Wondering Pilgrim

Devious Diggers and Wondrous Widows

A couple of old AIF paybooks and a notebook scrawled with addresses of billets in WWI France came to light in a clean-up the other day. They belonged to my grandfather who died the year before I was born. Handling them once again gave the sense of missed connection. From all accounts, he sat lightly and optimistically towards life, never missing an opportunity to meet, greet and dream of possibilities. His pay books trace his journeys through the iconic WWI battlefields of Gallipoli and Ypres where, no doubt, he participated in action that he and his ilk never discussed. His notebook speaks of intimate and hospitable human connections.

This Remembrance Day my grandfather reminds me of all who are caught up in the great sweep of world events, carried by forces beyond their control, yet are bearers and creators of their own unique responses.

Like the destitute widow mentioned in Mark’s gospel reading today – the one who furtively put all her two coins in the Temple receptacle alongside the contributions of the wealthy. Jesus noted (sadly, compassionately?) that, from her poverty, she had given much more than the paltry gifts of the wealthy from their abundance.

Perhaps she too, was a creative player against a system born of vast sweeping uncontrollable forces. The temple system was exposed to the greed, corruption and political play of less than pious opportunists. Jesus’ railing against the Temple traders and money-changers attests to the familiarity of “the way things worked – but what can one do but go along with it?” The totality of the widow’s gift can be seen as a defiant negation of a system that is rigged against her. In treating the gift to the Temple as originally intended, she is nevertheless aiding and abetting the very enterprise that is exploiting and “devouring widow’s houses.”

She, too, becomes characteristic in Jesus’ teaching – a type perhaps of how Jesus, in the remaining chapters of Mark’s gospel, gives himself wholly to unrelenting forces of power and political expediency in order to bring about the realisation of love’s purpose – the realm of God at large amongst and within us.

When faced with overwhelming forces, whether it be human conflict, the GFC, post 9/11 paranoia, or the technological revolution, it seems to me that my grandfather and the widow of Mark 12 point out our choices – be overcome by the flow or make your own creative gestures that counteract and subvert the deadly discourses.

A Biocentric view of the Cosmos

A View of Earth from Saturn (Photo credit: alpoma)

Our lectionary reading stopped at verse 25 of the Creation hymn of Genesis 1 – before it got to the arrival of human beings on this planet!

This more or less enforced a biocentric rather than an anthropocentric reflection on the first Genesis creation story. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines anthropocentrism thus: “humanity as the central fact of the universe.” In the first 25 verses, life in all its dynamic diversity, before humanity, is the focus.

Denis Edwards in Earth Revealing–earth Healing: Ecology and Christian Theology, makes these points:

Charles Birch (eminent Christian scientist/theologian) posits that a biocentric approach (emphasis on reverence for all life) “leads us to accept human responsibility for the fate of our world” and helps Christian apologists address a historical (and sometimes hysterical) charge of anthropocentrism.
Even so, “according to a typical allegation, “Christian arrogance toward nature”… is the major source of the contemporary ecological crisis. Even those who acknowledge much greater complexity in Christian tradition generally concede that the most dominant Christian traditions have been anthropocentric, in the strong sense of the term.
The most strident tradition is characterised as “Man as Despot” (a misreading of Genesis 1:26-28 and 9:2-3) ie humanity’s role is to subdue (rather than manage as steward) the earth (and exploit it)
Another prominent tradition, “Stewardship and cooperation with Nature”, is based on a reading of Genesis 2:15, The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
“A third tradition is also sometimes acknowledged. Most famously found in St Francis of Assisi, it maintains that “we are fellow companions of other creatures, all of whom rejoice in the beneficence of God.” It can be supported by reference to Genesis 1 as a whole (read with its original theocentric intent) and several of the psalms, where “all the earth sings a new song.”
“One of the major theological responses to the ecological crisis, particularly to allegations of Christian culpability, has been to revisit one or more of these traditions. A significant number of theologians are trying to elevate the third tradition, suitably developed, to a more prominent position in Church and society”

My view is that a contemplative approach to the first part of Genesis’ Creation Hymn seems to draw us away from the heady rush to an egocentric perspective that is prone to project too much of our own inbuilt anxiety, hubris and neurosis onto the cosmos and its Creator. To dwell on the “isness” of the universe and its natural elements, absorbing the divine stamp without the interference of the fact of my human-ness is to invite fresh dimensions of awareness.

