnign should have a cleirr stirrting point
and a clear er-rd drrte. Too rnauY cirrnpaigus
becorne like hot air balloons, hanging 'around,
kept aloft b,v the br.rrnins flan.re of idealism but
going nou,here.
I O,-,ti' plan activities after vou\'e done vour
research. I've seen too lnrtt-Iv carnpligns that
essentially strrrt "Wouldn't it be gre'.rt if we vvere
all dressed as kangaroos in dir.rner jirckets?" irnd
then hitve the message bolted on aror:nd that'
This is clerrrly the rvroug wav round. Cleirrly
5 R",l'r.,.t-tber to write precise objectives for vour
campaien that crrn be monitored, er':rlttirted and
f-ed back into your next carnpaign. Learn from
I'our mistirkes, sttcceed ar-rd firil quicklr', build
iteratiyel),, evolve...
Got all that? Good. Nor,v so forth iurd chanse the
world. Tell thern I s€rt 1,s11.
PAGE 8
t0rEMElrI - lssuE ll3

David McLoughlin is a Senior
Lecturer at Newman University, and a
founder member of the Movement of
Christian Workers. He is a theological
advisor to CAFOD and Progressio, and
has 30 years experience of training
Christian activists.
Here he reflects on .|esus as a
provocatlve teacher, re-reading Jesus'
teaching in the Parable of the Workers
in the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16) in its
originaI context.
19
In this parable we have different groups of workers
vying with each other for limited work. There are daylabourers,
some ofwhom would have been smallholders
trying to supplement their subsistence living, some
landless and destitute, no longer with the support of
extended family or local communiry and some who
would be wandering, strangers to the locals. Any sense
of solidarity and common identity has long gone.
Normally a steward would hire the workers, as the landowners
tended to live in the new cities and had little to
do with the day to day running of the estates. ButJesus
deliberately includes the landowner here to make the
link berween those at the top ofsociety and those at the
base. The normally invisible elite are here made present
and, as such, accountable.Jesus heightens the conflict.
The parables are texts to provoke
collective reflection, renewed
imagination, discussion and debate,
starting from the conflicted reality
we find ourselves in.
again to the marketplace until he has enough labour to
bring in the harvest. The owner offers the first group a
denarius - a reasonable amount for a dayt work, but
not generous. It was enough to keep a small family fed
and housed for a day. When he comes back, he just tells
the next group to go to work and he'll give them what
is right. There is no negotiation. The next are told to go
without any reference to pay; similarly the last lot for
an hour. Throughout the story the landowner has total
control.
The landowner tells his steward to pay the workers
in reverse, but orders him to give them all a denarius
rather than a proportion of the daily wage equivalent
to their hours. The owner is playing with them, it is a
gesture of contempt, an insult implying that those who
have worked al1 day are no more valuable than those
who have worked for an hour. So shaming is the insult
thpt the workers protest. Ifthey dont, then the value of
their work in the marketplace is undermined and they
are implicidy accepting his right to pay less the next
time, with disastrous consequences in that economic
climate.
The workers are harvesting grapes, and the harvest is a
bumper one. The owner must harvest at the optimum
moment for the fruit and so he goes back again and
Note the owner does not address the group. He makes
an example of one labourer, 'My friend, I do you no
wrong, did you not agree with me for a denarius?'This
MllYETEilI. ISSUE II3
PAGE g

il t0YttEtI tssuE 143 sPRlllG 2013
:l
I
falsely implies a mutually agreed contract. Then he
expels the labourer; 'Take what is yours and go'' He
is sacked, he will not be hired again. The seemingly
generous boss is revealed as something quite different:
wilful, and manipulative.
He turns to the group and gives his justification,'I
choose to give the one who was hired last the same as I
gave you'. The money is now his gift, no longer a wage
earned. He says their complaint is evil in response to his
goodness (literally'is your eye evil because I am good?')'
He speaks as though the land is his and he controls its
fruit and profit, but the HebrewTorah teaches the land
is God's and God alone distributes it to the people of
the land. The Torah demands re-distribution in times
of need and condemns hoarding for profit. Even the
denarius he so generously gives is a subsistence wage.
Read in this way, Jesus' story takes his listeners into
the heart of the covenant and its liberating effect.
It heightens the perversion of the covenant by the
powerful rich, but it also shows up the lack of solidarity
among the workers themselves - the rich man can
isolate one worker and silence the group's initial protest.
The debate after Jesus first told this parable in one of
the Galilean villages must have gone on a long time!
Jesus'life did not offer an alternative based on abstract
ethical demands. It is not a worked out system' But it
does provide some basic principles for an alternative
critical practice: the practice of the reign of Abba, based
on a common life of mutual compassion, forgiveness and
engagement. His life inspired his disciples to prolong
the logic of his practice
in the new historical
situations they would
have to face. The main
reason for the Church
to exist is to bear witness
to the possibility of that
reconciling practice of
Jesus continuing in the
world.
l
I
q
REreECqsil:
Note again what Jesus is
doing in the parable. He is
drawing on the experience of
the people, provoking them
to see their world clearly but
from a renewed perspective,
'the kingdom of God', and
inviting the m to become
subjects of their own history.
He empowers the exploited
and oppressed to reclairn their
history, to see it anew, and to
participate in creating it.
