One thing I’ve learnt from the Leveson Inquiry

Today I watched the live coverage of Lord Justice Leveson as he published his long-awaited report on the press.

In his speech he pointed out that the investigation started with the hacking of Milly Dowler's voicemail and expanded to cover politicians, the press and the police. 

There isn't one guilty party here; large sections of the industry and many outside it have been tarnished by this scandal. And Lord Leveson claimed those who had broken the rules had “wreaked havoc" on the lives of innocent people.

Sometimes in life we cut corners or engage in practices that are the norm at the time; often we just go along with things without thinking about the consequences. I'm not saying I've ever hacked the phone of a missing child, but sometimes just by staying silent we propagate certain behaviours.

Remember the MPs expenses scandal, for example. I imagine it was initially a case of someone buying a spot of lunch for a friend on their expenses rather than forking out for it themselves. Who’s to ever know? Others followed suit. It’s what everyone does, so why shouldn't I? Still others kept quiet about it; not actually doing it themselves but keeping schtum to protect those that did. Before long people were putting up duck houses and building moats around their houses.

A more sinister example is the Jimmy Savile scandal. It is now thought as many as 300 people were sexually abused by the former TV presenter; including victims as young as eight. Obviously, Savile's behaviour is reprehensible, that needs no discussion. But what of those who knew what was going on and facilitated it or even got involved themselves? We’ll probably never know just how sordid the whole situation was.

It might just be a small thing to start off with: an employee ‘borrowing’ stationary and eventually embezzling company funds; harassment of a colleague that results in a nervous breakdown or suicide attempt; or a friend’s casual interest in hardcore pornography that draws them into a situation where domestic violence occurs. 

I can't help thinking it would be better to make a stand before things got out of hand. Think Winterbourne View, Baby P and the Shannon Matthews case; why were these situations allowed to take place? Because no one stepped in and said: “Enough is enough.”

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we have a responsibility to do things the right way: to avoid shortcuts and unlawful practices; to stand up against endemic actions and behaviours that we consider to be wrong; and to be prepared to ‘go public’ (by telling the relevant party) as soon as a dangerous pattern appears to be emerging.

Unlike those involved in the phone hacking scandal, we may not be hauled up in front of a panel to explain our actions (or inaction), but I believe that one day we will all have to give an account.

Romans 14:12 says: “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God”, and 1 Corinthians 4:5 says: “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.”

You might think that what you’re doing isn't hurting anyone, or that it is insignificant. But whether you’re the ringleader or you’re simply turning a blind eye, it’s time to get serious. Let’s get a handle on the scandal before it even becomes one.

PS I'm really glad the News of the World has finally gone.

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

Women lose the vote

I’m sat on my sofa, trying to know where to start. Today, after 12 years of consultation, legal wrangling and campaigning, the draft legislation, which would have allowed women to become Bishops, was today rejected. 42 out of 44 of the church’s dioceses have given their backing to women bishops over the last decade and two out of the three houses in the Synod passed the legislation. In the end it came down to six votes in the House of Laity.

It’s a bitter blow for women looking for the Church of England to acknowledge and accredit their God given gifts. I think it’s a bitter blow full stop for the Church of England. Twitter exploded as the result was announced with many claiming that they were ‘ashamed to be part of the Church of England’. The Telegraph describes the decision as ‘plunging the Church of England into its biggest crisis for decades’ with Damian Thompson suggesting that Archbishop of Canterbury elect, Justin Welby faces the prospect of an Anglican Civil War.

It’s not the kind of talk I like to hear about the church. Jesus said that we would be known as his disciples by the love we have for each other. Days like today make me despair – when the church is, instead, known for its infighting, its hypocrisy and its inequality. Today was an opportunity for a part of the church to show that it loved and recognised women the way that Jesus did. But it didn’t.

My prayer is, that in the aftermath of this vote, the church – all of it, really does respond with the love and the grace that should mark us out as Jesus followers. That as those of us who campaigned and prayed for change pick up the pieces to start again, we do so gently if determinedly and that we treat our brothers and sisters as brothers and sisters and not as enemies. The way the next few days, weeks and months are handled will define the church as much, if not more than, today’s vote.

Today a sad decision was made; a decision that seems to restrict women’s liberty. But today’s decision does not define God’s church and it does not define women. Today’s vote does not define me. Or you. It does not stop me from becoming all that I was created to be. It does not stop you. Devastating as it was, today’s vote will, in time, be voted on again and I believe that there will be change. But in the meanwhile, I will carry on leading in the sphere that I am given, I will carry on being a light to the world I live in and I will love those who say I shouldn’t.

I hope that you will too.

(S)he that cannot obey cannot command!

