Haven't written anything for a while as I've been busy going on holiday and changing jobs etc... After nearly 3 years have left my job at the YMCA which feels very odd. It was the right thing for me to do but I feel now like I've left a big worldwide family and am a little bereaved :-( I have such a lot of affection for the YMCA and it is after-all the inventor of basketball...
During my time at the Y, it got me thinking about what it means to be inclusive and Christian and how we involve those in the movement who may be at a different point in their spiritual journey. There will always be endless debates about the 'C' in the YMCA but something someone once said really struck me - she said that the YMCA is actually what Church should be like and I think in many cases I agree with that... We can have discussions about the importance of 'inclusive Christianity' but in practice, this is really hard to work out - a lot of organisations and churches have got better at accepting and serving those who may have a different faith or lifestyle but inclusion is about more than service. To be genuinely inclusive, you have to be responsive and empower, giving those who are different to you the possibility of managing, directing and influencing. This throws up loads of sticky questions but ultimately, it's the only way forward... The YMCA at its best is trying to work this out and this is why I will miss it. Here's a little photo from World Council in South Africa last year - a vigil that we held for victims of violence in the Middle East and the bombings in Mumbai.
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