Start:Stop - Social Poets. Celebrating the foundation of The Samaritans.

The Good Samaritan, Jared Small, 2013

You can listen to an audio recording of this reflection at this link.

Two weeks ago Pope Francis addressed a meeting of those working to promote social, economic and racial justice across the world. He described them as Social Poets, because they are creating “hope where there appears to be only waste and exclusion.”

The recent history of St Stephen Walbrook owes a great deal to one such social poet; Chad Varah - who on 2nd November 1953 took the first call from someone contemplating suicide, on what became the world’s first telephone helpline. The organisation that we know as The Samaritans was born.

Our Bible reading is the Parable of the Good Samaritan, from the Gospel of Luke.

Songs for Suffering - Psalm 6

The first telephone used by The Samaritans, on display at St Stephen Walbrook, where the organisation began

How long?
Time
Stops.
Life & love leached through red eyes.
Drained from my nose.
And even that's clear - nothing of substance!
Suffocating in my swollen face.
The cracked voice of a broken body gives
One
Last
Hoarse
Cry.

Save me.

What changed?
He listened.

(A paraphrase of Psalm 6)

Start:Stop-One Small Step

Good morning and welcome to Start Stop. This morning we will be reflecting on the first Lunar Communion, the link between St Stephen Walbrook and the space-faring adventurer Dan Dare and how for many Christians today the freedom to celebrate communion seems like a world away. We begin with a short bible reading which can be found on page 117 of the New Testament.