Letter from Clare

We all know the story of The Ugly Duckling, whose "feathers were stubby and brown ". When all the other ducklings saw him they rejected him in the nastiest possible way by taunting and teasing, hissing and spitting, in effect by bullying him, because he was different. The effect of the bullying drives him out of the farmyard, where he finds scant shelter in the long grasses and reeds, which become for him a place of protection and something of a prison. Then one day, he hears a sound unlike any other that he has previously heard, a sound though unfamiliar, that bears a note of recognition and acceptance, and he discovers that he is no duckling, but indeed a very fine swan.

The story of Jesus is not unlike the story of the ugly duckling. He was scruffy, a bit different; he didn’t fit in with a lot of people. He was rejected, spat at, pushed and shoved around. He wasn’t alone, his friends and many of the people he came in contact with experienced the same sort of behaviour from others, because they were different, but Jesus helped them to discover and hear the call of Gods love, that told them they were loved and special.

The story of the ugly duckling and the story of Jesus, are not just stories, they are reflections of real lives, expressing in story form, the brutal pain of rejection, that many still experience today. The work of Jesus was a work of healing and inclusion, rather than exclusion, and the same is true of the work of The Children’s Society, who work to bring healing to children and families, who have experienced the pain and isolation of rejection, not least for children, who know what it is to be bullied. The story of Sean, now aged 14, who has suffered bullying since primary school, illustrates their work. At Secondary school, Sean made a good friend, in Liam, but when Dale accused Sean of stealing his game cards everyone in the class turned against him, even Liam. Sean was alone again and in danger. " I was constantly threatened in class and on the way home they’d hurl bottles at me and punch me in the ribs and stomach. One day I went home with a broken nose and a split lip." Sean was one of the lucky ones, in that The Children’s Society ran a drop in project at his school and through gentle working with Sean, they have been able to bring some healing to his life and equip him with the skills to deal with any future instances of bullying.

The Christingle Service on February 2nd at 3.00pm in St Mary’s Earl Soham is a service that gives thanks for the work of The Children’s Society, and enables us to support its work by making an offering for children such as Sean and many many others. Please will you come and help us in this way. We look forward to seeing you, young and old, not just children, its a service for people of all ages, who pledge themselves to work with Jesus, in bringing healing and light into our world.

Clare