Deeper shade of grey | Faith House 16

It’s funny what relationships at Faith House do to you.

Last time I was at Faith House I stood outside with Derek as he drunkenly smoked his roll up, we chatted. I liked being on the door when at youth club in Poplar, it was where discussions happened. This felt the same as we talked about ‘…bl**dy cyclists’! What it is to be a minister, a Christian, and  Derek got to know me a little more and I got to know Derek that little more. We shared something of each other.

I saw his lucozade bottle tucked inside his jacket, it is always there, ready. His supposed life line. He caught me looking at the bottle. I laughed, “Derek I love Lucozade…”

“You wouldn’t like this Lucozade…” his reply sharp.

“It’s a different colour to what I remember, is it new?”.

Derek looks up and says “No…!”,

“…perhaps I could have a sip”,

“NO - you wouldn’t like THIS Lucozade..!”

I snigger and he knows I’m pulling his leg, we share laughter. Later that evening Derek tells us all that he was glad when he was ‘in here’ with us because he wasn’t ‘out there’ with them.

Tonight Derek was cold stone sober, quiet, distant, something was up - but he wouldn’t say. As I left I saw the Lucozade bottle tucked inside his jacket. Tonight as I cycled home and thought through the evening, I was both pleased he was sober but also worried that Derek wasn’t himself, worried that his Lucozade would be too available.

Relationships are funny at Faith House! People quickly become a big part of your life.

Writer: C apt. Gordon Cotterill lives in London, England, is married to Kate and has two daughters Bethan and Eryn. He has been a Salvation Army officer for ten years and ‘cut his teeth’ in ministry with his wife as the corps officers at Poplar in the East End of London. The lessons he learned there in his day-to-day ministry, amid the chaos of the inner city, continue to shape his understanding and passion for biblical and grace-centred mission. His latest appointment as Spiritual Programme Director at the William Booth College, London now offers him the opportunity for the fusion and exploration of ‘mission’ and ’spiritual formation’ while trying to inspire a new generation of Salvation Army officers as to their role in God’s plan for His creation. Gordon keeps a blog where he mulls over themes of mostly, mission and spiritual formation.

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