Burypilgrim

It’s a common thing these days to hear criticism of the state of our high streets, often with the phrase, “It’s just full of charity shops and…..”. Well, I have seen plenty of charity shops on my pilgrimage to Bury and I think that there is a different story to tell.

Charity shops are sites of grace and gratitude.

So, there are the volunteers, people who give their time and effort to serve a particular charity. They will be there for all sorts of reasons, perhaps with a personal story of why the charity matters to them, or perhaps just wanting the opportunity to develop some new skills for future work, or just wanting to serve. They give freely.

And, there are the donators, people who give their possessions to benefit the charity. They too will have a range of motivations, perhaps because they care deeply about a particular cause, or perhaps they just want to declutter, or perhaps just wanting to give. They give freely.

And then there are the shoppers, people pleased to purchase things that will benefit a charity. They will be there for a range of reasons, perhaps because they are passionate about reusing things, or perhaps it is as much as they can afford, or perhaps they are seeking an unusual gift. They receive joyfully.

It’s a cycle of grace and gratitude.

So, next time you walk past a charity shop in Bury, or somewhere else, celebrate the kind of society that they represent.