Wondering Pilgrim

Sunday session drinking is sinking…

Alcohol related violence in Perth has escalated to the point where a weekend scarcely passes without death or serious injury. The latest incident, described in the article, Ocean Beach Hotel Death | Sunday session drinking, caps the concern. Ironically, a lot of binge-drinking seems to be stimulated by either having too much money or not enough!

Many Perth old-timers are alarmed at the speed with which violence has taken this community by the throat. While much of it is alcohol and drug related, there are other pressures that add to the mix – infrastructure not keeping up with boom-time population stimulation, un-affordable housing, traffic congestion and isolation.

Perth is having to come to terms with the fact that small country town ambience no longer provides the solutions to “big city” issues. I dare say the “big three” on the east coast have faced these challenges for a little while. Debate will revolve around whether a national strategy or small community based initiatives or a combination of both is best suited to respond.

One of my colleagues sees the Emmaus incident as central to a true understanding of the celebration of the Lords Supper, aka Holy Communion, aka Eucharist. It is in the stranger’s breaking and blessing of bread that the crucifixion and resurrection in the midst of a questing and believing household of faith becomes real.

Still on leave, I was interested to hear what the church I visited yesterday morning had to say about it. Wesley Church, in the heart of Perth, is sometimes my place of pilgrimage when I have a free Sunday. The use of the arts, musical and visual, gives a nice even flow to the “worshipful conversation” that takes place there.

Not to be disappointed, I listened to the Rev’d Don Dowling reflect on four main points he drew from the Emmaus journey (see Luke 24:13-35)

Luke was at pains to demonstrate to his hearers, a generation after the event, that the Risen Christ is discerned and tangible in the midst of their faith community.
The faith community, seen in the two travelers, is exposed and vulnerable to opposing elements and values that would seem to defeat them. The stranger remonstrates with them, stirring the memory of their core story and summoning them to active engagement with it.
It is the community gathered at the table that discerns the Risen Christ in the “breaking of bread.”
Cleopas and his companion are not part of the original Twelve. The Risen Christ is often to be found amongst ordinary folk beyond the “purple circle” or “holy huddle.”

All great points with which my learned colleague would concur, I’m sure!

BERNAMA – Malaysia, Australia Agree On Cooperative Transfer Of Asylum Seekers

This one comes as a surprise. Just when you think human beings can’t be objectified much further, my country turns them into a trade commodity. “We’ll give you 800 of ours and, over time, we’ll take 4000 of yours.”

What does this solve? How is “people trading” morally superior to “people smuggling”?

Asylum Seekers: Back to the Future…

De-mothballing the detention centre at Manus Island heralds a revisit to some of the darker aspects of Australia’s recent history on refugee policy.

In the foreseeable future, our government’s intransigent insistence on off-shore processing of asylum seeker assessment will polarise the Australian population even further as we discuss “them”. The genius of off-shore processing keeps us from encountering the individual human stories of despair and hope. Community based assessment was apparently “too successful” in integrating asylum seekers.

Here’s one story, evoked by the last refugee who languished alone at Manus Island for 10 months. Eventually, that which is hidden emerges.

Horror on Manus Island: the story of Aladdin Sisalem.

The power of cartooning

I recall my peers’ high-school cartooning of unpopular teachers, particularly those that sought to wield what seemed like over-abundant power on our free time.

The power of cartooning became more apparent to me during my seminary years as I teamed with a colleague to make cartoon commentary on our community life. The weekly ‘FLIT’ cartoon was bound to draw a crowd around the noticeboard. Reactions ranged from delight to outrage amongst students and diffident aloofness among faculty.

The power of a few squiggles to make a sharp point, lampoon airs & graces, uncover a hidden agenda, and even point to loftier ideals has appealed to me ever since, although I rarely bring out the cartooning pen and ink these days. Pastoral sensibilities have come to transcend the prophetic bite, I’m afraid.

Eureka Street’s cartoonist, Fiona Katauskas, has an excellent article on the power of the cartoon at Drawing Julia Gillard – Eureka Street.

