Dave Andrews

The role of the Protestor incorporates “criticizing” people, when they go “off-script”, “visualizing” their criticism, “acting out” their criticism, through symbols, dramas and demonstrations. Prophetical Protestors are ‘provocateurs who devise creative, subversive actions that confront current scenarios. By providing an alternative point of reference, a visible deviation from the norm, they challenge our imaginations and question the legitimacy of the status quo.’ [1]

My mother was a protestor. I think her propensity for protest was formed in her by her father, who was a Scottish trade union activist in England, and fashioned in her by her faith, as an active follower of the revolutionary Jesus.

My mum was in London, during the ‘blitz’ in World War Two, when the Germans were bombing the hell out of the English and my mum’s own next-door neighbour’s house was blown to smithereens. So it came as no surprise that enemy aircrew, who were shot down, were not lavished with provisions in captivity, out of the scarce resources rationed throughout the city. But my mum protested their mistreatment by getting food from her own rations, taking it to the detention camp and sharing it personally with those prisoners of war. Some people who came to know what she was doing called her a ‘traitor’. She admitted she was a ‘pacifist’, but insisted she was a ‘patriot’ – and to prove it, she ran messages above ground between air raid shelters during the air raids.

It was my mum who taught me that, as a follower of Jesus, I needed to practice justice, protest injustice and be committed to nonviolent direct action. I was brought up not to carry arms, not to use drugs or alcohol, not to hide my identity behind a hood or a mask, not to resort to physical violence or verbal abuse and not to misuse facilities or damage any property in an intervention; but instead to dress neatly and tidily, to act in an exemplary manner, to respect my opponents as well as my supporters, to be strong but gentle, calm and constructive, to use good manners and good humour at all times, to adopt a dignified, friendly approach towards all, to render assistance to those most vulnerable and to offer resistance to the powers-that-be that oppress people.

[1] Tim Catchim ‘The Prophetic Ministry’ – Part 2 http://5qcentral.com/prophetic-catchim/ Dec 12 2017