Recently I saw Oranges and Sunshine. It's is a compelling* movie that dramatically reinforces the importance of Child Safety, especially in the church.
If you haven't heard, it's the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovered the secretive, forced migration of around 130,000 children, some as young as four, from the United Kingdom to other commonwealth countries, mainly Australia, during the 50's - 70s. Often told that their parents were dead, many were sent to (religious) children's homes where some were subjected to appalling abuse. They were promised oranges and sunshine, they got hard labour and life in institutions. The film follows Margaret's herculean efforts to reunite thousands to their families and bring authorities to account for this extraordinary miscarriage of justice.
Mercifully, the film spares us images of childhood flashbacks or child abuse. Yet this is the power of the film as it focuses squarely on adults and the affect their childhood experiences had on them. We are reminded that children are trusting, dependent and vulnerable individuals who are deeply affected their whole life by the treatment they receive from adults.
To me, it made me more conscious of the responsibility I, and the church have to treat children well in keeping with the life and love of Jesus.
Ray
*just note, from time to time, there is some very colourful language and the mandatory (not explicit) bedroom scene.
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