I like this Benjamin Franklin saying, but I must admit that obedience and submission don’t come naturally to me… I like getting my own way far too much. Now I'm studying these concepts at Bible College and it’s challenging stuff.

When I was young and my mum told me not to do things, I often did them anyway and learnt the hard way that she was right all along. I now know that she told me not to do them because she wanted the best for me, not (as I thought then) because she wanted my life to be boring. I'm discovering the same thing about God’s commands.

Growing up in a Christian home, I also knew I should obey those in authority: parents, teachers, church leaders and bosses. I publicly did and said the right things (obedience) a lot of the time as a child/adolescent. 

Submission has been harder for me to learn. Often I outwardly did as I was told, but my heart wasn't in it. I complained about things (sometimes to myself, sometimes to others); I obeyed, but I wasn't fully submitted. This is something I'm still working on.

I am discovering, though, that God’s grace (ability) is what makes us able to obey – we don’t have to do it in our own strength (although we do still have to choose to obey). Jesus laid down His will entirely to do the Father’s will, and this is how we should live. I am also starting to realise that we should be obedient because we love God (John 14:15), and that this obedience should be instant and joyful. 

One area I am particularly challenged in is my driving. When I'm behind the wheel I take on my (earthly) father’s personality. I drive too fast, I get angry; I have even been known to swear. I disregard parking notices and speed limits. In short, I disobey the law and by doing so, I put myself and others at risk.

Initially, I laughed this behaviour off, but I soon came to realise that I wasn't just disobeying the law; I was disobeying God. If we disobey the laws of those in authority – who are in fact ordained by God Himself (Romans 13:1) – we disobey the One who is over all. And until we learn to yield to authority, we will never be good leaders ourselves.

I know that with the Holy Spirit’s help I can put off the old (wo)man with her anger, foul language and so on, and allow Him to renew my mind (Colossians 3:8-10). And the more I meditate on the Word and listen to the Spirit, the easier it becomes to obey and to emulate the personality of my Heavenly Father.

Eventually this should become a natural reaction rather than an adopted or forced behaviour. And Bristol’s roads will be all the safer for it!

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

What’s so special about Justin Bieber’s mum?

Courtesy of Pattie Mallette

A couple of weeks ago I was offered an interview with Justin Bieber's mum. This had two immediate effects on me – the first was that I found myself singing that delightful “Baby” song in my head and have been trying to shift it ever since.

And I’ll be honest about my second reaction, too. Rather than jumping to a conclusion about her, I positively leapt to one: I mean, what on the earth could the mother of this teenage singing sensation have to say that could be of any real interest to me or the magazine?

I did what we all do in situations like this and googled her, expecting to find a couple of pictures of her and Justin prancing down a red carpet or too, but nothing of any real substance. I soon discovered I was wrong.

It turns out Pattie Mallette has penned a bestseller and that she is using her first-hand experience of child abuse, drug addiction and teenage pregnancy to help others. She even has her own Wikipedia page. My views on this rather beautiful young woman were starting to change.

We decided that her story would in fact be of great interest to Liberti readers and her agent swiftly shipped me a copy of her book, Nowhere but Up, which I had about two hours to read before the interview kicked off. I got started right away and was instantly moved by Pattie's story and by the frank, honest way she told it.

This is a woman who has been through a lot. I won’t spoil it for you, but I can pretty much guarantee it will move you; not only because of the subject matter, but because writing it down took guts and must have been painful to do. And because instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself she is determined to use her terrible experiences to give hope to those who have been through similar things.

Now a committed Christian, Pattie shares how her relationship with God has helped her to come through some extremely tough times and how, rather than pretending they didn't happen, she has confronted them and sought God’s healing and deliverance.

I’ll never just think of her as “Justin Bieber’s mum” again, although having a famous son has given her a good platform to share her story (and the foreword he wrote in the book is lovely). I now feel ashamed that I more or less wrote her off before I even knew anything about her.

She is brave, engaging and inspiring in equal measure and, if you’ll excuse the pun, I will endeavour never to judge a book by its cover again. I really enjoyed speaking to her and I hope you’ll enjoy reading what she had to say in the next issue of Liberti magazine (our January to March edition).

If you can’t wait that long, a whole host of other inspiring women have appeared in and written for the current issue (October to December), which focuses on ‘50 shades of freedom’.  It’s a good ’un if I do say so myself!

Blessed to be a blessing

A couple of months ago I heard about an organisation called Bristol International Student Centre (BISC). They were looking for volunteers to welcome new international students to the city and to take them to their new accommodation.

My pointy little ears pricked up. After spending a good chunk of my gap year in Italy, I knew how it felt to arrive in a new country not knowing anyone. I've also spent most of my life relying on lifts as I didn't own a car until earlier this year.