There is a danger when we read
these texts in Church that we
spiritualise them and tend to
take away a personal message,
asking'what do they mean for
me?'. We miss their essential
provocative nature and their
call to renew our collective
vision of a creation under God
where all are of equal worth,
and where the distribution of
the goods ofthe earth and the
sharing of them, and solidarity
in service, are at the centre of
our collective concern, rather
than accumulatiou for profit
and personal securiry. Above
all, these are texts to provoke
collective reflection, renewed
imagination, discussion and
debate, starting from the
conflicted reality we find
ourselves in.
PAGE I(l
M|IYEMEIII. ISSUE I{3

(
Ssods of Lib eroti
r-l
o
o
lntor-viow
Moaernenl speaks to
FatherJohn Dear SJ,
a Jesuit Priest, Peace
Activist, Organiser,
Lecturer, Retreat leader,
and author/editor of 28
books on peace and nonviolence. He
has been nominated or the Nobel Peace
Prize by Archbishop Desmond Tirtu.
Daniel Berrigan was the main speaker at the 1973
Seeds of Liberation conference. Youte said that he
\ilas a mentor of yours and a great influence on your
life. What can you tell us about him?
Daniel Berigan is 91, and very frail, and living in
the New York Jesuit infirmary. Along wi'th Gandhi,
Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day,Thomas Merton,
Desmond Tutu and Thich Nhat Hanh, he is one of
the greatest peacemakers in modern times. He helped
me understand that Jesus is nonviolent, calls us to be
peacemakers, and that you cant be a Christian and
support war. He and his brother burned U.S. military
draft files in 1968 - with homemade napalm - and
spent several years in prison in the early 1970s. In 1980,
they and their friends walked into a nuclear weapons
facility, and hammered on a nuclear weapon, to firlfil
Isaiah's prophecy that someday "people will beat their
swords into ploughshares."
What doyou thinkhe'dwantto sayto students today?
Dan is a famous poet and the author of 50 books, but
he's a living saint. He's my friend and teacher. He would
say that all of us have to work for peace and justice. We
have to do what we can to help end war, abolish nuclear
weapons, bring justice for the poor, and serve God's
reign. This is how we follow the peacemaking Jesus in
this world of war. He would invite us to be hopeful
'by doing hopefirl things' for peace. And he would
urge us to be kind, compassionate, loving, forgiving
and nonviolent in the process, that we might really be
peacemakers.
Your latest book is t;rded.'Lazarus, Come ForthlWhy
didyou choose towrite about Lazarus?
I always wondered why John rewrote the story of, the
Gospel. He moved Jesus' civil disobedience in the
Temple to the beginning of the story and ends with the
raising of Lazarus. Then, I figured it out! In my book,
'Lazarus, Corne Forth!' I suggest that Lazarus represents
humaniry stuck in the culture of death, and that Jesus
represents the God of life calling humanity out of the
tombs, out of the culture of violence and war, into the
new life of resurrection peace. The Gospel of John
invites'us to carry on this liberating work ofJesus today
and to obey these new commandments, to take away
the stone that keeps us trapped in our violent culture
of war, to call each other out of the tombs, to unbind
one another and to set each other free to live in peace
and nonviolence. Through this work, we will find new
hope and the frrllness of life. With this perspective, the
story makes total sense: we are to have nothing to do
with the forces of death, but we are to resist the forces
of death and live life to the firll in Christ.
You recently gaye a talk on mindfirlness and Thomas
Merton. How do you feel Christian contemplation
has had an impact on your life? How could it benefit
others?
The only way to survive in this world of war and death,
and to remain faithful to Christ, is through daily
contemplative prayer. By that I mean, taking quiet time
every day alone in silent meditation with the nonviolent
Jesus. This is what I ve tried to do, and what Merton
taught. I recommend thirty minutes every morning
with Jesus, for the rest of your life. Give him all your
problems, violence, anger, hurts, wounds, resentment,
t0uEMilI - tssuE il3
PAGE II

tltuEt{tffi rssuE l{3 sPnilG 2013
(
all the roots of war within you, and let him give you
his resurrection gift of peace. Over time, you come to
experience God's infinite unconditional love for you
personally, and you can go into the culture of war in a
real spirit ofpeace and offer nonviolent love. You dont
have to be afraid because you know you are loved.
Prayer is the way God disarms our hearts and sends
us forth as instruments of disarming love. Itt the key
way to become nonviolent, and to be a peacemaker.
Without it,we become angryviolent activists,who give
up, and walk away in the end. In prayer, we realise this
is God's work, everything is in God's hands, and we are
instruments of God's peace.
Mindfulness is the term from the great Buddhist
teacher Thich Nhat Hanh which describes living
contemplatively, or what we might call, living and
breathing in the Holy Spirit.It means being centred in
the present moment of peace, through your breath, and
so letting go of violence, anger' hatred, resentment and
bitterness, that we can enjoy every moment in peace
and go forth as real peacemakers into the culrure ofwar.
Have particular kfe enperiences made you reflect on
peace and nonviolence?
I became involved in peace and justice work after
my experience at the Sea of Galilee in the summer
of 7982.I had gone to Israel by mysel-f, just as Israel
began its summer war on Lebanon, killing 60'000
people. I spent several weeks camping out by the Sea
of Galilee, studying the Sermon on the Mount, visiting
the Chapel of the Beatitudes, hearing Jesus'teachings
on peace, when I saw Israeli jets fly over the Sea of
Galilee and drop bombs. It changed my life, and I
started to try to teach and practice the Sermon on
the Mount. That led to organising anti-war and antinuclear
demonstrations, going to live and work in a
refugee camp during the war in El Salvador, then doing
a ploughshares action with Philip Berrigan and facing
20 years in prison (I spent 9 months in a tiny cell).
