Jim Punton ....... we first met when I was running a Hells Angels type club some 35 years or more ago ........ he worked for FYT and has been one of the greatest influences on my life and work. He died about ten years ago.
He was my non managerial supervisor when I was working in East London working with Street Gangs and .... ..... and I was squeezing my lemon dry in my eagerness to communicate and get alongside those passionate, fantastic, violent, professional criminal beautiful humans ........
The concept below has been one of the main foundations to how I aim to live out my life ........ in the past-now-future!
This life changer came in through my mind ..... most of my other learning has come from being with you - becoming with you :-) ....... and experiences which have drip fed and just soaked into my soul over the years ......... the experiential ....... the best of learning ...... the University of Life.
If you read my Mission Statement again you can see the the out-takes from the below cemented deep in that signposting of my life.
I keep this on my desktop with the words 'read daily' ......
Have a slow soak read yourself eh?
Shalom is .......
"a For the individual -
a totally integrated life of health of body,
heart and mind,
attuned to nature,
open to others,
in joy with God.
b Between persons -
sharing,
mutuality
and love.
c In community or society - justice,
dignity,
independence
and freedom,
harmony
and reciprocity,
the contentment with 'enough'
that all may have 'enough'.
It is the opposite to oppression, violence, and selfishness;
it means man/woman as a caring trustee of creation,
having ended exploitation, indifference and irresponsibility.
This is something of the shalom of God
'which passes all understanding',
the total well-being he wills for man - woman
and the cosmos,
the goal of his mission,
the content of his reign"
Jim Punton