Potiche…

… is one of those sub-titled French films I caught at the local arts cinema this morning. It was like a trip through a time machine – a light treatment of the feminism and middle-class cultural wars of the 70s (did I wear clothes like that?). It also dipped a lid to a bout of Français-obsession I had at that time – mostly from an aesthetic point of view – I liked the sound of the language and looked for opportunities to practice my high-school version of it. I haven’t said much about the film because there’s really not a lot to say – ordinary plot, ordinary storyline, ordinary acting because there’s not a lot actors can do with ordinary material.

I did enjoy the nostalgia though.

Manipulating words

3. Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights act... — Image via Wikipedia

With Osama Bin Laden’s death, the battle for minds shifts. Do we join the cheering crowds at Ground Zero or shake our heads in lament at the sure perpetuation of a never ending cycle of violence? Social networking sites are full of debate with new alignments amongst hawks, doves and the in-betweens.

Indeed, some are asserting that truth is once again a casualty of this war of words, pointing to a viral misquote from Martin Luther King. See Out of Osama’s Death, A Fake Quotation is Born – Megan McArdle – National – The Atlantic.

Others retort, “So what – some extra words have been added – but it’s in the spirit of what MLK would say.”

In the end, more heat than light is generated. Bin Laden’s demise is a historic marker, even if symbolic. Words being expressed across the global cybersphere invariably express anguish, relief, rage, anxiety and confusion in response to arguments, statements and new releases of information. One hardly expects accuracy to be a consistent feature in such a milieu.

Those of us who craft words vocationally need to be careful however. Check sources; attribute quotes correctly; avoid non-sequiturs; pay attention to syntax – all those basic techniques that are so crucial to credible communication – even (especially) in a post-modern context.

Then some light might get in through the cracks!

Time out

Clayton’s blog today (the blog you post when not writing a blog)! This spot’s only a 15 minute drive from home, It’s Point Resolution on the Swan River at Claremont. Great place to roam around, read a few books and meditate – especially on a balmy autumn day. Might go back a few more times this week!

Melancholy optimist

In early adulthood I was fascinated with the work of Victor Frankl, holocaust survivor and author of “Man’s Search for Meaning” and logotherapy. His psychiatric practice was based on observations of those with whom he was interned in the concentration camps. Given similar opportunities to survive, some succumbed to the horrendous conditions and died of “natural causes” and others (including Frankl) not only survived, but were able to build productive lives from the ashes.

This gave me a foundational understanding of the theological concept of “hope” – not wishful thinking in some naïve Pollyanna universe, but a drive to survive and thrive in spite of dire circumstances. The much maligned Hebrew prophet, Jeremiah is probably the biblical version of Frankl. He was given the unpopular charge of warning Israel that its unjust ways during its economic “boom” time would lead to its downfall. After the nation’s population is invaded and relocated faraway in exile, Jeremiah becomes the tender voice of hope and encouragement.

Has there ever been a time in our collective history where the melancholy optimist has not played a significant role?

Clowning around

I am told that my stated childhood ambition was “to be a clown in a circus.” Upon my ordination, my mother said “I see you’ve achieved your ambition.” A devout salt-of-the-earth sort of Christian, she knew how to keep her boy from taking on airs and graces.

Today is “Holy Humo[u]r Sunday”, Risus Paschalis, God’s Joke, the Easter Laugh – the Orthodox tradition goes back to about 13th century and was part of the Roman Catholic tradition in 15th century Bavaria. It was marked by funny stories, hilarious anecdotes, folk-dancing and feasting. It marked the invitation to participate in God’s final laugh over Satan through the resurrection of Christ, a relief from the sombre and reflective season of Lent and Passion Week.

Well, I know on this side of the first Easter we celebrate resurrection every day – but it also helps to participate in the full light and shade spectrum of the divine/human drama.

My lament is to be on leave and not be taking my church through this celebration and giving full vent to my childhood ambition! My opportunity is to look around for a service to attend which just might be observing this tradition.

Happy holy hilarity!