Later, I led a delegation of Nobel laureates to Iraq, was
a coordinator of chaplains after the September Llth
attacks, and began a peace campaign aimed at Los
Alamos, in New Mexico, birthplace of the atomic bomb.
All of these experiences have helped me to understand
nonviolence at deeper levels, to return more to Prayer
and communiry to practice forgiveness for those who
hurt me and oppose me, and to understand more and
more the theology and spirituality of nonviolence . We
are just beginning to reclaim the nonviolence ofJesus,
and the wonderful implications about our God ofpeace
and the Gospel.
Youte quoted Dorothy Day as sayang "The measure
of your &scipleship to Jesus is how much trouble
you're in for working for peace and justice." What
have you learned bybeing in trouble?
I've been facing arrest, court and jail in one form or
another for the last thirty years. In this world of 30
wars, a billion people hungry 20,000 nuclear weapons
and global warming, all of us have to agitate for peace
and justice, and you will get in trouble for trying to
disarm the world. I've learned three things. First, this is
our chance to be nonviolent likeJesus. Second, he tells
the disciples over and over again that this work will get
them in trouble, and so he's constantly teaching them
how to respond,with love, compassion and forgiveness.
Third, forgiveness is key. Many people will turn against
you, beginning with family, friends and church people.
You get denounced and condemned, and that can led
to r€sentment within you, but you have to let that
go, forgive them, and continue to radiate personally
the peace you seek politically. This is what Jesus did.
Basically, we're talking about carrying the cross' as a
way of nonviolent resistance to the culture of war and
death, and practising resurrection at the same time,
becoming, like Jesus, real peacemakers.
How can students most actively engage in the
movement for peace and nonviolence?
Students, fust of all, should study everything they can
about peace and nonviolence. Study the movements,
Gandhi, King, and the positive changes that are
happening in the world through active nonviolence.
They should read the Gospels every day from the
perspective of nonviolence and learn about Jesus'
active nonviolence. They should take time every day
with Jesus and ask him what he wants them to do for
justice and peace. They should join a peace and justice
group, or start one; pick an issuel and undertake some
public action for peace and justice.They should try to
be nonviolent to themselves, nonviolent to everyone
they meet, and try to be part of the global grassroots
movements of nonviolence. Most of all, figure out with
friends andJesus, how to fu161 our common vocation to
become peacemakers.
PAEE fl
t0tEtEil - l$suE ll3

MllvEMEilI TSSUE t{3 SPntilft 2013
Who has inspired you on your path to living nonviolendy?
What is the relationship between salvation and
peace?
Gandhi has been a huge inspiration to me, and so
has Martin Luther King, Jr. I've been studying them
seriously for 30 years. I've also been inspired by Dorothy
Day, thomas Merton, Franz Jdgerstdtter and Oscar
Romero. On a personal level, I have known and been
inspired by great friends; Daniel and Philip Berrigan,
Mother Teresa, Dom Hdlder Cimara, Archbishop
Tirtu, Thich Nhat Hanh, Joan Baez, and the Jesuit
maftyrs of El Salvador. But mainly,I m inspired by the
teachings and practice ofthe nonviolentJesus. I try to
live according to the Sermon on the Mount.
Gandhi is known for famously saying that Christ was
the greatest peacemaker ever known, the only people
who dont know it are the Christians. Why is it that
Christians arent respon&ng to the peacemaker
Christ?
Since the fourth century when the emperor
Constantine became Christian, Christians have thrown
out the Sermon on the Mount, made up the just war
theory developed holy wars and crusades, and now
completely forgotten the nonviolence of Jesus, who
blessed peacemakers, commanded us to put down the
sword, and ordered us to love our enemies. Weie
brainwashed by the culture ofwar to think we can
have a private relationship with God, and go along
with our nations and support their wars, greed, and
environmental destruction. Christian leaders have
completely failed to teach the nonviolence ofJesus,
but every ordinary Christian has failed, as well.
That's
the
Mount,
seriously
Gandhi read
from the Sermon
the Mount every
and every evening for
whywe need to read and study
Sermon on the
That's a big question! My theology now is seen through
Gandhi's lens of nonviolence. God is nonviolent,Jesus
is nonviolent, heaven is nonviolent, we were created
to be nonviolent, and theologv, eschatology and
soteriology need to be understood through nonviolence.
Therefore,what does salvation mean for the children of
Afghanistan, who are being bombed by U.S. drones?
It begins with the end of the bombings, the drones
and the war. We cannot even talk about salvation for
ourselves or anyone unless we are resisting the culture
of war and death and working for peace. That's what
Jesus did. In the end, he marched to Jerusalem, went
to the Temple where the religious authorities worked
with the empire to oppress the people, and engaged
in civil disobedience by turning over the tables ofthe
money changers. He was arrested and tortured and
killed for his action. This was his work for salvation, and
his action for our salvation. It rvas a peaceftil action, on
behalfofpeace for the humar"r race.We have to continue
his nonviolent civil disobedience campaign against the
culture of war and injustice. So our salvation is his gift
of freedom from war and violence, becoming people of
peace and nonviolence, and fulfilling our vocations as
sons and daughters ofthe God ofpeace.
What have you got coming up in the next few
months?
