Whats a Christian way to deal with not nice people?

[struggling4him]

Tell not nice ppl to go **** themselves

 

[Elena321]

I have been a Street Pastor for eight years, we go out in teams of three or four until around 4 am on a Saturday morning after the pubs shut. We have come across a lot of anger and violence over the years, some of it directed at us, but mostly its drunks being angry with other drunks.

We went through a comprehensive training course first, but the most profound words that have stayed with me are, ‘You will never look into the eyes of anyone who does not matter to God.’

Before we go out, we pray for our town, we pray that God will place in our path the people he needs us to meet, and we pray for the people we will meet. Having asked God’s help, we now have to do something. Whatsoever you do for the least of these brothers of mine, so you do unto me.

We saw a couple of hooligans punching the living daylights out of each other, It can be a risk looking for the good in all people, it can be a risk to treat everyone as if they are Christ. We walked towards them, and stood between them, trying to stop the aggression, I am 67, and the two ladies with me were older, one of them nearer 80.

After the punching stopped the taller lad towered over me saying, your F… Christians, you should forgive, would you forgive me if I stabbed your f… mother and raped her?
I said it is better to forgive than to hate, and the lads walked off.

I cannot explain the profound sense of peace that I experience in times of conflict, it transcends all my understanding. Philippians 4:4.

Next time I was out, the tall lad was with a couple of his mates, they saw us from across the road, he walked over to me and shook my hand, he did not say much, before walking off. This is often how conflict seems to end with Street Pastors, I never really understand the handshakes, hugs and kisses we get after conflict, but it happens so often.

Wow.Where do you get the courage to do what you are doing?
Do you have a method to know when it is safe to be involved and when it would be safer to just call the police?

 

[Eric_Hyom]

Wow.Where do you get the courage to do what you are doing?

I think if you were a big fit lad, with a karate black belt, you might rely on your own courage, skill and strength to get you out of trouble. However, this would almost be the worst person to be a Street Pastor. We put our faith and trust in God, and hand all our problems over to God, the remarkable people who do this ministry are the little ladies in their sixties and seventies.

Do you have a method to know when it is safe to be involved and when it would be safer to just call the police?

I cannot think of any occasions when we haven’t just walked towards trouble, when we see it. Sadly the police have faced a lot of cut backs over the last few years. Sometimes the police are so stretched, that we do not see them when we need them.

We just have to keep giving thanks for all the good outcomes. it seems beyond my understanding, that a few oldies can bring about a peaceful resolution, when a dozen or more angry people are fighting, but this has happened a number of times.

 

[Elena321]

I think if you were a big fit lad, with a karate black belt, you might rely on your own courage, skill and strength to get you out of trouble. However, this would almost be the worst person to be a Street Pastor. We put our faith and trust in God, and hand all our problems over to God, the remarkable people who do this ministry are the little ladies in their sixties and seventies.

I cannot think of any occasions when we haven’t just walked towards trouble, when we see it. Sadly the police have faced a lot of cut backs over the last few years. Sometimes the police are so stretched, that we do not see them when we need them.

We just have to keep giving thanks for all the good outcomes. it seems beyond my understanding, that a few oldies can bring about a peaceful resolution, when a dozen or more angry people are fighting, but this has happened a number of times.

You must all have a very strong faith in God.
To be honest,I would be quite scared to do what you do considering when I have read stories of people themselves being turned on and attacked for “interfering” when they simply trying to help/bring peace to everyone.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

You must all have a very strong faith in God.
To be honest,I would be quite scared to do what you do considering when I have read stories of people themselves being turned on and attacked for “interfering” when they simply trying to help/bring peace to everyone.

We know how Jesus prayed, and we know the death he suffered, so there are no guarantees.

I don’t know how to explain this very well, but both fear and faith are kind of self fulfilling. If you believe yo9u would be scared, you are probably right. If you believe you would have the faith to try, then you are probably right. You probably won’t understand what I am saying, but I would rather be hit, than live in fear of being hit.

I have been hit once, not long after we first started, we were walking by an alley at the back of some houses, two lads came towards us pointing, and saying walk on. I knew we were going to get hit if we stopped, so I said to my partner about walking away. He said have you seen those lads climbing over the garden fence? The moment he pointed them out, I knew we had to stop. We did get hit, but nothing serious, it was just a bunch of angry lads trying to assert themselves.

