Last week, I was invited by our Danish members Kirkens Korshær and Kofoeds Skole to visit some of their projects in Copenaghen. The two-day visit gave me the opportunity to know more about Kirkens Korshær’s Kompasset project, as well as Sankt Lukas Stiftelsen, and the concept Kofoeds School is based on.
The Kompasset is a Kirkens Korshær day-shelter for unregistered homeless migrants in Denmark. About 50 skilled volunteers provide them with both a warm place to stay during the day, and legal counselling in more than seven languages on a daily basis.
Sankt Lukas is a Deaconess institute based in a large building complex outside Copenhagen city centre which includes a hospice, youth centres, nursing home, and a shelter to support women who experienced domestic violence. They are about to start a new project aiming to turn the deaconess experience into a fellowship open to the wider public.
Kofoeds School is an organisation carrying out social projects for men and women according to the pedagogical principle of personal and vocational empowerment. Education, workshop activities, counselling, accommodation, emergency assistance and relief measures are provided to people in need. The project method of the school emphasises the importance of the students themselves being active. The aim is not just to assist people in need but also to help them take responsibility for their own well-being.
While I was there, talking to people experiencing poverty, loneliness, and social-exclusion, I couldn’t help thinking about Paul D. Hanson’s comment on Isaiah 40-66: ‘’The King of the world sends sublime divine beings on a mission of comfort.’’ Indeed, God Himself says <<Comfort, comfort my people>>, giving us a mandate to support each other, and make His creation a fairer and better place to live in.
Many times, those words have led to us asking: Why us? Why so much suffering and death over the centuries? We are far from answering these questions but we are sure that we have been asked to bring comfort and hope to whoever is in need, now, next to us.
This is not an easy task. Because a heart experiencing pain and suffering tends to curl up like a hedgehog to defend itself. Our members know that very well, and patiently try to open up all those hearts and giving people in need some home for the future. Our members are doing this quietly across Europe, despite differences in people’s skin colour, sex, religion or ethnic background.
The efforts of thousands of people across Europe, spending their time and energy to build up a fairer society must be recognised and honoured. New responses to pressing social demands should be developed and implemented with the strong support of national and local authorities to ensure everyone has the possibility to achieve their potential.
In the meantime, our members will continue to work on that together and to comfort ‘’His people.’’
Have a nice weekend,
Antonio