Halt's Maul, jetzt kommt der Segen

"Relationship invalid," "fully wired," "poor in language," "violent" – such carelessly used adjectives are quickly at hand when it comes to characterizing social "problem children." Is it even possible to engage in conversation with such children? Absolutely, especially when discussing topics of religion and faith. The author vividly depicts the rough and harsh everyday life of neglected children – a life marked by verbal and physical violence, but also by deep existential questions and enduring hopelessness. Her long years as a religious education teacher at special needs schools have allowed the author to develop a sensitivity for the presence of the "sacred in the coarse," for "God's love in the stable," and for the "God who is with us even in the dark valley." Her reports teach us to see the "flower in the mud," the "angel in a T-shirt," and the "monk in combat gear." In doing so, she does not aim to conjure up a perfect world but rather to inspire the search for healing in the world.