As I write this, I'm
preparing to leave on a
peace mission to Afghanistan,
where I will be for several weeks, supporting
a group of young people committed to peace
' and take it and nonviolence in Kabul. I will also continue to
travel the woild speaking for peace and nonviolence,
ffi.j
: l,-i:\. ' '
on
mornlng
45 years, and
We're supposed
he wasnt a Christian!
to base our lives on these teachings. So I encourage
and will also organise and speak out at Los Alamos,
New Mexico this surnmer, where the U.S. continues to
build and develop nuclear weapons. With you, I hope
to keep following the nonviolent Jesus on the road to
peace!
everyone else to start taking the nonviolent Jesus
seriously. We need to reclaim the nonviolence of
Jesus, and get back to working for the abolition of
war, poverty, violence and nuclear weapons, and try to
welcome God's reign of peace on earth.
{
M0uElttff - rssuE t{3 PAGE 13

HnEIEn FSUI ll3 SPRIIE 2013
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SCM members Stephen Canning and felty Morgans
reflect on their experience of radicaI hospitality.
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M||UEMEIII I$SUE I{3 $PNHG 2ll|3
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Love sets free (liberates) and hospitality is a real and
challenging expression of love.When living in Sheffield,
we decided that as we had a spare room, we should try
and offer hospitality. We envisioned this as probably
having friends around to stay over once in a while.
After ASSIST spoke at St Marks Church, we had
someone come to the house to talk through the options
for volunteering with asylum seekers. As it turned out,
offering our spare room to host was what was needed.
ASSIST is a local charity thatworks with people whose
initial asylum applications have been turned down.
People seeking sanctuary - whatever stage their case
is at - cope with a range of challenges, from lack of
clothing, food, or English language proficiency, to illhealth,
distress, and spiritual dislocation.
We have hosted three different men seeking asylum.
Edmond was a gentle Christian man from Ghana.
He was with us for
a month before he
was detained without
notice. We packed up
his belongings but
we were not allowed
to see him to say
goodbye. He was
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detained at a centre near Heathrow, perhaps deliberately
taken so far away to prevent his loved ones seeing him.
Despite efforts made by us, ASSISI and Edmond's
church, he was eventually deported without warning.
Four big security guards escorted him all the way.
Monir, an Iraqi Muslim with a poor grasp of English,
then stayed with us for many months. Back in Iraq he had
made tapestries and rugs, and was so delighted by our
sewing machine.We fought to get him'section Four'-
which meant that eventually the government agreed to
offer him some financial support and accommodation,
and it was great to have a success story.
Then we had Daniel living with us. Daniel, also
from Ghana, has a deep contagious laugh, and sings
We believe that it is our responsibiliry as a stable
and prosperous country to welcome asylum seekers
and refugees, treat them with respect, and offer them
opportunities to create a life here. This seems like a
bare minimum of decent treatment, but the brutality
and bureaucracy of the asylum system can make life
incredibly hard for people, and it's worsened at the
moment by many valuable legal and welfare services
being cut. The UK Borders Agency is anything but
hospitable. All three of the men we have hosted have
spent time imprisoned in detention centres.
By contrast, our home is a brighter place when we
have other people sharing it with us. It has made us
think more carefully about what it means to 'own'
somewhere - we never truly 'owrt' anything. It has made
us think about friendships, about shared space, about
comfort zones, communiry and justice. Mainly it has
made us think about hospitality. Strangers can bring
remarkable insights.
In the semantics of
the Biblical language,
the word for 'guest'is
often translated as the
word 'host'. Scripture
tells us often that God
can be encountered
through the displaced. In Hebrews chapter 13, we
find the verse: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to
strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares." (Heb 13:2)
We have found ourselves guests, hosted by a gracious
stranger welcomed into our home, as often as we have
been the hosts. Radical hospitality isnt always simple,
easy or fun. As with Edmond, it can be deeply upsetting.
Radical hospitality is outside of our comfort zone.
Outside of our comfort zone is where we grow. Outside
of our comfort zone is where the magic happens, where
the Kingdom happens. It is where Jesus is celling ur 1o
follow. Offering radical hospitality can mean that we in
turn are radically changed.
M0Y[MEltI - tssuE r43 PAGT 15

M0vEM[]ti sPftlltri 2013
ry
Seeing people as trees? A Respznse to HumanTrafficking
prostittttion oJ others or other.forns of sexual o;Pllittttiott,
.fbrcd /tlnur or scrvic,'s, s/tt'ttt'.y or lratliccs.ritttilnr to
s / r t'rt ; )' t), s,: r't, i t t r r/ t o r t /t L r r t t t o't' tr / of' o r3u t t s "
Durine a Bible Stllcly xt a recent SCM evellt'we stur-nbled
across the passage in Mark where Je sr.rs l-reals r.t blind rnan
irr two stages: "Ht /ooked u1t trtttl sdd,'I su lcople; tltt.y /oo/:
ltis /:ttnds
li/:e trcts wtlking trottntl.' Onu ntorr'JLstrs ftrt
ott t/te tnat* eycs. T/satt his e-yLs turc ofe n,:i, his sight uns
t'tstorctl, antl ltc su'u ctLrythittg c/ttr/y." (Nlark 8:24-25).
This passage has alwa1's confused tne, and I ex1-rressed
this confusion to the group of people I w:rs with' Otle
of them, without hesit:rtion, ftrrned to rne aud said; 'Bzrl:
os lrurr?" Within the context
/save you netcr st'eil fcz1/Lt
of the work I am currently doing through my Faith in
Action internship, this sentiment rea11y rans true'
Hurnan trafficking involves people beirrg transporteci
frorn the cornmunities in which they live, and being
forced to work against their will through violeuce,
deception or coerciott, for someone else's profit or gain.
