Wondering Pilgrim

Pope Benedict XVI – that speech

Much has been written in the media concerning an excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI’s recent speech at Regensburg which cited a medieval Byzantine emperor’s less than favourable view of the Islamic practice of “conversion by the sword.” I don’t propose to discuss this, but merely to point a very thoughtful treatment by Gil Baillie of the speech and the reaction it has provoked. It is on his blog at http://cornerstone-forum.blogspot.com/ ( now archived under September 15th, 2006).

Gil Baillie is the author of the ground-breaking work, Violence Unveiled, applying the insights of the anthropologist, Renee Girard, to the implications of the applied gospel of Jesus Christ.

Riding the Apocalypse with Bob

According to artist, Robert Brittain, the last book in the Bible is best understood as a visual and visceral experience. The Apocalypse, or the Revelation of John, comprises a vision revealed to the early church pioneer while a prisoner on the Mediterranean island of Patmos around AD90.

Last Sunday at the Church of Christ Wembley Downs, Robert Brittain unveiled a frieze depicting the vision in twenty four scenes. Robert presented the broad sweep of the vision, focusing on key events inspired by the words from the Lord’s Prayer, “on earth as in heaven.” The following question and answer session revealed a high level of interest and engagement on the part of the congregation.

Two lasting impressions were the power of the integrity of the work and the responses elicited by some of the images. Earlier in the week, as the frieze was being laid out to be set up, passers-by offered similar spontaneous reactions. It is a compelling work that invites participation with a body of scripture that is rarely engaged because it is considered overwhelming, threatening and too difficult to understand.

“What is different about this is its lightness – and obvious joyful, hopeful outcome,” said one visitor.

Another starkly notable feature was the prominence of the victim’s suffering negating evil design, first in the depiction of the slain Lamb, and then in all who were blessed through participating in him.

Robert Brittain is available to present his work on enquiry through the Wembley Downs Church of Christ, 9245 2593 or djr@cisp.com.au

Coffe Cup Quote

Someone sent this quote found on the side of their coffee mug:

“It’s tragic that extremists co-opt the notion of God, and that hipsters and artists reject spirituality out of hand. I don’t have a fixed idea of God. But I feel that it’s us — the messed-up, the half-crazy, the burning, the questing — that need God, a lot more than the goody-two-shoes do.”Mike Doughty, musician.

Part of me resonates deeply with this!

Vox Congo

Vox Congo is an African band based in Melbourne and comprising asylum seekers waiting for decisions on their applications for residence in this country. Mark Riessen and his church at Knoxfield have been heavily involved in supporting them. It is great to see and hear of their pro-active and positive stance in circumstances that have defeated so many in similar circumstances. They now run a blog, with Mark’s assistance. Visit it at http://www.voxcongo.blogspot.com/

My "deep mystery of the universe question" for the week.

Latte! A great way to enjoy good coffee without having to be overly concerned about kilojoules. But – someone tell me – why is it always served in a glass and usually without a handle? The glass is usually scalding hot and there must be a suave way of holding it without wrapping it up in a dozen serviettes.

Book sales

The University of WA Book Sale is on its second to last day and I managed to get there. Had to park a good kilometer away and I had nothing to carry books with so assigned myself the task of buying no more books than I could carry under my arm 1km on a warmish day. Ton’s of books to browse through – but I was stretched to find some I could use. The theology section was full of titles I already had or that I had already jettisoned. Ended up with some general Aussie folk-lore stuff – I usually enjoy grazing on such. How’s this for taciturn?

Two swagmen who had been mates for a long time were tramping out west in the wheat country. There were good young crops on either side of them. Harry took his pipe from his mouth and pointed to one of the paddocks.
“Nice crop of wheat,” he grunted.
Five hours later, when they were seated by their campfire, Bill broke the silence.
“Wasn’t wheat. ‘Twas oats.”
Then he rolled out his blanket and went to sleep. The sun was well up next morning. Harry and his swag were gone. Bill found a roughly scribbled note under a stone at the foot of the nearest tree.
“Too much b—– argyment in this here camp,” it said.

Getting kitted out

I’m currently pulling Ephesians 6:10-20 apart in readiness for Sunday’s harangue. It’s one of those extremely visual passages with ready made images from my Sunday School days – the Roman soldier kitted out in battle gear. The Sunday School message was quite evident in suitably modified moral protection terms. Wear the armour that will protect you from unwise choices! Given the universal and cosmic dimensions of Ephesians, however, I see the metaphor dealing with deeper and darker themes. Rather than being tacked on to the preceding behaviour codes as a kind of codicil, this martial picture brings us full circle to the opening. There are practical implications for living out the tensions of the universal vision arising from the cosmic victory of Christ’s reign. The kaleiodoscopic picture of Church triumphant and Church militant merging in and out of each other comes to me. I wonder how helpful and relevant these terms are in today’s context. In Christendom, they presented winning and comforting images to people. In the so-called post-Christian era, however, some other metaphors may be more helpful. We’ll see what my Wednesday night group does with all this!

House of Sand and Fog

Meeting with a book club forces me to read things I wouldn’t normally come across. I wouldn’t normally access books from Oprah’s Book Club, for instance. I’m glad of the opportunity however, for I have come across a range of fascinating material in the form of stories and dilemmas that would not arise out of my normal spectrum of reading material. Take House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, (Sceptre, 1999)

I would not have picked it up in a fit in a book shop – title obscure, not in my habitual book bays, don’t know the author, etc. As “assigned reading” where you know you are going to engage in discussion with your reading peers, however, it becomes compelling.

And in this instance at least, the narrative is most compelling. Set in current day California, it is a story of bureaucratic bungling that brings unsought conflict between the interests of an immigrant family and a lonely woman recovering from a relationship breakdown colored with drug addiction. Each has just cause, neither has a clear path towards resolution. The consequence from unfolding events is a tragedy of Greek proportions.

And this is where a book I would normally have passed by becomes a source of reflection for matters with which I am deeply engaged on a daily basis. I am deeply involved with families and individuals whose circumstances bring them into cultural, psychological and spiritual conflict socially and with officialdom. Heaven knows I get caught up in this myself and have to ask where I am being compromised and “what is the way of wisdom?” What is at stake and what can be surrendered for the sake of the community’s ultimate good? To answer that question in the context of this plot puts each of the characters in a position where the kind of sacrifice they would need to make would be more than could be reasonably asked of anyone. The temptation will be for some to say that the immigrant family should be more flexible, but why should they be the only ones to bend? Particularly when they are assimilating the values of their adopted country?
And does my habitual advocacy reaction colour my own assessment here?

Ahhh, Thomas, so many questions – so few answers!

Church with State or Church vs State?

Here’s a survey being run by the Australian Democrats. Basically it’s asking how involved with each other church and state should be in forming public policy.
It’s at http://www.democrats.org.au/survey2/survey/GodGovt_v2/
Give it a go!
Thanks Michael Bullard for the tip off.

When it all comes together

Church reviews, Celtic models of ministry and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians bring about another of those synchronous moments of which I am quite fond! The Revised Common Lectionary has us travelling through Ephesians right now – a marvelous treatise of a vision of universal community that embraces all – for all are from God and, under Christ, are part and parcel of God’s now-revealed purpose for all creation. Something we have termed the fifth gospel – the gospel of “Wow!” Now how do we live out its ramifications in community – that’s the rub.

Doherty asserts three crises currently facing the church and Western Society generally – the crisis of individualism, a crisis of faith, and a crisis of lifestyle. He seeks the answer in the kind of community spirituality suggested by the Celtic missionary era. Getting pretty close to the kind of society feted in Ephesians, it seems.