In the first of a new a series of articles taking an in-depth look at stories of God’s work in our city, Liz Day reports on The Besom in Norwich, a group of Christians from local churches coming together for prayer and social action.
We all know that charity is a cherished Christian value. But somehow it’s got caught up with a negative image of the Christian ‘do-gooder’, dishing out help with one hand and moral instruction with the other. As with all stereotypes, it’s a largely unfair generalisation tinged with prejudice, and yet containing a ring of truth. What is it that leads people to be distrustful of a certain kind of Christian giver?
There’s the brand of evangelism which historically has proved so disastrous – zealous Christians imposing their views on others, often with ignorance about the cultural context of the other, and with arrogant presumptions about their needs. Then there’s the kind of giving that ignores the structural injustices that lead to conditions of poverty in the first place, and that fails to see damaged and needy people in the context of a wider social malaise, and in so doing perpetuates the suffering it seeks to alleviate.
Of course, this is only one side of the story. History is full of individuals and movements that have become iconic representations of the love of God – Mother Theresa, Dorothy Day, Brother Roger of Taize, Jubilee 2000 and Christian Aid, to name but a few. And in our own city Christian social action projects minister to those in need, and the generosity and selflessness of ‘God-in-us’ is manifested in countless hidden ways.
Yet the stereotype of the Christian ‘do-gooder’ persists. Perhaps at the root is a lack of awareness about the reciprocal nature of giving as a relational and somewhat paradoxical process whereby the ‘giver’ often receives more than the ‘receiver’. Without a degree of equality in the exchange, giving can be disempowering – dishonest at best and abusive at worst.
So how is The Besom different? “The Besom is a service to those who have, a service to the Christian giver,” says Duncan MacInnes, one of the trustees of The Besom in Norwich. “The idea is it might soften Christian hearts in our city to the poor and that might make a major impact. Helping the poor is a bi-product of the main focus of The Besom which is working with Christians.”
Founded in London in 1987 by James Odgers, there are now over thirty Besoms in different parts of the UK and a couple overseas. The Besom works from the grass-roots up and across denominations. The name – an old English word for a broom made of twigs – represents the concept of “sweeping away suffering”. Through prayer and active discernment, giving becomes a distinct kind of worship, a tangible means of loving not just with words, but in truth and action (1 John 3:18).
It’s not always easy to communicate the subtle principles behind the work. That’s one of the reasons The Besom doesn’t go in for the usual forms of publicity. A person, for example, offering a cheap source of second-hand furniture is simply missing the point. “It’s about you in your heart asking: what do I really want to do for others?” says Duncan . “When you’ve thought about it and prayed about it, and then you offer it and the Besom pass it on with love, then amazing things can happen.”
The philosophy behind The Besom goes against the tendency in our society to quantify and commodify human need, to reduce people to statistics that can be solved with money and things. It’s refreshingly counter-cultural, and through this outworking of faith-in-action, so-called ‘coincidences’ occur with such regularity that they have become the norm.
Time and again, for example, a piece of furniture given with discernment and with love becomes a blessing, often matching existing furnishings exactly, and fitting just right – up the stairs, through the doorway and into an alcove. Similarly, Duncan tells the story of the family to whom The Besom delivered a freezer, only to discover they also needed a fridge. “We’ll pray for a fridge” they said. Sure enough, that Sunday someone offered a fridge. “He never expected us to come back,” says Duncan. “He was really impacted by the fact that we’d been true to our word”.
As well as giving things, connections are forged that can sometimes have a lasting impact. Duncan (pictured left) tells the story of a man who had been thinking of committing suicide when The Besom showed up. Though ‘preaching’ is not part of the deal, sometimes exchanges can lead to conversations about faith and religious experience. On this occasion it seemed appropriate to offer prayer and a listening ear. The Besom also provided curtains for his bare windows and a bespoke fitting service, all of which contributed to uplifting him during a very bleak time.
Then there’s the story of Ruth, a woman living alone with a debilitating health condition. Helen had offered a lovely table, and after two months, a home was found for it in Ruth’s flat. It immediately became apparent that Helen knew Ruth from a previous work situation and they reminisced about mutual acquaintances, and discovered a common interest in music. Ruth accepted the invitation to join a local women’s church group; Helen offered guitar lessons; and the women’s group are planning to paint Ruth’s flat. The offering of the table became the catalyst for all kinds of rewarding connections to unfold.
Finally, there’s the story of the 17-year-old, four to five months pregnant, living alone in an empty flat with nothing, and sleeping on the floor. As Duncan relays the story, he becomes visibly moved as he remembers the impact of their visit: click here or see below to hear an account of this visit.
These and countless other stories have taught them, Duncan says, how God cares for everyone, even down to the smallest detail. A kind of alchemy occurs when certain conditions of the heart come together with opportunities for active service. Givers and receivers alike get a powerful glimpse of the incalculable care and generosity of God, and how we can all become agents of that grace and, in so doing, increase our own and others faith. The Besom makes it their business to facilitate this process, and the result is often something pretty close to miraculous.
James Odgers remains a guiding inspiration behind the work, leading teaching sessions at the London Besom on topics such as money, discipleship and social justice. He is the author of ‘Simplicity, Love & Justice’, a discussion course inviting people to examine their lifestyle in light of the gospel of Christ. “It’s a demanding course and asks some very searching questions,” says Duncan. “It should come with a warning: this could seriously impact your life.”
James Odgers is a visionary with a passion for restoring the bonds of community which, in our country, he believes have been eroded by successive government policies and by the onslaught of consumerism. What remains is a mere semblance of community, where people are thrown together through circumstance “like leaves blown together into the corner of a courtyard.”
Our new postmodern forms of dispersed and virtual communities just don’t hit the spot. Real community, he says, is founded on mutual trust, and this can only be built, painstakingly, faithfully, by face-to-face encounter. It is about belonging, commitment, equality, boundaries, interdependence and sharing. “Now for a community like that, anyone would give up their cherished individualism, since it is there (and only there) that we experience love.” In such a community, says James Odgers, there would be no one in need.
The Besom is a call to a renewed understanding of Christian giving that is first and foremost about community. It is about building bridges and reaching out to those on the edge in order to realise the gospel imperative of inviting all into the radical and compassionate embrace of Christ. As Duncan succinctly puts it, “for mission you don’t have to cross the sea, you only have to see the cross.”
Of course the cross is here in our city. Mission in the form of projects like The Besom help us recognise the crucified Christ suffering in our wounded and deprived brothers and sisters; and the risen Christ in our midst, creating miracles through our acts of faith, and restoring our broken belonging, one to another, heart to heart.
The Besom in Norwich welcomes prayerful offerings of service and high quality goods. If you would like to find out about how to get involved, contact 07731 411553 or visit the website www.besom.com
The names in the stories have been changed to protect confidentiality.
