CHRISTIAN COMMENT Small things can make a difference

“SMALL things make a difference” says the post-it-note.

It’s been sitting on my desk for the past week.

On the one hand it is probably left-over from a talk, scribbled in haste so that I wouldn’t forget to say it.

On the other hand it speaks to me every day of the importance of things that might appear small but are really important.

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For example, at the end of last week I had cause to visit three small retail establishments.

In all cases the people serving me entered into conversation, passed the time of day and treated me like a human being, as opposed to someone who was just there to boost their profits.

I doubt now that they will remember me but their acts of politeness really made a difference.

They stand out against the backdrop of today’s society which moves at such speed and where, if we are not careful, people are treated in a similar way to products.

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This was a sentiment which was expressed at a recent conference I attended entitled, Active Communities Against Trafficking.

It brought together, among others, politicians, representatives from Sussex Police, Stop the Traffik personnel, local interested business people, charities, concerned community individuals, and church and school representatives.

We listened to the plight of some trafficking victims, found out about trafficking in our region and began to think about what we can do about it.

Perhaps the first thing we can do about it is acknowledge that it is happening in our area.

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People are abused, exploited, enslaved and traded in our region – this problem is not something which happens out there but here and now.

All of the agencies involved made a plea for us to be active citizens/good neighbours.

I was struck by the way that many of the projects we learned about have grown from small beginnings – a smile, a card with a telephone number printed on it, a few words that over time led to a disclosure being made.

There is more information and lots of ideas for action on the Stop The Traffik website.

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Why not make it a priority this week to become more aware of those around you, check out Stop the Traffik website, resolve to make a difference?

God reminds us in the Bible that our action or inaction on behalf of others doesn’t go unnoticed.

If you are worried that your input won’t make a difference because it is too small, remember what a tiny mosquito can do in one night.

James Bamber

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