Dear Inner Circle,

It’s happening! The outpouring of goodwill melts our battle-weary hearts. Young children come through our front door having bought a present to be given to some other child who has less. People stream through the front door with offers of help – undies, socks and razors in the hands of loving people who’ve been saving up in order to make a practical difference for those doing it tough – donations of food for our street party on Christmas Day flood into the place – companies ring and ask what quantities of prawns or other goods we require – we just say a number and it arrives here by truck – no charge. Volunteers overwhelm us with more offers of help than we can possibly use. It’s impossible to witness the sheer volume of goodwill without being moved and inspired.

While most wind down for Christmas, we wind up. Yesterday there must have been a couple of hundred people in our building at various levels, engaged in community celebrations or end of year functions. As I walked into one of the functions an Aboriginal man embraced me and said with tone I’d not heard in his gravelly voice before, “My family is here”. Suddenly I noticed that there were quite a few younger people and a handful of young children in the room. With every passing second, the look on the old man’s face glowed with intensity and pride. I complemented him on having such a fine collection of young children that clearly reverenced him as a relative and senior person in the family and a big singular tear ran down his lovely face. It’s a rough time of year for many but at the same time and without denying any of the toughness, there is a wave of well-wishing that gathers up many to lift and inspire.

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Dear Inner Circle,

Yesterday, a lovely young woman approached me and, with some embarrassment, passed me a note. The note said that she had wanted to say “hello” to me all year but that every time I came close, her anxiety levels went through the roof, leaving her paralysed and feeling rather silly. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her that her note meant more to me than if she had given me a bag full of cash. We made our first resolution for 2017. Every time we see each other, we’ll take a second to step into each other’s face, and say, “Hi”.

The most surprising thing about this time of year is that it actually surprises me. This past week or so has been as tough as we ever see it. For people who are lonely and struggling with demons, the Christmas season is the hardest time of the year. It’s a season of screaming. It's the season of overdose and psychosis. It’s bizarre because it comes in the context of well-wishing and exchanging of gifts. Raised voices have been a constant accompaniment to life at Wayside this week. I’ve seen fist fights. I’ve seen arguments between a person and a power pole. I’ve seen someone trying to make love to a tree. I know I’m a Christian minister and that I ought to be towing the company line at this time of year but honestly, I could do without all the heartache.

Keep reading here.

Dear Inner Circle,

Walking out of the building late this week, a young bloke yelled out, “Where you off to now Rev?” Feeling a bit overloaded, I yelled, “I’m off to drown my sorrows in alcohol!” “Aww good plan Rev,” he said. I turned back and said, “Seriously, I’m just off to another meeting.” He said, “Seriously, the first plan is better!”

Gold beyond calculation is deposited in the people on the Wayside team. The unromantic work of sitting alongside people in their worst moment is the kind of thing that most people would engage in perhaps just a few times in their life. But it is a part of our every day, every hour, every moment. Working at Wayside isn’t for everyone but we can be thankful for the living treasures that do work here on behalf of everyone. As we approach the end of another year, my voice chokes and my fingers stop over the keyboard as I ponder the unmeasurable kindness delivered in countless small acts. The staff and volunteers in our café and on the front desk. Angels all. Our staff and volunteers in the Aboriginal community who will be marching this weekend as their hearts burn about the issue of black deaths in custody. I’m in awe. The Twilight team who have turned our most difficult times into our most effective. Amazing. The people who work in our mental health program; so careful, so sensitive, so purposeful. Our ‘pathways’ people who achieve miracles in helping people’s feet to move. Our facilities team in the never ending job of cleaning and maintenance; some of these folks are human wonders who have stepped out of the deepest hole to find their way to proper employment. For those who have pioneered new services at Bondi, including those working in a cutting-edge way on physical health issues such as exercise and diet. You should be the talk of the health system as you show how effective healthcare can be delivered from the footpath. Our youth workers who walk the street at night and intervene to get...[read more]

Dear Inner Circle,

A face that could melt any heart met me at Wayside this morning. I love this bloke. I could take him home. Many times over the years we’ve found accommodation for him but his mental health occasionally causes uproar that sees him on the streets again. The last time we met, he raved about the kindness of those who ran the aged care facility in which he was placed. Today’s news however is that he is sleeping at Central Station. An outburst last week caused staff to draw a line that excluded him. His outlook is positive already and we clinked our coffee cups to toast four years since he drank any alcohol. We clinked our cups again and toasted 11 years since he’s been to jail. We clinked our cups one more time when he said, in spite of this recent set back, he didn’t self-harm. His arms show evidence of many hundreds of scars and it’s clear today at least, that he’s not bashing himself up for his failures which is a wonderful and significant achievement. I’m cheering for him.

In the café this morning a young person looked across from the other side of the room in a way that made me think they were aching to say something. I acknowledged the face which responded with a beam. “I’m off to work,” the young woman said. “I didn’t know you had employment,” I said. It suddenly became rather obvious that she was wearing a Woolworths shirt with prominent logo. “I just started. Our Pathways Worker Mandy got the job for me.” I said, “I bet she lined up the right things and then you got the job for yourself”. “Yeah,” she said with a sudden look of shyness. She told me that it wasn’t just about money but that she felt like a productive member of the community because of her job. “Do you stack shelves?” I asked. “No,” she said, “I’m a product replenishment officer… so I suppose the answer is ‘yes’ but I like the way I say it better than the way you say it.” “Any way you say it,” I said, “I...[read more]