Welcome

The incidence of sexual abuse in New Zealand remains unacceptably high. The devastating effects on lives of victims is incalculable. hrough this collection of poems and prayers and reflections Emily Hillery has welcomed us into her world of pain and grief and hope. In the same way the psalmists did, here the agony of memories that refuse to go away is turned to lament.

In these prayers we are taken beyond answers to the place of faith and hope and love. Only here, where faith meets faithfulness, where hope meets mercy, and love meets infinite kindness, can peace bring its healing work. For these poems are about finding Shalom, not as a yearning for some distant destination, but as a trusted Companion and Guide who has always been present and whose Presence grows inexorably stronger and sweeter along the way.

In offering us these poems, Emily’s prayer is that we do not remain passive observers of her pain and struggle. There is no journey without pain somewhere along the way; ours may be like Emily’s, or it may be quite different. Whichever it may be, I commend this book to you, and its invitation to welcome into your own journey the God who revealed his healing love to her—and to us—in His Son, Jesus.