Wondering Pilgrim

God sanctioned infanticide?

Genesis 22:1-14 is one of the texts up for tomorrow. Although I’d rather spend time on Matthew 10:40-42, the call of YHWH on Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice is the one that will have everyone asking questions.

“What sort of a God would ask this of a parent?” we ask. The fact that we do not ask the same question as we send our sons off to war or sacrifice our children’s environmental health on altars of economic expediency does not lessen the impact of this ancient story upon us.

It’s often told as a story that illustrates the superiority of blind faith. There’s more at stake here. In the big story, Abraham and Sarah represent those who are the recipients of a fragile promise of continuing life. For Abraham, it is through the long awaited gift of a son and thus future progeny. Now he is asked to surrender the evidence of even this slender hope. He is fully present both to the provider of hope and to the apple of his eye, Isaac. When YHWH speaks, and when Isaac questions, Abraham’s words are the same “Here I am.” The narrative understates Abraham’s emotional state of mind – in fact doesn’t discuss it at all. It’s left for the reader to imagine the anguish of proceeding in trust “that God will provide” even though circumstances seem to cry out and contradict such a stance.

Abraham’s testing – the cruel craftiness of a capricious Creator?
Or a setting that provides encouragement for those who ponder providence?

Super 8 – a movie review

Not my normal pick – sci-fi with a lot of teenage angst thrown in. But it’s the late 70s and there’s enough nostalgia for the technology of the era to catch a baby-boomer’s attention. Directed by J J Abrams, it seems to have been inspired by the “coming of age” flicks of the era. I detect a nod, however, to the themes that I have noted before in 21st century cinematography – the quest to overcome alienation (an alien is even the star turn here!) and the role of shadowy government agencies in “protecting” the population. However we won’t go too far there – it’s basically a good tongue in cheek romp that pokes fun at some horror and sci-fi genres. 7 out of 10!

Toiling against the spin…

There is an unsound mythology surrounding Australia-bound asylum seekers that is taking a few hits this week. Tonight SBS will screen the final episode of its three part series, Go back to where you came from. There has been much conversation around my neck of the woods as folk from all walks of life have been responding and identifying with the six “pilgrims” seeking or avoiding the truth of the well-beaten refugee path.

The media is also slowly chipping away at the so-called Malaysia solution that consigns 800 hapless arrivals to Malaysian detention in exchange for 4000 “proven refugees” for resettlement in Australia. Information continuously seeps out, such as Malaysia-bound detainees ‘denied medical care’ – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), contradicting government spin on how altruistic this arrangement is.

Online petitions are hitting social network sites and indications are that there is a surge of support for a more humane policy with regard to “irregular maritime arrivals.” Time will only tell when those in power judge it politically expedient to revert to more humane policies.

Constant dripping wears away the stone.

Grim statistics

CSIRO scientists have established a raw data page to counter accusations that their work is “not real science” – see it at aptly named Cape Grim Data.

I guess it is very difficult to communicate objective, uninterpreted information when the population is caught up in an emotive and political ideological storm surrounding the proposed carbon emissions tax scheme. Anything that supports or detracts from the other side’s argument becomes ammunition for hyperbole and innuendo and those who drift by the cross-hairs become fair game.

Kudos to the CSIRO scientists for making the attempt.

Going back to “where they came from”…

This looks like a “must see” for all who have minds made up about “fake asylum seekers”, “queue jumpers” and “economic refugees.’ Six Aussies take the reverse journey, starting with a leaky boat, transiting through refugee staging areas to lands of origin, in order to see for themselves…

Pacifism: things they never taught me…

Ken is a very thorough theologian and historian in our congregation. He is also notching up a few years as an octogenarian and is carefully archiving his records for posterity. He has maintained a strong interest in pacifism throughout his life.

This morning he presented me with a tattered copy of a pamphlet, The New Testament Basis of Pacifism, by F. Oswald Barnett (Victoria, 1940) and asked if there was any way it could be electronically preserved. It was falling to pieces and many decades of sticky tape had taken its toll. “No problems” said I, and scanned it all into a PDF document.

