With the much reported increase in gang related violence and deaths amongst young people in Britain today, our inner cities are the last place one would expect anyone to go looking for God. But ‘urban pilgrims’ Dave Wiles and Tim Evans are on a mission to discover the truth about youth and spirituality in some of Britain’s most troubled communities.
Avoiding more traditional holy sites, their 285 mile ‘pilgrimage’ will see them meet with young people from the Hartcliff area of Bristol, Kitts Green in Birmingham and Newham in the East End of London, as they attempt to find an answer to the question ‘Where is God?’. It’s a bit of a change from the day job – when they’re not wearing friar’s smocks, Dave and Tim head up national youth work charities Frontier Youth Trust and Worth Unlimited respectively.
Inspired by Franciscan friars, who will be providing hospitality to the travelers along the route, the pair plan to travel light, carrying no cash, wearing simple clothing and a ‘Tau’ – symbol of service to others.
Dave explains: “Pilgrimage doesn’t have to be about going somewhere remote to encounter God. The work of both our organisations is about meeting with young people who are ‘on the edge’ of our society. We wanted to make our pilgrimage to the places where thousands of young people live out their daily lives – and to explore whether God can be found there.�
The pilgrims will be holding an open session on the question ‘Where Is God?’ at Hartcliff Community Centre in Bristol on June 17th, and all young people are welcome to attend. The session will be informal, with opportunities to take part in creative arts activities, games and discussion – or just have a chat. They will also be visiting schools in Kitts Green and Newham to talk with the pupils there.
And for those who aren’t on the route, there’s a novel way to join in – a text or phone messaging service for God will be available for the duration of the pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage Dates: 17th – 19th June 2007
Open Session: Hartcliff Community Centre, Bristol, Sunday 17th June 4 pm
Text God: (Available 17th – 19th June only) 07799 108339
Phone God: (Available 17th – 19th June only) 01225 480973
More Info: Jo Fitzsimmons 0121 687 3505 or email frontier@fyt.org.uk