This was the perfect opportunity to ‘pay it forward’. I turned up for my first collection assignment to find three people eagerly waiting, each boasting several large suitcases. Now me and Ulrika (my trusty Ford KA) were a little unprepared for this.

In the end I took two slightly squished Malaysian lads. Baggage was jammed into every crevice, with large cases resting on laps and all manner of things obstructing my gear stick and handbrake.

Fortunately, I've always had something of a cavalier attitude to driving and we managed to find both sets of accommodation (yes, doubters, my sense of direction is better than you think).

I ended up doing several trips, mainly with students from Asia. I even did a couple of house viewings with two Chinese girls who had turned up without booking any accommodation. BISC had kindly put them up with a family for a week, but they desperately needed to find somewhere proper to live.

I'm pleased to report that everyone survived my kamikaze driving, and it was such as blessing to get to know some of these students, who were getting their first taste of English life. Suffice to say my tour guide skills need a bit of work, but I did know where a large Chinese supermarket was, so that earned me a few brownie points!

I was a little sad dropping the last two students to their digs, but fortunately the adventure wasn't over. Another part of BISC’s work is providing meals for internationals at the beginning of term. The first meal is free, and every subsequent meal is just £2, which doesn't even cover costs.

Despite working full time, the guy who ran the kitchen, Charl, had worked every night for ten nights by the time my meal assignment came round. I was really moved by his and his wife’s (BISC coordinator Jacqueline’s) amazing dedication and enthusiasm, which was also displayed beautifully by Jacqueline’s second-in-command, Ruth. They really did work tirelessly to meet the students’ every need.

A team of volunteers had assembled by the time I’d moved Ulrika from her slightly illegal parking spot. Everyone had a dish to make and mine was veggie pasta. It was hard not to compare my progress to everyone else’s (very slow, apparently) and I suddenly wished hadn't relinquished the household’s cooking duties over to my brother in favour of washing up when I moved in with him and his wife earlier this year.

But the dish finally came together, and I think we served about 50 students in all. The food seemed to go down well and it was lovely to see the students getting to know each other over steaming apple pie and custard.

And my washing up skills weren't wasted! Catering for 50 people creates a fair few dishes, so we cracked on with that.

I was even pleasantly surprised to find that one of my fellow washer uppers was a boy who had been in my year at school. I had the privilege of meeting his wife and catching up on what he’d been up to in the (too many to mention) years since we left.

What BISC is doing reminds me of what Christ did during his earthly ministry. He spent time with people, he fed people and he met their needs. He didn't discriminate or turn people away – and his capacity for love was contagious.

I'm sure there is an organisation like BISC where you live. I would encourage you to find out and get involved! It’ll bless you just as much as it blesses the people you are serving.

Read more from Joy in the new issue of Liberti - out now!

Compassion offers Maasai girls a better future

The Maasai tribe is one of the most recognisable tribes in the world, but many of the cultural practices carried out by the group continue to suppress women and even endanger their lives.

Through a network of local churches in Kenya, child development charity Compassion is challenging many of these damaging traditions and offering young girls from the Maasai tribes an opportunity to fulfil their potential.

One of the practices Compassion Kenya is seeking to change is that of childhood marriage. In Kenya, an estimated 42% of girls are married before their 18th birthday. This has a severely detrimental impact on their education, social and emotional development and their health, with pregnancy being the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 18 in the developing world.

Another dangerous custom perpetuated in many tribes is that of female genital mutilation. In Kenya alone, 49% of women are victims of this form of mutilation and the practice is highly prevalent in the Maasai tribe.

Pauline Shonk is a 16-year-old sponsored child who will not face early marriage thanks to her participation in a Compassion project. "I want to shape my future so that I can be of help to myself and others. I want to be a doctor," she explains.

Thanks to the support of her Compassion sponsor, Pauline attends the prestigious Ewaso Najile Girls School, a girls' secondary boarding school that is approximately 70km from Nairobi. Of the 267 students, 21 are Compassion-sponsored girls.

"Other girls [who are not in school] look much older than me," continues Pauline. "They are married and have children at a young age and they face many hardships at home.”

"Illiteracy and lack of exposure has dragged us behind. We have many bright girls who can compete with anyone," says Isaac Teeka, a history teacher at the Ewaso Najile Girls School. "This opportunity to be in school offers them that chance."

By working through local churches who understand local traditions, Compassion can reach out to those who are in greatest need effectively and with sensitivity. It often takes many, many years to see change, which is why the local church is the best vehicle for long-term development.

The landscape of rural Kenya is undoubtedly changing and with a generation of educated and confident young women, it will be better prepared for the future.

Find out how you can support these and other women across the globe by visiting Compassion. And don't forget to mark the United Nation's International Day of the Girl Child on October 11!

Read more about female liberation and empowerment in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine. 

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.