“Now is there anyway you can get it out where people can read it?” says Ken. We first searched to see if it already had a slot in cyberspace. All we found was the Wikipedia entry for F. Oswald Barnett with a reference to his works. The pamphlet in hand was referenced but not linked. Not a deft hand at posting published documents on the web, I scratched my head and said, “I suppose I could upload it on my blog – at least if someone’s looking for it, Google will point them this way.”

So here it is. The New Testament Basis of Pacifism by F. Oswald Barnett
(Ooops – it needs rotating which you can only do, it seems, by opening in your own PDF program – unless any tech-heads can help me out! )

Asylum seeker smoke and mirrors coming undone

Maybe the checks and balances in our current political machinery will eventually prevent the execution of this heinous scheme. Hope springs eternal, for I don’t see how UNHCR guidelines can support what our government has in mind.

Asylum-seeker swap deal must have UNHCR approval: Doug Cameron | The Australian.

Of Gods and Men (2010) – a review

See synopsis at Of Gods and Men (2010) – IMDb.

Having written earlier this week of “receptive ecumenism” and new cross-cultural invitations to work together, this film reminds us, in its beginnings, that this is an ancient idea. We see a small Christian monastic community living harmoniously and symbiotically within a small Islamic village. Medicine, hospitality and wisdom between the communities is shared. On the desk of the monastery study we see a copy of the Canticles of St Francis and the Koran. The abbot is able to quote either Psalm or Koranic verse as occasion requires. The village imam expresses warmth and receptivity to the Christian presence amongst them. Drama begins as the news and horrific images of fundamentalist Islamic violence filters into the village. Threat looms over both the village and the monastery. The monks must decide whether to succumb to government pressure to leave or to stay come what may. The pressure of internal demons also plays its role. The tension is played out against the background of the rhythm of monastic life – prayer, work and rest.

Based on a true story, one knows what the outcome will be. This serves only to make more poignant our entry into the gripping story of each of the brothers as they wrestle with their calling and their fate.

Reflections on a funeral

Until two years ago, it had been over forty years since I had seen Gay. Back then we ran with the Albert Park mob, a loose collection of teenagers linked through church youth clubs in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Yesterday I presided over her funeral service, held in the open air at a favorite park alongside a dam in the Perth foothills.

She had survived cancer for over 18 years, not letting it get in the way of her work as a mother, grandmother, businesswoman, and – more lately – a drug and alcohol counselor in Western Australia’s prison system. As I listened to family members and a work colleague pay tribute, I learned much about Gay since our gang had dissipated and gone our adult ways. Coming from a large family of seven, Gay was destined to be a people person and it was inspiring to hear the extent of her positive impact on so many, particularly through the blows that life had dealt her through early widowhood and the onset of her illness. She would claim that her counseling work helped her rise above her own health battles. Testimonials written by inmates testified to this.

There were some quirky moments during the service that would have appealed to Gay’s wry sense of humour. When two turtle doves were released, an enraged magpie, incensed at invasion of territory, gave chase. For a few moments, the crowd was bemused at the aerial acrobatics that took place.

We missed those unable to fly into Perth because of airline disruption caused by the Venezuela volcanic plume.

I experienced the whole event as a precious occasion, reconnecting with a part of my life that seemed to be drawn forth from the mists of passing time, reconnecting with peers I had not seen since my adolescence, but now approaching retirement age.

A hint of a silver lining…

Welcome to Australia – unity and diversity « Call to radical discipleship.

The melancholy cloud that began my week re Australia’s asylum seeker treatment got a hint of a silver lining this morning when the above post from my nephew, Mark, lit up my screen. It showed what is still possible when we operate on the principles of hospitality, generosity and care rather than fear and hostility. It reminded me of the earlier Community Refugee Resettlement programs that took place right in our midst.

Mark’s post was also a reminder of current conversations around “receptive ecumenism” which looks to gain wisdom and understanding from careful listening to the other rather than being burdened with what we can impart, and the new ecumenical challenge which is no longer cross-denominational but cross-cultural.

Maybe the glass is half-full again!