Foodbanks in a land of plenty – World Food Day

Freestore Foodbank tour
Image by Rrrrred via Flickr

 

 

 

By world standards, Australia is one of the best fed countries. In spite of the vicissitudes of climate and a creeping drought line, we produce plenty of food, trade vigorously and respond to appeals for help in world famine trouble spots, sometimes generously, sometimes not as much as we could.

Even the most prosperous nations, however, have people who go hungry and whose children are malnourished. Within the urban sprawl of of our most populous cities and quieter regional centres, where surplus food is tossed or culled, there are families who wonder where their next meal is going to come from.

In the so-called leafy western suburbs of Perth, where old money and young professionals build family nests, there are also those who are down on their luck. The stereotype just doesn’t wash. Within a 5km radius of this expensive piece of real estate, there is a mix of brokenness, hard luck, income reduced by illness, separation, mental health, accident and a variety of human circumstances that overwhelm – whether it’s “one off”, periodically or chronically. And it’s Foodbank – An Australia Without Hunger  to the rescue.

Our local expression is organised by four or five neighbouring churches. Locals know there is a place that’s open on Wednesday mornings where they can go and stock up without charge on fresh vegetables, staples and maybe even one or two luxuries. Donations from the local community, the regional Foodbank warehouse, and a generous citrus orcharder keep the shelves flowing over. A friendly “help yourself” policy sees respectful response as first time clients overcome natural tentativeness at seeking help and slowly become part of the community that gathers and lingers over coffee and cake, swapping yarns – helper and client alike.

World Food Day is a great opportunity to reflect on how much of our life and our community revolves around the hospitality of food – whether its plenteous or meagre. Involvement in the local Foodbank advances such contemplation.

 

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Movie Review: Higher Ground

Cinema 46/365
Image by Blue Square Thing via Flickr

Higher Ground will have limited appeal to those interested in how room for doubt and exploring the nature of faith is accommodated or otherwise within the boundaries of family life confined by fundamentalist brands of evangelical Christianity, All characters are portrayed sympathetically, even those who portray the most obviously flawed expressions of their faith. This does not necessarily reflect badly on this particular brand of the Church, for any part of the Church where power trumps service would come off the same way. When religious faith is used primarily for comfort and security, one still has to meet the vicissitudes that life and relationship strew in the pilgrim’s path. The focus of this film is on one person’s journey, helpfully bookmarked throughout the screenplay by such titles as “Summons”, “Consumed” and “Wilderness”.

It had particular interest for me who, from time to time, engages with others in formal spiritual direction to explore the very kinds of questions this film raises. Others may respond as the only other patron in the session I attended this morning – yawning loudly and walking out half way through!  (Showing at the Paradiso, Northbridge)

Expedient decency

Christmas Island like a prison: Amnesty

Isn’t it funny how the best humanitarian outcome is seen as a government defeat? (See PM concedes defeat in asylum stand-off ) It could have been so different, with government leadership taking a principled stand rather than letting the opposition,  a fear frenzied section of the population and empire building bureaucrats seize control of the discourse. What many of us have been advocating all along – community based processing of refugees regardless of how they arrive, is now more likely to become the default standard for a while. Let’s hope asylum seekers are not punished by freshly conceived draconian measures as a result.

This theme just asked me what I’m up to!

I’m actually trying out some more themes. The green one was a bit hard on the eyes and the one I’ve just changed from was far too busy. WordPress has a number of freebies but I’ll shell out some $$$ if it seems like a good idea. This one appeals to me – easy to read, easy on the eye and you can read comments without having to open another page. Might want to do something about the header.

Acting on a whim

tragedy and comedy
Image by jerebu via Flickr

A whim is an odd or fanciful idea, something kooky you suddenly decide to do, like dress up like a chicken or drive to Vegas.

