Mind the Gap

Watched a great game of tennis on Monday. Wasn't at Eastbourne, it was in Luton. Amazing shots. Just when you thought an unplayable lob had gone up, back it came smashing down. Contoversy too. 'YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS' but oh yes, apparently the decision is final, no appeal to hawkeye.

"It's the system you see. Doesn't meet the criteria. Can't help. Fifteen-love. Exceeds those other criteria, can't help. Thirty-love. Not in our area, try somewhere else. Forty-love. Somewhere else thinks you are the somewhere else. Forty-fifteen. I've done everything I can - except help. Game LBC. New balls-up please."

It's a real shame that it was played with a person not a ball. (apologies to all those working in the system, I can only imagine how it has ground you down to the point where you have given up hope)

It's a bit like going to the doctor (apologies to my GP / medical friends). If you don't have something with unambiguous classic symptoms you're basically stuffed (that's a medical term..) You'll likely get passed from Dr Pillar to Mr Post with various letters and forms getting lost between the two. On subsequent visits you are guaranteed not to see the same person twice and will have to explain everything from the beginning again. Eventually, under the laws of averages you will either die or will randomly see someone who successfully guesses at a diagnosis - in either case ticking boxes in the system and saving somebody (not you of course) some money.

Press 1 to wait, 2 to wait longer, 3 to listen to some soothing musak, 4 to listen to these pointless options again or 5 to talk to a person (only kidding, there is of course no option 5)

I want to shout 'I'm a person'. My friends who are hurting are not parts of your system, they're people too! I don't want to treat you as a functionary in a system, I want to treat you as a person as well!

Monday was a good day. No, really. Someone came to gently ask whether I had got some decisions right. Questioning the system out of relationship, out of respect, out of the knowledge that they could question without fear. I was challenged and deeply encouraged by that. I read some poetry by a friend who has been unchained, breaking free from the system the enemy would trap us in. It moved me to tears and made me feel very proud of her and God. I was able to spend time with another friend, thinking through how to break out the mould the world system presses us in to. I had lunch with Steve,our Senior Pastor, exploring how to avoid rituals that become systems with a life of their own.....

I design systems. They can be very helpful. But they should serve people, giving them time to focus on the people they are intended to serve. Too often we become trapped by the systems at the expense of the most vulnerable. And even when the systems work well, there are always situations and people who don't fit the system.

What I love about God is that He creates order, builds structures - then, for the sake of real people, He breaks all the rules. He goes out of His way to find the lost, seek out the vulnerable, ensure that no-one falls through the cracks.

....and I installed a gift-aid package on a remote computer and had a surreal meeting in a cupboard about the position of a pillar. (Thanks Gail)

Never mind 40-love. For love's sake, lets mind the gaps.