By Revd Tim Blewett
Good morning.
Last night about fifty people - that's 50 individuals - sleep rough in Leicester. It's got worse this year. Outside of London, Leicester as a city has one of the highest numbers of rough sleepers despite the work of charities and the council.
Giving people help though - and Action Homeless and others are providing emergency beds - is only part of the solution. The solution is found in valuing people.
But to value people we need to see people as individuals.
There are as many different reasons for rough sleeping, as people who sleep rough. Everyone deserves to have their story heard, to know that they matter and have something to contribute, to be encouraged to flourish.
No-one deserves to be unwanted by society - and sadly what we as a society said to those fifty individuals sleeping rough last night is that 'you don't count' - because we didn't give them hope last night. We, as a society, left them on the streets.
So what can I - or you - do to change attitudes?
To show we care?
To make a difference?
Give everyone your full attention - don't take them for granted - be interested in them - their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows.
Encourage everyone to flourish.
This is the society we all want - it's what my faith is all about, it's what Jesus did - and don't ignore the fact that fifty individuals will be rough sleeping in Leicester tonight.
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