Paris Brown

Paris Brown

According to the press Paris Brown the newly appointed17 year old youth police and commissioner has resigned. A good job too. How can we have someone who is ill thought out, homophobic and crude working for the police? It is a disgrace she should hold such a position paid for by the community. She has let herself down by using social media, that form of communication that seems to be so helpful until we press send before we think.

One moment. I need to say I am relieved that when I applied for my job as priest of Pype Hayes my new community did not trawl through every word i have ever said.  When I went to my training incumbent I felt compelled to tell him I had done many things in my life that I was not proud of. He assured me that these events would shape my life and ministry.

Paris Brown offered herself for public service a fine thing to do. The commissioner believed in the position and possibly Paris so much she was willing to give her £5k of her own money. There are so many things we can learn from this event.

Be careful what the crowd call for they are not always right, we need not be guided by the volume of the crownd.  Where was this girls mentor; her guide, advisor and protector. As a mechanic I had many apprentices and my role was always more than nuts and bolts,many times  mentor and friend.

And finally (there could be more) where is the new start in life? I am almost in tears writing this that at 17 years of age there is no new start no sorry can I start again tomorrow? The police force should have been firm and stood by their decision to appoint Paris. If I, like Paris had been held accountable for all i had said and done at 17 without a new start where would I be today? I am a very minor priest in a very minor parish serving my community. I thank God I was given the possibility of a new start to leave the shit, shame and mistakes of my life behind, for that I am eternally grateful. I wish we could say the same for Paris.