It was defined by the United Nations in Article 3 of the
Palermo Protocol as "The recruit'nrcnt, ttanspartutiott,
transJer, harbouring or receipt of persorts, hy neans of tlta
tlsreot or use ofJbrce or otherJbrns of coerciott, oJ'abdtrctiott,
ofJiuud, oJ'tleceptian, of the ahust of pozocr or oJ'a positiort
oJ-oulnerabi/ity or {the gioing or recei'tirtg {1>uyments or
benef ts to ttc/tieae the cottsent of'o Pet'sztt hn't,ittg control ooer
a n o t h e r p e rs o n, fo r t h e p u'f o s e oJ- e x,p / o i ta t i o n. E xp / o i tttti o t t
sholl includt, ot a ntinitntrnt, the exploitation of thtt
Tralhckinc' is considerecl to Lre thc fastest grorvinq
intem'.itionil critne, secttt-id in mirgr.ritude only to the
international drtrgs trade. STOP TI-Itr TRAFFII{
predict that between 2-4 ruillion indivicluds are
trrrfficked across borders or rvithin their own coutttrit's
every )aar. In 2011 over 900 victims of traflicking rvcre
iclentified within tire UIt. Ti'apped within our owrr
corlnltnities, these irttlii,iduals rvere firrced to wor-k for
little or no relnunerzttion. STOP THtr TRAFFII( tell
the story of Naresh, sttch au indit'iclual:
"North ruas ofered tr.foh in t reftrhrble restutrruttt itt tlta
UK that ffired otlructixte 7t)Llgrs ttttd 'i'uor/:itt.g cattdifions.
Ott nrrivtl in Ertgl,rntl, his an4tlolttts ficlad lsittt trp trtttl
tool: /sitrr to Norf/t York.rhir; 'tultcrc his foss?zrt, workitry
visa tnt{ mottL'y 'LUL't't confiscttutl' O't,,:r t fotn' ytot' 1>ct'iod
Nttrcs/t uorftctl excessi't,e hours, tt,orLing s,:

there will almost definitely be individuals like Naresh
within your ciry town or community. Perhaps you've
even come across them without realising. When we
consider the global community, the situation becomes
even more severe.
"But haoe you neeer seen?ezple as trees?" my friend quipped
to me. I would argue that that is exacdy how victims
of human trafficking are treated; they are all too often
considered as inhuman beings, as objects which can be
used for exploitation. Christ corrects this mistake; he
touches the blind man's eyes, causing him to see people as
people. Perhaps it's time for us to do the same, encouraging
sociefy to see these individuals as the people they truly are.
I would encourage everyone reading this article to take a
look at the STOP THtr TRAFFIK website. There, you
will find a wealth ofinformation about trafficking, as well
as awareness raising and campaign activities you can get
involved in, including sending a signature to the United
Nations, encouraging them to keep anti-tramcking work
high on their priority agenda.
Ifyou ever come across a situation where you suspect
trafficking may be occurring, call Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800 555 111, and then report
the incident to STOP THE TRAFFIK via their
website: www. stopthetraffi k.orglreport-incident
Entertaining Angels; Working witlr Asylum Seekers
Jo trIuskeris one of our Faith inAction interns and has
been rvorking rvith ASSIST (Asylum Seeker Support
Initiirtive ShortTerm) over the last couple of months.
She has been putting together training sessions to
offer to organisirtions in and around Sheffield to help
raise arvareness of irsylunr rtnd refrrgee issues.
ASSIST began in 2003 when several concerned
individuals from Sheffield decided to do something in
response to the destitution of asylum seekers who had
fled to the UK seeking sanctuary but whose claim for
asylum had been rejected. According to international
UN law as stated in the 1951 Convention, anyone
under serious threat of persecution due to, 'race,
religion, nationaliry and membership of a particular
social group or political opinion has the right to claim
asylum in another country. In order to do this in the
UK, however, asylum seekers have to prove that their
claim for protection is legitimate. For the thousands
each year whose claim is rejected because they cannot
produce sufficient evidence, all government support
is withdrawn. With no right to employment, they are
rendered destitute. This is the point at which ASSIST
now a network of over 150 volunteers with only 2
members of paid stafl steps in to alleviate the higtrly
traumatic impact of this forced destitution. The charity
financially supports sixty asylum seekers with {15 a
week, and provides a room with a host family or crash
pad accommodation when spaces are limited.
During my time working at ASSIST I have mer many
asylum seekers, some now volunteers themselves, who
have profoundly benefited from the stability that
ASSIST's short term support provides. For those on the
brink of giving up, having their basic daily needs met
enabled them to focus on gathering fresh evidence to
appeal against the negative decision made on their case,
sometimes resulting in the recognition of their right to
remain in the UK and the beginning of their new life as
a UK citizen. Time and time again, I have been deeply
moved by the stories of people who have fled traumatic
experiences in their home countries, leaving their
friends, family and culture, only to have to continue
fighting for their lives here. Many failed asylum seekers
are subjected to dawn raids, indefinite periods of time
being held in detention centres and forced deportation.
Their claim has been denied because it is not considered
genuine, but what could be more powerful evidence of
a legitimate asylum claim than when someone chooses
destitution over government support (up to {3000 of it)
to return home?
