Choosing Vulnerability

On yesterday’s local news we saw a blue plaque, commemorating a child chimney sweep, being unveiled. Yesterday was the 150^th anniversary of eleven-year-old George Brewster’s death…

In 1875,George was forced to climb and clean the narrow chimney of a former pauper asylum at Victoria Park in Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire. He became trapped; a wall was pulled down to reach him, but he died shortly after.

He’s thought to be the last ‘climbing boys’ to have died in England. The Earl of Shaftesbury read about his death and brought legislation that ended child chimney sweeps… and subsequently the forced labour of children in farming, mining, factories…

It’s a story about protecting exploited, vulnerable children…

I remembered watching ‘Fame’ the night before… 11-16-year-olds on a stage, singing, acting. Many, I guess, had never performed before. It wasn’t the most polished performance, but what was lacking in expertise was more than made up for in willingness, enjoyment and endeavour.

Each young person was doing their best. Standing on the stage, lights shining on them, performing. There was nowhere to hide. If they missed an entrance all would see; if they sung a duff note or fluffed a line all could hear.

These weren’t unknown exploited children from history. These were ordinary Lowestoft children, who chose to make themselves vulnerable in front of an audience.

This morning, reading Bear Grylls: ‘When it comes to building deeper relationships with people, I have found that we connect most powerfully with others through our weaknesses…’

I remembered St Paul’s paradoxical statement: ‘…for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’

Grylls describes intimacy as ‘into-me-see’. I’m used to drawing the curtains so others can’t see into my personal space. I protect my privacy, controlling those curtains that allow others insight… Intimacy is about greater exposure.

Grylls concludes: ‘With great relationships the risk of vulnerability has always been worth taking. Intimacy takes courage to share and build. But no risk, no reward.’