Thought for the Week: Home
Ian Kirk-Smith reflects on 'home'
Homelessness is more than not having a roof over your head. A home provides a sense of place, safety, identity and belonging. These truths are never more evident than at Christmas. It is a time traditionally associated with the word. It is a time when families come together. It is a time when we remember the story of a family in Bethlehem – a family a long way from their home.
Six and a half million people have fled their homes in Syria because of the conflict there. Many have found a kind of safety – living in tents, makeshift shelters and derelict buildings – in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon. As temperatures plummet these refugees face a devastating combination of freezing weather, food shortages and the near collapse of health care services. Children and older people with existing health conditions are particularly at risk. The homeless are mostly women, children and the elderly. More than two million, it is estimated, have left the country. There is talk of a possible famine.
In Britain, homelessness is, increasingly, a major problem. The homeless here are some of the poorest, most vulnerable and socially excluded in our society. After years of declining trends, 2010 marked a turning point when all forms of homelessness began to rise. The delayed consequences of the economic downturn and the effects of some welfare reforms are now beginning to bite.
Friends have consistently addressed homelessness as a concern. They have put their faith into action, in Britain, through organisations such as the Quaker Housing Trust and projects like the Quaker Homeless Action Christmas Shelter. The work of Quakers on this concern is inspiring. It also goes back centuries. So does this magazine.
The Friend has now covered the life, work and witness of Quakers for one hundred and seventy years. It was started in 1843. At that time it featured reports on the plight of homeless people who were starving in a famine across the Irish Sea. These reports helped to prompt decisive action by Friends in Britain, action that is still remembered and appreciated in Ireland today.
The magazine is one of the longest running continuously published journals in the world. It is completely independent. It relies totally on your support and subscriptions. On behalf of everyone involved in the magazine, I would like to wish you a peaceful and restful Christmas. We hope you enjoy this special colour issue.
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