Over the years, Britain has benefitted hugely from
welcoming multicultural asylum seekers and refugees,
many of whom are highly qualified professionals, or
courageous individuals who have stood up against
repressive and corrupt regimes. Let us not forget that
according to the book of Matthew,Jesus himselfwas an
asylum seeker when his parents fled with their new born
son to Egypt to avoid Herod's persecution (Matthew 2:
73,74).It is deeply distressing that the people who have
inspired me so much over the last couple of months by
their perseverance, are being denied the opportunity to
flourish and offer all their tremendous and wonderful
gifts to the wodd.'Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers', the author of the book of Hebrews in the
Bible urges us,'for by doing that some have entertained
angels without knowing it'(Hebrews 13:2).
M0YtHEltI - tssut t{3 PAGE 17

M(IYEMEIII I$$l]I 143 SPf,ITG 2ll|3
$HEIFIETII SGM
In the autumn term, Sheffield SCM
hosted a range of activities around the
theme of liberation, including'Liberated
by Thckling Poverfy' by Eleri Birkhead
from Christian Aid, and'Liberated in
Intentional Communities' by Revd Dr
John Vincent from Burngreave Ashram
Community. Jo, our Faith in Action
Intern, also visited Sheffield to run a
workshop about her internship and
placement with ASSIST.
WARTTICI( GHRISIIA]I
FOGUS
At the end of November, Warwick
Christian Focus spent their annual
weekend-away in Gloucestershire. Most
of the weekend was spent chatting,
playing games and eating cake, while a
few hardy souls braved the wet weather
to enjoy a walk in the local woods.
Outside of the main building was a
small prayer room where members of
Christian Focus took part in organised
spiritual sessions such as writing or
drawing what 'Prayer'means to them.
Some members awoke early on the
Sunday to go to local church services,
and then more games were played
before packing up and heading home
after a great weekend with friends!
Catherine Richardson
uzzrE lllt ltlun!
Lizzie, our Groups Worker, was busy
visiting societies and chaplaincies
last term. She started off by visiting
Durham Methodist Society who shared
a lovely meal followed by a talk by Revd.
Andrew Lunn on New Monasticism.
She thert hopped over to visit the
delightful SCM trdinburgh and ran
a workshop on Feminist Theologies.
Lizzie visited the fabulous Revd. triona
Douglas at the University of Dundee,
who is supporting the newly formed
Progressive Christianity society, and
then the chaplaincy at the University of
St. Andrews, which is a vibrant and busy
chaplaincy supporting Christian societies
and Interfaith activities. Lizzie spent
the evening with Revd. Chris Howson
GRIIUP PR{IFILE:
and the new SoulSpace group at the
University of Sunderland, and enjoyed
a Taiz6, service with students. Lastly,
Lizzie popped into the University of
Lincoln to meet with Subash Chellaiah
who wants to set up an SCM group!
ABERYSTTTTYIH MEIHI|IIISI $I|CIEIY
I
t",
,/
I
h
I
':---, -' i. . i
d
'11 J
How often do you meet? Threc/F'our
tirnes a weck
Where do you meet? St. Pirtrl's
Nletlrc'dist Church for Ittttsic sessittns
and the scrvice,'I}e X4irnsc fbr Prirver
& Praise sessior.rs :rnd in Aberystwr,th
Arts Centre fbr Bible Study.
Who comes to your meetings?
N'{ostly rnembers of the socien' irud
the churcl'r, thotrgh sometilnes we
bring along triends lnd hzrve qtlests.
What are your rneetings like?
Infbrrnirl iurd thought-provokinu. We
like to hirvc discussions on topical
issr.res rrnd theologicirl deb:rtes in the
lisht of C1-rristianitr'. We also have
tin.res of pril\'er rrnd rvorship to he\r
Lls {rrow in our relationship rvith God.
Ar-rd, of course, r,ve trormirllv sociirlise
ove r fbod (cspeciallv cakc!).
What have been your highlights this
academic year so far?
Wc had ir reirlly r.rice joir.rt socirrl with
membcrs of Aber Pride in which we
mrrir-rh' spent time getting to kncxv
circl-r other. I)esprite there being some
totreh cltrestions irskecl, 'tve qot irlong
reallv wcll rrncl rvere able to help lower
the forged birrriers betr.r'een religion
rrnd sexual orientation.
What are you looking forward to in
the spring term? Bl' sprinu rve'll hzrve
il ncw cornlnittec helpine to dir:cct the
sroup, so it'll be exciting to discover
where thrrt rvill lend us. It'll irlso be
Abe r N{ethSoc s jubilee - r+'e'11 be
60 r'ears olcl in 2013! So there'll be ir
rveekencl cledicated to celebrating the
socic6.''5 historv rvith N'le thSoccers
voung irncl old.
How do you tell people about your
group? We h'.rve ir rvebsite r.vhich
\oll ciln find thror.rsh Sci\'ik irnd the
Ur-riversiw's lvebsites. We irlso use
rvord of r.nouth, leaflets irnd unsubtle
N{ethSoc hoodies. Affiliation rvith the
loc:rl N'Ietl-roclist Chtrrch irlso helps to
spre:rd the nervs.
Do you have any tips for other
groups? N1ake evervone fecl rvelcome,
u4rether ther"re iln estirblisl-rcd
r-nenrber of ]'ortr groLlp or sor)reone
yor.l \re ne\/er met beforel It helps to
do 'good' in the local irrerr, too e.g.
\'ohlrlteer at rr uursitlg home. Olle rs of
tezr'.rnc] cake ne'ter go irmiss, eithcr.
