Street Preachers v’s Street Guardians. How The Green Team is balancing the crazy.

My first exposure to the Rundle Mall hate preachers was at the 2010 Fringe when, upon entering, I heard a barrage of messages from some smelly guy, in yesterday’s clothes who was in desperate need of a shower and a spiritual lobotomy – it was Fringe time so I didn’t think it was anything strange.

He was on a box (although I don’t think it was a soap box) screaming into a megaphone that created only fuzzled muffled tones. But within the first few minutes I was able to decipher that these guys were all about preaching their gospel of hate and intolerance. It took me about five minutes to realize that it wasn’t in impromptu Fringe show. Anything on the streets of Adelaide in Feb and March could be considered a Fringe show – I was so disappointed that I wasn’t watching some street theater but actually fervent “Christian” dudes believing the crazy they were trying to sell.

Since then the Rundle Mall Street preachers have been creating quite a stir, especially in the media, and with the inability for the Adelaide City Council to stop them from screaming at unsuspecting shoppers, and now with recent reports of them now “preaching” on Adelaide trains.

These guys give me a shudder to the very core of my non-committal, non-practicing, recovering, pseudo Christian spine.

What disturbs me the most (other than their intolerance and crazy talk of God and hate) is that the minority is screaming the loudest. These crazy’s are giving a wrong impression about Christianity to many people.

Most (I say most because I have met some that have embraced the crazy side of the Christian force) Christians are people with a genuine faith and determination to leave this world better than what they have found it.

Enter The Green Team.

In stark contrast to the Rundle Street Preachers, if you continue to mozie on down to the west side of the city and head into the darker edgier parts of Hindley St you may see a bunch of young people cruising around in bright Green Hoodies.

These guys are The Green Team – a group of committed young people from Adelaide Churches coordinated through Encounter Youth (visit HERE.) who wander the dark corners of Hindley St to assist Police and those young people who have got on the sauce a little too much.

I had the pleasure of working for Encounter Youth a couple of times and I still remain impressed. The first time was a genuinely enjoyable experience….the second….was….well…..i digress.

Starting about 10 years ago at the Schoolies Festival in Victor Harbor, The Green Team is an example of what Christianity should be about – less CD purchasing, and less megaphone preaching, and more helping of those who need it.

So next time you are wandering in the City on a Friday and Saturday night, head down to Hindley St and say hi to a Green Teamer. They’re there to provide an extra presence for Police and help those drunk 19 year old girls who stagger out of Red Square get into a cab safely, and to help Police nab those wanker 21 year old guys who feel the need to get their testosterone on with some fisty cuffs.

So next time you see a bunch of hairy, smelly, weird looking dudes shouting their crazy about how God hates fags, and girls who have sex before marriage go to hell, remember these two things…:

They use the bible like a Selleys no gaps filler. They just use it where they need too.

And most Christians would rather wear green than stand on a soapbox. Me on the other hand will do neither and continue to just sit on the fence, point and go…”What is that…?”

If only there was a way the Green Team could make music CD’s and sell them to make millions….oh sorry hang on, that’s not the point.

My bad…

Enjoy.

A.

See a promo video below...its a little lame, but you get the idea. Sorry Jess...