When The Going Gets Rough

In our years of “coffee shop” youth out-reach work, we put up with being sworn at, occasionally spat upon, and personal property damage. But I can’t think of any time when we felt in bodily danger.

However, a week ago, such an incident did arise. In our 26 years of fund-raising for the Royal Children’s Hospital, we have volunteered our services to sell the Herald-Sun ‘WEG’ Premiership posters. Unfortunately, this year, the ‘out-of-towners’, Adelaide, won, and we were faced with trying to sell Adelaide premiership posters in the face of a rather angry, parochial crowd. Football crowds have always been a noisy fickle lot, but this was the worst I have ever endured. A boozed load-mouth slew our stock off the table, and as I turned, a swinging fist caught my cheek. I must confess, that my immediate thoughts did not include offering him my other one. Fortunately, his cohorts dragged him away and the incident was over as quickly as at started, but leaving my onlooking family and friend in tears. (At least 3 other of our volunteers suffered similar incidents).

I can only thank God that the incident was not a lot worse.  It also reflects some of the major issues in society that the Church must confront, those things to which people entrust their allegiances and the props that are turned to. It is also a reminder that we must surround our missionaries and out-reach workers in schools and summer missions, with much prayer. A missionary does not have to be in PNG to be in danger.

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