PAGI 18
M0rtMEilI - lssuE l{3

MllYTHEilI ISSUE I{3 SPRITG 2ll|3
scM REctllltAt
GAIHERIIIff$
Throughout the autumn term, SCM
groups across the country hosted
regional gatherings for local groups
and members.
EIIIIIBUROH
|7
trdinburgh SCM hosted a regional
gathering in October, on the theme
of 'Sowing Seeds'. It was a joy and a
blessing to be joined by wonderful
people from Manchester and
Glasgow, as well as students from
Edinburgh.
Our worship centred on our theme.
On Fridaywe heard the Parable ofthe
Sower as the crowd would have done,
with the visual symbols but without
the explanation that Jesus gives to
the disciplei afterwards. On Saturday
we looked at the questions uttered in
the narrative of the Mustard Seed,
and spent some meditative time with
the questions that burn within us.
We were most gratefirl for the
presence of Chris Long and Ben Raw
from the Iona Community. Their
fellowship was valued and theylead a
brilliant discussion around our theme
on Saturday morning. The Saturday
afternoon provided a chance to
explore the ciry of Edinburgh and
culminated in a very cosy coffee and
chat with Chris Howson, Chaplain
at Sunderland University.
Se t4y,
o{
rnation
It was a relaxed weekend, and we are
thankful to Mayfield Salisbury Parish
church for allowing us to camp out
I
I
UPCI|MIIIG EUEIIT$:
$HEFFIEIII RECII|IIAT OAIHERIIIG
Students will gather at St Columbrr's
Anglican Church in Sheffield on
2nd February to explore theologies
of liberation, and in particular Dalit
Theology. The gathering comes at
the end of the Week of Prayer for
in their halls for the duration. We had
plenty of time to get to know each other
through sharing both wonderful food
and tea with Excellent Biscuits (the
foundational tenet of Edinburgh SCM!)
Robert Kimmitt
BIRMIIIOHAM
Students from across the West Midlands
joined together at the Universiry of
Birmingham in Novemberfor a dayevent
exploring SCM's conference theme,
Seeds of Liberation. The gathering
offered an opportunity for students to
reflect upon issues of liberation, justice,
and sustainability through workshops,
Bible studies, talks, and worship.
Shari Brown, the Project Coordinator
with the asylum and refugee charity
Restore, talked to us about liberation in
the context of her work, and called on
us as Christians to be alert for signs of
liberation and hope in the world today.
Aworkshop from SCM's Faith inAction
internJo Musker helped us to explore the
situation for asylum seekers and refugees
in the UK today, and Christian Aid's
intern Douglas Owen looked at global
issues ofjustice, leading us in a session on
Christian responses to climate change.
The day was drawn together nicely with
a Bible study from Pax Christi's Matt
Jeziorski, who asked us "What does
liberation mean when we acknowledge
Christ as our king, and how are we called
Christian Unity (18-25 January),
which will focus on Dalit Theologv
and the Christian imperatit'e to
act justly in the world. For ftrrther
inforrnirtion, visit www.movenlent.
org.uk/events
to respond?" Students left the gathering
feeling equipped and inspired to work for
justice in their communities,.and excited
about exploring these issues further next
ye r at Seeds of Liberation.
Chris Wood
CAR
IIIFF
I arrived at CardiffUniversity chaplaincy
to be met by tea, chocolate, mini Stollen
bites and lots of friendly SCM faces:
I knew we were going to have a good
day. We started with some excellent
worship led by the chaplaincy, and
were then inspired by Revd Dr. Craig
Gardner, talking about the relevance
of Bonhoeffer's thinking for today;
encouraging us to be people that
engaged with prayer and politics in equal
measure. There were also workshops
from Christian Aid, an action marking
World Aids day, and an introduction to
Liberation Theology by CAFOD.I also
led a workshop about faith and justice
in the context of my work countering
human trafficking. AII of this made for
a very intense, thought provoking day
but one that was appreciated by all that
attended. Hattie Hodgson.
t0uErrH - rssuE il3 PAGE 19

UI
I
BOOK
MAtflllG sEllsE 0F $Ex
BY AIIRIAII IHAICHER
'Making Sense
of Sex' is a
well argued
and thoughtprovoking
book
that I recommend
reading, whatever
your
general
theological stance.
Thatcher's approach is very academic,
which means that the book, whilst
short, is not especially easy to read.
However, this does mean that all of his
arguments and counter-arguments are
well researched, clearly stated and well
thought out; even if you do have to reread
some sections to make sure You
have understood!
Thatcher is also very sure of his own
opinions. Granted, in the last paragraph
he does accept that'A mere mortal, I
may be wror1g", but most of the book is
very confidendy and clearly stated and
at times feels aggressive. Like several
theologians, Thatcher tells you what
he thinks is the correct theological
interpretation rather than leading you
through the different views and offering
his own at the end.
Thatcher is firm in his convictions
though I personally feel he could have
been more diplomatic; he does mount a
very good defence of Liberal Theology
in the introduction. Whether you agree
with his approach or not, he is trying to
honestly interpret the word and will of
God. His book is well worth a read as it
is interesting and challenging; I intend
to buy my own copy and read it again!