Of course, one can’t maintain such a stance for long – after all, my humanity is itself a part of the universe. That’s just it! A part of – not a part from…

Our other reading was from John 1:1-14, culminating with the phrase “… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” The Word that was at the beginning and that is sung through the first 25 verses of Genesis.

See, all you who are worried about being absorbed into nothingness through my rambling – it turns out OK in the end!

A tale of two Armstrongs

Lance Armstrong getting mobbed (Photo credit: ShapeThings)

The name Armstrong has been abroad this weekend – a name common to two unrelated men – one a hero and the other … well, the jury would still be out if one had been called.

The hero, the now late Neil Armstrong, needs no introduction as the first human to set foot on an extra-terrestrial celestial body. Those of us who were around in 1969 remember where we were when he uttered those words on touching space-boot on the moon’s dusty floor: “A small step for (a) man; a giant step for mankind.” History was made in our time, and we actually witnessed it in black and white on the small screen.

The other Armstrong – Lance – is surrounded by controversy. Did he or did he not take performance enhancing drugs? Does he deserve to keep the seven Tour de France titles? Is his refusal to keep defending his innocence an admission of guilt or a pronouncement that 13 years of clean tests and no other charge-supporting evidence is quite enough, thank you? The current impasse sees officialdom stripping him of his titles while the ”unbelievers”‘ nudge and whisper “I told you so!” The ”believers” gather and pronounce their undying support for Lance, his innocence and the great cause for families’ fighting against cancer on which he is now focused.

His namesake, Neil, also had unbelievers to contend with – conspiracy theorists who believed the whole moon landing event was staged.

It seems that whether or not you are an Armstrong, to pull off an enormous, almost unimaginable feat is liable to attracting both belief and unbelief.

Ask Jesus. We’ve been in John’s gospel for a few week’s now following the dramatic dialogue of the crowds, the disciples, and the religious intelligentsia in the wake of the feeding of the multitudes. Jesus’ startling claim : “I am the Bread of Life” ignited controversy that led to many, even among his own disciples, falling into either the “belief” or “unbelief” camps.

Whether or not one believes in either of the Armstrong claims may or may not matter very much.

The fourth gospel’s take on the matter of “belief” does raise the stakes somewhat. It has more to do with what you’re willing to bet you life’s focus on. And the focus to which Jesus draws our attention tends to awaken either attraction or resistance which rapidly transmogrifies to belief or unbelief.

The Sapphires – a response

Cummeragunja Mission has an esteemed place in Australian Churches of Christ history. It was the place of birth and nurture of Sir Pastor Doug Nicholls, an eminent Aboriginal reformer and church leader and, eventually, State Governor of South Australia. Cummeragunja was also a byword for the dire conditions which led to the walkout and strike that was one of several harbingers of Aboriginal activism towards fair treatment and human rights, and that thrust Pastor Doug to the fore in such matters.

The mission forms the background for the Cummeragunja Songbirds, three sisters and a cousin,who, growing up on the mission singing Country & Western, eventually find themselves as The Sapphires, singing soul and rhythm and blues to Vietnam troops. The personal struggles of relationships, institutionalised racism and the legacy of the stolen generations is gently woven into the story – but it is the exuberance of soul music that dominates – the journey from country and western “that is all about loss” to soul “that is also about loss, but more the struggle to emerge stronger”‘ (in the similar words of their manager and mentor, who is also on his own quest for meaning.)

