Afflicted in all their afflictions

A quick catchup of Jon Birch’s wonderful Onoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus, where I found this gem. What role will our faith play in our lives in the troubled times ahead? As the wheels come off various wagons, where do we expect to see Jesus? In the comentary box, or among those who are hurting? There used to be a ghastly Harry Enfield character whose catchphrase was “You didn’t want to do that...” As various chickens come home to roost, I hope Christians will find other, more helpful, things to say than merely the bleeding obvious:

ASBO Jesus Discussion Starter 506

Hmm...

Blog confronts self-harm: doors open

Designer Jon Birch’s wonderful ASBO Jesus Blog, which I’ve encountered from, among others, Ian MacDonald and David Keen, opens the windows on self-harm — something we’d all rather ignore. A few years ago, having come across it bigtime in HMP Reading, I gradually tumbled to the fact that a much-respected adult friend in my parish was self-harming. There’s so much silence around this — Once people began to acknowledge what was going on, my friend found they had friends beyond embarrassment, and gradually began to recover the big picture from the grip of their need for temporary relief. There’s a sense in which this is just the tip of an iceberg — the struggle to love ourselves, commanded in the Bible. It’s a tiger we’re all struggling to ride, and the recognition of a common humanity, one way out, begins with the courageous open door offered on Jon’s blog.