John Houell
BOOK
RECIPES FtlR OtlllII
TIUIIIGIAGUII|Elll
SPIRIIUATIIY
IERRY BIllIIIIIGTll]I
'4r,
fr* A
\','i: ,,lr,l
Q,
RECIPES FOR
GOOD
LIVING
lE b8ftr 5 Cd. b 5Cd1/
TERRY BIDD i!GTON
This book is based
upon the belief
that everyone
has a spiritual
dimension, distinct
from religion,
which needs to be
explored and lived.
Aimed at students
and the move away
from home, this book takes the reader on
a spiritual journey that starts with the first
chapter, but will last a lifetime.
Set out like a recipe book, each topic
follows a similar format. Experimentation
with the recipes is encouraged, along
with the warning that first attempts may
well fail. Biddington however reassures
the reader that such failure is part ofthe
journey and, they should try again until
the recipe suits their needs.
Biddington successfully manages to
separate spirituality from any one
religion or denomination. Using
examples of spirituality in many
religions, his writing is easy to relate
to. Covering topics from silence and
fasting, to travel and relationships, there
is something for everyone wherever they
may be on their spiritual journey.
This is an encouraging and accepting
book, which is brightened up with
fantastic illustrations by Frona
Biddington making it a light and
enjoyable read. Although short, this is
a book that needs time in order to try
out the recipes for an on-going spiritual
journey; a book that might be read in a
week but will stay with you for a lifetime.
Kathryn Jennings
BOOK
50 IIEIT PRAYERS
FRllM IHE ItlIIA
GllMMUIIIil
sEtrclEll BY llEll
PAYIIIER
This
wonderful
little book is
a collection
NEYYg
PRAYERS;
IOITA COTTUITITY
of prayers
written 6y
members
of the Iona
Community
around a
variety of themes.The prayers come from
a very diverse set of people, and theret a
real sense in the book that people from
all sorts of places are moving together
through work and prayer to make a
difference in their own communities
and in the world.
The book contains some very Poetic
and powerful prayers, but is small
enough to be carried around with you
everywhere you go. It could be used
as part of a daily prayet discipline, to
dip briefly into for spiritual recharging
during 5 spare minutes of a busy day, to
lead others in prayer at SCM (or other)
group meetings or simply to read in the
stillness when waiting for God.
Neil Paynter, who selected the prayers,
said "This is not in any way a definitive
collection of'new prayers from the
Community'. I simply chose the prayers
from a collection of seeds I reached
down into and have scattered."
I would suggest there is a great benefit
to be had in allowing these seeds to take
root in our hearts and souls and taking
the time to watch what might grow
Robert Kirnntitt
PISE 20
t0vtHtil - lssuE ll3

t. V I
ACR0$S
1. As a heavenly host - uptight,
keeping stick in charge (9)
6. Forest prophet rctracts after tinopener
(5)
9. Keep quiet and stroke bush (5)
10, Outrageous Eastern mitre tax
could be follorved by penalties
(s,4)
11. Mirage into new resettlenent
(10)
12. Room for an egg? (4)
14. I wed at a parq/, as expected (7)
15. To make nge (7)
17. Stormier shakes? Not I
(shudders) (7)
19. Carpenters rnake beams (7)
20. Want the French 15 brand (4)
22. ChId ofthe ocean has tiiend
whenever the weather changes
(10)
25. Sausage, spice on halfofit (9)
26. Arty stand seen in Ikea selection
(s)
27. Prerequisite of 2,6 rc,8,9,27...
and of3! (5)
28. Papers set satire badly (9)
Dlltllt
1. A Man, for example, on wny out
ofchurch (5)
2. Virus iir eaten sprout (9)
3. Freedom for one to exist, rodent
eaten by big cat (10)
4. Made up belief contains one truth,
initialll.(7)
5, Forgives farts (4,3)
6. Ultra-modernist hides vehicle (4)
7. First class egghead is bright with
energy (5)
8. Daughter left in the rniddle of
translating Cenesis for baby 6
ac (9)
13. T[sk allocation (10)
14. Small animal mns offwith
bigger ones (9)
16. Radicals disturbing staid isle (9)
18. Look for diocese rvith king arvay
(4,3)
19. In fairness, it's only hail (7)
21. Police broadcast from thicket (5)
23. 'Yellorvs'heard in chains (5)
24, Page three directions for where
to put Christian bums (4)
26. Tient
I
T
TI I
GRllSSHllRll AtStrERS, tfz
Aaoss 1. Four-lcttcr rvord; 10, 11. fifth Columnist; 12. Omnibus; 13. puntcrs; 14.
Thief; 16. Illusions; 19. C)ne{inen; 20. Expel; 22. Tivo-step; 25. Extreme; 27. Archaisms;
28. Ensue; 29.Three-point tum. Dom 2. Offensive;3. Rehab; 4. Exccssive; 5. Tulip; 6.
Reminiscc;7. On ice;8. Detests;9. Efforq 15. Fair trade; 17. Listens in;18. Oppressor; 19.
C)utcast; 21. Lieder; 23. Occur; 24. Pesto;26.Trent.
I
I
SAFETY [N CffiUR.(H
TNCSE ARE SOME OF THE DANGERS TflAT YOU MUST BE AWARE OF
ta 6A
FrRE, oBlGlrATlNG FRoi4
THE CATID!6 STAND
T Rt fPrlrG ovER vf srr{EtrI'
O'V ?UT PIT S?E PS
/A
ffi
cflANctN& Lr('llrEulSs
STS.AY THURTBUS
SElttr(r RUtf DoWN
B' A PROC€5SION
DEATH 8v oveRExcrTEMENT
t0uEtEtI - tssuE il3
PAET 2I

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