The beauty in the strength of the dominating but vulnerable older sister, the joie de vivre of her next sibling, the defiance and masterful voice of the youngest, and the struggle to identify that marks the path of the reunited cousin makes for plenty of drama within the quartet as well as beyond. There is much in this movie to appreciate, from the sheer enjoyment of the music, to the drama of intra-family struggle, to the sheer nostalgia of re-engaging with the issues of the sixties.

How to Recover from the ‘Flu…

… when you get to convalescing, that is, after the fever breaks. Order some nice Perth winter sunshine (about 18ºC) following a rainshower that leaves everything fresh. Find a (dry) wind-sheltered possy over looking the Indian Ocean. Buy a nice hot chocolate from the beach kiosk that just happens to be open for your convenience. Enjoy for as long as it takes! Let the sun soak right through those weary bones!

PC Blues

No – not political correctness – personal computers. Like the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, when they are good they are very, very good; when they are bad they are horrid! (Incidentally, how PC is this old nursery doggerel today?)

Our more frequent thunderstorms saw the need to replace my desktop tower recently. Ten days after purchase it was flashing red lights and beeps and refusing to start. Pulling out my oh – so- slow laptop, I was able to check some online forums and ascertain that the sequence of beeps meant an overheated CPU.

I rang the helpline and confirmed that this was so – they would arrange for a technician to visit and fix it. Oh but the part would have to be ordered first. Eight days later the technician arrives with the wrong part – the interstate helpline had sent different instructions to what we had discussed. “Sorry, the part we need is not in stock. I’ll put through an order and it should be here in five days.”

That was yesterday. Already the PC has been acting as a paper weight for longer than its lifetime crunching 0’s and 1’s – and it’s not even a month old. I am assured by the technician that the replacement part is superior in quality to the original and that this problem should not recur- which kind of begs a question, doesn’t it? Why not install the better quality part before sale in the first place?

Why didn’t I insist on a complete PC exchange? A cross between dealing with the devil you’ve already got to know to some extent and forbearing to upload all your custom software again.

The days of the stylus and clay tablet combined with the neck-top computer are attractive right now!

Returning from the blogging desert…

I discreetly upload this bookmark to acknowledge an urge to emerge from the blogging desert. Life events and preoccupations (including computer crashes) have seen this blog vacant for a while. The frantic blogaday of 2011 gave away to blog no day for several months in 2012 – a spectacular promise of fireworks that fizzled out in the rainstorm.
Resurrection is a recurring theme of my life’s vocation, so we’ll see what comes of this. The stats kindly provided by WordPress at the touch of a button reveal a steady flow of traffic on old posts, many of which i had forgotten I had written.
To those kind enough to follow this blog – thank you for your forbearance and patience. I’m working on a return!

Receptive Ecumenism

Just spent a wonderful weekend helping host a visit to Perth by Professor Paul Murray of Durham University. “Receptive Ecumenism” is his forte. It is about opening heart and mind across the traditions that identify the diversity of the Christian story yet also divide and fragment its unity. We stand at a time in history where correctives such as programmes, councils and committees seem to lack energy and impetus. The spirit of receptive hospitality, invitation and immersion in the possibility of enrichment by the other is stirring. Great stories, examples and possibilities.

Travelling the Ancient Mediterranean

Ever wanted to travel the ancient Roman roads, working out the cheapest or swiftest journey by foot, donkey or trireme? What’s the most efficient route from Eleutheropolis to Olisipo? Which time of the year favors a sail across the briny? Look no further than ORBIS. You can travel back in time and set up your own travel agency!

Refugees in the dark over security checks – Eureka Street

This article touches on a huge source of anxiety among refugees on bridging visas and living in communities such as ours. A High Court challenge is a flickering sign of hope that our Kafka-like systems will find an inch of redress. The toxic political polarisation that soaks our our waking moments, however, will take something more.

Refugees in the dark over security checks – Eureka Street.