We are obliged to report any incidents to he police, on this occasion, the police caught the lads and they asked us to make a statement so they could charge the lads. I refused to make a statement because as a Christian we should forgive, and it seemed pointless forgiving someone after they have been punished for their crime. I said to the police, the best outcome for me, would be, we meet up with the lads in a room, they talk, we listen, and afterwards the lads are free to walk away.

It turned out, the most angry lad had never got on with his dad, but then his dad was diagnosed with cancer, after the diagnosis, the lad started to get on with his dad. But dad died within a short time. Often there is a reason for people’s anger, and I believe the lad needed help rather than a police record. We did not know any of this at the time of the incident.

The idea of Street Pastors came about twenty years ago in Jamaica, a friend of a minister was shot and killed by a gang of youths on drugs. The minister asked what was the church doing about gun culture, and it was nothing, he prayed and asked what could the church do? He found a few parishioners who were willing to go with him, and they looked for these gangs of kids to engage with them.

The church should have a role in society, we should be a force for good, I truthfully believe ministries like Street Pastors are incredibly powerful, they take the church out on the streets where they are needed.

The Street Pastor idea can be started up anywhere in the world, it just needs one person with a vision in their community. Most of what we do is just being social, walking vulnerable people home, listening, giving out sweets, water, and we give flip flops to girls who can no longer walk in their heels.

For an idea of what we do, you can search…streetpastors.org/about-us-1/

Just a thought

 

[Rosebud77]

We know how Jesus prayed, and we know the death he suffered, so there are no guarantees.

I don’t know how to explain this very well, but both fear and faith are kind of self fulfilling. If you believe yo9u would be scared, you are probably right. If you believe you would have the faith to try, then you are probably right. You probably won’t understand what I am saying, but I would rather be hit, than live in fear of being hit.

I have been hit once, not long after we first started, we were walking by an alley at the back of some houses, two lads came towards us pointing, and saying walk on. I knew we were going to get hit if we stopped, so I said to my partner about walking away. He said have you seen those lads climbing over the garden fence? The moment he pointed them out, I knew we had to stop. We did get hit, but nothing serious, it was just a bunch of angry lads trying to assert themselves.

We are obliged to report any incidents to he police, on this occasion, the police caught the lads and they asked us to make a statement so they could charge the lads. I refused to make a statement because as a Christian we should forgive, and it seemed pointless forgiving someone after they have been punished for their crime. I said to the police, the best outcome for me, would be, we meet up with the lads in a room, they talk, we listen, and afterwards the lads are free to walk away.

It turned out, the most angry lad had never got on with his dad, but then his dad was diagnosed with cancer, after the diagnosis, the lad started to get on with his dad. But dad died within a short time. Often there is a reason for people’s anger, and I believe the lad needed help rather than a police record. We did not know any of this at the time of the incident.

The idea of Street Pastors came about twenty years ago in Jamaica, a friend of a minister was shot and killed by a gang of youths on drugs. The minister asked what was the church doing about gun culture, and it was nothing, he prayed and asked what could the church do? He found a few parishioners who were willing to go with him, and they looked for these gangs of kids to engage with them.

The church should have a role in society, we should be a force for good, I truthfully believe ministries like Street Pastors are incredibly powerful, they take the church out on the streets where they are needed.

The Street Pastor idea can be started up anywhere in the world, it just needs one person with a vision in their community. Most of what we do is just being social, walking vulnerable people home, listening, giving out sweets, water, and we give flip flops to girls who can no longer walk in their heels.

For an idea of what we do, you can search…streetpastors.org/about-us-1/

Just a thought

Thank you and for all that you do and are…

It gets very difficult… I was assaulted I think four years ago. In the village where there is trouble for me every year of some kind. My reward for helping a man avoid losing everything by helping him with court paperwork.

I am well over 70 and visibly disabled.

That time, I was very lucky not ot be seriously hurt. The Gardai ( Irish police) wanted us to press charges and the man did have some history of violence. but we decided not to press charges. If it happened again then yes. He was ordered not to speak to me or come near me and the harassment goes on .

Never expect any reward for doing right; just do it and trust.

In that case age was ignored. And no I never render evil for evil … How can we with Jesus with us?

 

[Rosebud77]

Erik; another instance… Some Sisters I know who work with the homeless, taking food out to dangerous areas. One Sister although she had been told not to get out of the car did so and was attacked and beaten unconscious;ex mental patients.

Were they to leave her literally to be murdered?