"Around 66,000 children are at family violence incidents attended by police each year.
Many of those children will not receive counselling or other support, despite the long-term problems witnessing such violence and distress is known to cause.
Starting today, a new family violence pilot in Christchurch will handle police referrals, and focus on all family members - perpetrators and victims, including children who may not be physically abused.
The roughly 175 reports of family violence each week in the city will be responded to by an inter-agency team, operating seven days a week."
The little girl
It starts as fun.
My Momma and Daddy drinking,
playing, teasing, tickling
but then Daddy gets angry.
I back away, staring, not wanting to see
but eyes so wide I have to see.
I feel my hands ball up
as I scream STOP inside my head.
Mother
It always ends up like this.
Starts as fun, but anger is always near,
fear always close by.
I wasn't much good at school
but always strong in sports:
I could hit back
but that makes it worse.
And the worst is: I know he loves us.
Father
She always says something stupid
when she's drinking.
She's always drinking.
That gets me started.
Too many people already look down on me: can't read,
a few minutes late,
don't like my language.
Tell me off - talk down to me.
Can't control that.
But at home I will have respect!
Me
Watching from the safe glass window of my imagination:
not my problem, able to inspect the situation,
not daring to think that I might be the same
with the same background.
There is no-thing I can do to help brothers and sisters of the same Father.
But I also know ...
only I can bring peace:
peace in everything I do
everything I say
everything I think.
My ripples of peace touching each person, every thing,
because ripples go out from every human contact
every prayer, every touch, every feeling;
every act of love, of faith, of trust,
each time we forgive, love, feel joy.
It is not my place to know where my ripples touch:
God's hand upon the world.
Always begin by offering your time to God and asking for the grace to grow closer: something like "My loving God, I love you with my whole heart and above all things. I give you this time as I reach out to you, and ask that you guide me now, and each day, closer to you".
The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.
Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.
Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!
Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.
Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?
Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.
Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word PEACE or TOUCH.
You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).
You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.
After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.
Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).
You may need a countdown clock.
At the end thank God, and return to your day.
It starts as fun.
My Momma and Daddy drinking,
playing, teasing, tickling
but then Daddy gets angry.
I back away, staring, not wanting to see
but eyes so wide I have to see.
I feel my hands ball up
as I scream STOP inside my head.
Mother
It always ends up like this.
Starts as fun, but anger is always near,
fear always close by.
I wasn't much good at school
but always strong in sports:
I could hit back
but that makes it worse.
And the worst is: I know he loves us.
Father
She always says something stupid
when she's drinking.
She's always drinking.
That gets me started.
Too many people already look down on me: can't read,
a few minutes late,
don't like my language.
Tell me off - talk down to me.
Can't control that.
But at home I will have respect!
Me
Watching from the safe glass window of my imagination:
not my problem, able to inspect the situation,
not daring to think that I might be the same
with the same background.
There is no-thing I can do to help brothers and sisters of the same Father.
But I also know ...
only I can bring peace:
peace in everything I do
everything I say
everything I think.
My ripples of peace touching each person, every thing,
because ripples go out from every human contact
every prayer, every touch, every feeling;
every act of love, of faith, of trust,
each time we forgive, love, feel joy.
It is not my place to know where my ripples touch:
God's hand upon the world.
Suggestions for meditation
The exact words of the prayer are not important but you do need a firm intention to open yourself to God's input.
Read the mediation over slowly a couple of times.
Listen for the personal message for you. There will always be one word or phrase that will reach into your heart. Think of it as the personal meaning God has for you alone!
If you would prefer a more authoritative reading to focus your meditation try Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
or these famous words of Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,or even the words of an earlier meditation on ripples from me: http://meditations-insights.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/meditation-ripples.html
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion
is to look out to the earth,
yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.
Re-read the passage or the meditation - maybe read it slowly aloud.
Is there a word or phrase that jumps out to speak to you?
Why? Try to put yourself into those words. Maybe imagine Jesus speaking, and reply.
Then spend 5, or 10, or 15 minutes with your word from Jesus, or the word PEACE or TOUCH.
You need a clear intention to empty your mind of random thoughts (you won't be entirely successful but you need the intention).
You might want to begin the meditation using the breathing exercise I suggest in We have two minds.
After a minute or two focused on your breathing, move your focus to the word/s you have chosen.
Each time your attention moves away from the word/s, push the distraction gently aside and return to the word ("without the intervention of analytical thought" as The Cloud of Unknowing puts it).
You may need a countdown clock.
At the end thank God, and return to your day.
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