A whim can be a sudden impulse or a change of mind, like if you go shopping for school clothes but instead buy a pink cowboy hat. Whim is a shortened version of the equally silly soundingwhim wham which means “fanciful object,” like a tiny snow globe that plays “Hava Nagila.” If you go for a drive on a whim, you could wind up anywhere, perhaps even back to the store to return that snow globe.

from http://www.vocabulary.com/  (a great little online dictionary that is interactive)

I just spent $25 to convert this blog to its own domain – one of those occasions where I just acted impulsively without going into the ins and outs over whether there is any benefit (apart from shortening the URL). Maybe I have a hunch that it will provide an incentive for writing more and better. Maybe it signals renewed commitment to this exercise. Maybe I’m more a chip off the old block and am starting to throw little bits of hard earned moolah around more freely in my advancing years, just like my late pater did. Anyway, $17 for an annual registration plus $8 to keep the scammers and moochers at bay is not going to break the bank. And I may pick up a few tips along the way.

The eyes have it!

Strange thoughts occur during the waking moments of the day. This morning, various pairs of eyes paraded across the blank screen of my mind, as if awaiting assessment (or were they assessing?) – inviting, daring, willing me to read them. Here is a sampling – the dream state eyes are replicated by some cropped images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each set of eyes carries its own silent language. Is it a soul language? Contemplate the different pairs of eyes and you receive something different from each – innocence, beauty, wisdom, hope, trust, discernment – and stereotyping not withstanding , it is possible to attribute these characteristics across generation and gender.

What a gift we give each other if we use our eyes when communicating. When in teaching or mentoring mode, I will sometimes say in good humour, “Show me the colour of your eyes!” Such a startling demand banishes coy, deferential or defiant avoidance of eye contact and paves the way for some good locking of rapport.

This is why I am often bemused by those, who, from behind dark eye-shades, lobby for the banning of the hijab “because it hides the ability to communicate.” Try reading a face hidden by a pair of Gucci sunshades! Far easier to communicate with eyes peeking over a veil.

The language of the eyes is no new discovery – it has been around a long time.

Cicero (106-43 B.C.) is believed to have said, Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi – ‘The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter.’

Jesus, in Matthew’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, declares,  Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
Matthew 6:22-23  (Eugene Peterson, The Message)

It was the French, however, who coined the phrase, Les yeux sont le miroir de l’âme. ‘The eyes are the mirror of the soul.’

So, ain’t it a pity that this blog can’t show you a pair of eyes so you can read its soul! But then it could read yours – and you may not be ready or willing for that!

Life happens…

… looks like postaday has gone out the window! It’s over a week since I’ve posted anything on my wordpress blog. I guess this eliminates me from whatever trophy or medal was to be awarded come December 31. Even though there was a sheer multiplication of immediate and insistent preoccupations and layered interruptions that interfered with my daily intentions, followed by the dismay of missing first one, then two days, and finally a whole week of scribing, I felt exhilaration. It was as if some shackles had been loosed. Having slavishly tied myself to writing something each day, no matter how banal, I was relieved to be able to give myself permission to be released. I’ll swing back onto the postaday merry-go-round, but now it will be under my conditions! So, maybe I’ll be here tomorrow and maybe I won’t.

Edit: I knew there was a reason I configured these posts to arrive in my email in-box. I get to see them as a recipient! I’m not happy with the curmudgeonly sounding ending. If my few readers are gracious enough to read this far they deserve something a little more promising, so I will make evey endeavour to be here tomorrow… and the day after!

Manipulating online causes

As someone who occasionally responds to on-line causes, I was arrested by this article:  Uprooting fake online activism – Eureka Street.

It reminded me of how grateful I am that suspicion is an inherent part of my nature. When someone asks something of me, my internal radar goes into overdrive. Up goes the antennae, then the scanning software, always humming along in the background, goes into overdrive. What are they really asking me to do? Are the facts right? Are the facts selective? What is being left out? What is the other side(s) of the story? How does this fit into the big picture? What am I not asking that needs to be asked before deciding to trust this cause?

What I once considered a character blight I now count as a blessing! The on-line causes I have come to support are backed by people or organisations that have some runs on the board as far as integrity and effectiveness are concerned.  New causes that are in sync with my personal and public commitments are investigated, assertions checked against a range of sources, including my own homegrown intuitive savvy, which has taken me a life time to learn to trust.

“Wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove” seems to be a worthy guideline as one negotiates the cyberspace plethora of causes that lobby for our attention.