Uniting in prayer to show that we care

In the wake of the tragic deaths of two police officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) this week, Redeeming our Communities (ROC) is calling on churches across the UK to unite in prayer for police officers across the UK.

ROC is asking churches to commit to a one-minute silence at 11am on either Sunday, September 23, or on Sunday, September 30. This will represent solidarity with GMP, which held its own minute of silence on Wednesday, September 19, in honour of its fallen colleagues.

ROC has been working with GMP since 1998 and powerful partnerships between the charity and police forces across the UK have been forged as a result. 

Founder Debra Green became increasingly convinced of the importance of supporting the UK’s frontline public services following the sad death of DC Stephen Robin Oake, who was murdered in 2003.

Debra says: “The tragic loss of two young police women, Nicola [Hughes] and Fiona [Bone], in Manchester this week has been heart breaking. Our thoughts are with the families and with Greater Manchester Police.

“Chief Constable Peter Fahy described GMP as a family and spoke of the sadness experienced across the force. I cannot praise GMP highly enough and would ask that we do all that we can to uphold them at this time.

“I have just signed the book of condolence and feel more committed than ever before to continue our work. This loss is a stark reminder of the risks policemen and women take every day for our safety and the greater good of our communities.”

Chief Constable Fahy said: “Greater Manchester Police has been overwhelmed by the huge degree of public support following the sad deaths of two of our officers yesterday.

“Our main priority at the moment is to do everything we can to support the families of Nicola and Fiona, who have an incredible amount to come to terms with. Our thoughts remain with them.

“The whole force is devastated by the deaths of Nicola and Fiona, but to know at this difficult time that the public supports what the police do and feel so strongly about the sacrifice of these two officers, is hugely important to us.”

You can register your church here so that ROC can keep track of the vast support across the UK of those standing in prayer with members of the police service.

Read more about Debra and her team’s valuable work in the next issue of Liberti magazine… coming very soon.

How to fight domestic violence the peaceful way

According to The Independent, 19,000 women are forced from their homes by domestic violence each year (based on figures from 2008-09). Around 60% (11,300 victims) find shelter at a women's refuge.

Figures show more than 9,000 women took children with them as they fled their homes, with 190 mothers taking as many as five children with them.

However, around 40% of organisations working with victims of sexual and domestic abuse have had to make staff redundant over the last 12 months and 28% have cut essential services to keep refuge beds open.

The Independent claims funding from local authorities for domestic and sexual-abuse organisations dropped 31% from £7.8 million in 2010-11 to just £5.4 million in the last financial year. Sadly, 320 women turned away from refuges every day!

UK police receive a call about domestic violence every minute, and it is thought that less than 24% of domestic violence crime is actually reported.

The facts

1. Domestic violence accounts for between 16% and one quarter of all recorded violent crime
2. 45% women and 26% men experience at least one incident of inter-personal violence in their lifetimes; however, when there were more than four incidents, 89% of victims were women
3. 54% of UK rapes are committed by a woman’s current or former partner
4. Two women a week are killed by a male partner or former partner
5. At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence
6. Women are at greatest risk of homicide at the point of separation or after leaving a violent partner
7. 44% of abused women are victimised more than once, and 18% are victimised three or more times
8. Domestic violence and other abuse is the most prevalent cause of depression and other mental health difficulties in women
9. Domestic violence has been identified as a prime cause of miscarriage or still-birth
10. 20% of young men and 10% of young women think that abuse or violence against women is acceptable

If you’re among the 80% of young men or 90% of young women who don’t think domestic violence is ok, these statistics are pretty shocking. And if services are cut, fewer women will be able to leave homes where they and their children are in danger.

Many women stay in abusive relationships for years and only leave if they are in fear for their or their kids’ lives, so we should be doing all we can to encourage and support the victims of this horrible crime.

If you or someone you know has suffered at the hands of their partner, encourage them to contact Refuge or Women’s Aid, both of which can be reached 24/7 on 0808 2000 247. Alternatively, they or you can call the police on 999.

Ways you can help

You can donate money to Refuge online or on 020 7395 7713. The charity claims £10 can be used to secure a protection order against the perpetrator; £20 can provide women with an ‘emergency kit’ of basic toiletries and food; and £50 could pay for a psychologist to support two children who have come from an abusive home. If you don’t have the cash yourself, why not do some fundraising?

Alternatively, by buying goods via www.buy.at/refuge you can raise up to 12% commission on your purchases at online stores such as Amazon, Tesco, play.com, John Lewis and M&S. And using www.everyclick.com/refuge to search the internet will allow you to raise funds without you even knowing it! You can even make it your homepage.

Or you can sign up for payroll giving, where the donation comes out before tax is deducted from your earnings. This means that if you give £10 from your pay packet, it will only cost you £8.

Finally, if you have an hour or more a month to spare, you can volunteer. Visit the Working for Refuge page for paid job opportunities or email volunteering@refuge.org.uk.

Read more about issues affecting women in the next edition of Liberti magazine.

My guilty secret

I have a slight obsession with anything crime-related. Cop shows, crime novels, documentaries about serial killers… I even like those terrible American police chase programmes.

There’s something about good triumphing over evil and the exposure of the criminal mind that fascinates me.

So when I stumbled across a free iPhone app called ‘Crime City’ (a real steal!), my fingers started twitching with anticipation. Unfortunately, this strategy game takes the exact opposite approach: it’s all about building up your own Mafia empire through extortion, theft and even assassination. The aim is to collect as much money as you can in order to acquire more weapons, build up your ‘hood’ and attack rival Mafiosi.

You may question how I can play this game as a Christian. But first of all, it is just that: a game. I’m not about to put out a hit on someone for robbing my launderette. Furthermore, there are some hidden biblical principles to pick out (if you look closely enough!).

Firstly, it’s teaching me the gift of patience; something I’m not known for. Each task requires a certain ‘cost’: either to energy levels, stamina or your stash. If you don’t have the necessary items, you simply can’t move onto the next task. Sometimes it can take days and even weeks to get the job done. We often have to wait for things in real life, and practising patience shows that we trust God’s timing, omnipotence and love (2 Corinthians 6:6).

Secondly, it proves that you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7-8). Building defensive buildings and upgrading cash-generating establishments can seem fruitless, but this type of investment often proves crucial further down the line. This is often the case in life – we think a job/degree/relationship has been a complete waste of time, only to find it has laid the groundwork for something wonderful a few years later.

Thirdly, it has shown me the importance of equipping myself for battle. Okay, so I’m not sure we need to be carrying assault rifles or riot shields around with us, but the Bible tells us to “put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). This includes: the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness; the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). These ‘weapons’ strengthen us and protect us from adversity.

Fourthly, it demonstrates that certain tasks/challenges need to be completed before we can move onto the next. In the game this might mean robbing a bank or planting a tracking device, but in our lives it could mean forgiving someone who has offended us; learning from a mistake we keep making; disciplining ourselves to read the Bible when we don’t feel like it; or sharing our faith with someone. There are things in each of our lives that hold us back and prevent us from reaching the next level.

Finally, it reminds us to take what is rightfully ours. In the game you periodically collect money from the businesses you’ve set up – if you don’t, the cash stops building up and rivals can steal it. The Bible says God has given us “everything we need to live a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3), so if there’s something missing, it’s probably because we haven’t tapped into it yet. If you don’t use it, you may lose it!

OK, so I’m going to stop flogging this dead horse now (that’s not part of the game!) as it would be just as easy to turn the analogy round to show how Crime City promotes greed, violence and many other Mafia malignancies. Just remember, this kind of game can be a fun way to spend an hour or two but crime really doesn’t pay!

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti.

Why 600 arrests just aren’t enough

I was thrilled to hear that Chinese police busted two major child trafficking rings last week. According to the government, 608 suspects were arrested and 178 children were rescued.

Good news, I hear you say. And you’re right – every child rescued from the traffickers is something to be joyfully celebrated.

The government certainly did a great job of rounding up the traffickers. A great deal of evidence was gathered and on November 30, 5,000 police officers launched a joint offensive and rounded up those responsible across ten provinces.

But despite claiming this as the "the biggest victory yet for anti-trafficking" operations, it seems to me the government should focus on preventing trafficking as well as shutting down existing rings.

So what could the Chinese government be doing better?

• It could get rid of the country’s strict one-child policy, perhaps. Experts claim many families are desperate to have a son to carry on the family name. This means baby girls are often sold to traffickers, while baby boys are often bought from them.
• It could also tighten up adoption regulations as existing laws for childless couples in China have led to a thriving underground market for kidnapping, buying and selling children.
• It should come up with a better solution for children who have been victims of trafficking. The rescued children in these raids were reportedly placed in welfare agencies – it’s not clear what will happen to them now.

Ultimately, the Chinese – and every nationality around the world – need to realise that children are precious, regardless of gender.

Besides, if everyone has sons, it’s going to be difficult to keep family lines going unless the girls sold to traffickers are subsequently hired out to procreate with the male heirs. This could result in sexual exploitation, disease, emotional distress and even incest!

I understand that different cultures have different perceptions about right and wrong, but I struggle to accept that any parent believes selling a child to traffickers is the best outcome for that child.

What the Bible says

Jesus makes it clear that children are extremely important and valuable to God.

Mark 10: 13-16 says: “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.

“He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’

“And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”

He took them in his arms!

These trafficked children could turn out to be the next Confucius, Ang Lee or… Jackie Chan. Regardless of their destiny, each was created by God to live a life of freedom and fulfilment.

I’m not picking on the Chinese; trafficking happens all over the world, not least in the UK. It’s time to urge our governments to take this issue seriously and to give children across the globe the start in life they deserve.

We may not be traffickers ourselves, but if we turn a blind eye to it we are partly culpable for the mistreatment of children in our own countries and beyond.

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine. 

A big thanks to Bekah for her awesome Haiti blogs!