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Wondering Pilgrim

~ the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner

Wondering Pilgrim

Tag Archives: peace

Palm Sunday – A Highway to Hell?

03 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in christ, Personal, theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

COVID-19, Harrowing, Hell, Palm Sunday, peace

Photo by Jiarong Deng on Pexels.com

Only four weeks ago Canning Highway in Perth was packed tight as thousands of fans commemorated Bon Jovi and AccaDacca’s “Highway to Hell” famous signature song vibrating from bands on a fleet of tray-top trucks as they rolled from Canning Bridge to Fremantle.

Four weeks later Perth’s highways are all but deserted as we self-isolate in a mass attempt to avert the worst effects of the Covid-19 corona virus.

Some would point to the “Highway to Hell” celebrations as a harbinger of doom, but Covid-19 was already well established in some pockets of the globe and well on its way here.

And now Palm Sunday is upon us. An occasion to reflect and reminisce on past Palm Sunday processions with Sunday School kids waving palms as they usher the congregation into services. Some brave churches even commandeer donkeys (well fasted!) to be ridden up the aisle of the sanctuary. The socially conscious rally outside city cathedrals to march for peace – taking their cue from the one who they named the Prince of Peace.

Perhaps only Jesus, the focus of the original procession, knew what a highway to hell he was travelling. A few short but long days of passion, betrayal, trial, abandonment, torture and suffering to beyond the point of death lay ahead – and he knew it. He had a purpose beyond our ken however – Christian scripture and tradition refer to the Harrowing of Hell performed by Christ between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. You can read about it here.

We think we’re in charge…

30 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in local politics, Personal, Spirituality, theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

aid, arms, Isaiah, peace

chess-pieces-1463642955dfk.jpgSure we have agency for good or ill, wise or foolish. Some will think it a great idea for the Australian government to invest heavily in the military industrial complex and become one of the world’s major exporters of military equipment. As a strategy for long-term economic growth and employment, it is a winner!

For those who believe the world is already over-militarized and under-resourced in health, education and strategic peace resolution, yesterday’s announcement is disastrous. They do not buy the argot of “defensive weapons only” and “careful vetting of clients.” They know that wealthy arms manufacturers have a lot more clout when lobbying politicians than do aid agencies such as World Vision and Act for Peace. Cartoonists are wised up to the tension, as was George Bernard Shaw when he wrote the hard-hitting Major Barbara.

Today’s text from Isaiah 40:21-31 puts all in perspective, especially for those who believe they are ultimately in charge, but also for those who grow weary striving for peace in its many manifestations.

Chilling out as agents of change…

19 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal, Spirituality, theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

change, freedom, justice, peace, transformation

PeasHow does one address ill-fitting and unjust systems in family, church and community while maintaining a calm disposition? Isn’t there a necessity for the passion of a prophet, the zest of a zealot, the tenacity of a teacher, the resilience of a reformer to effect change?

When the Apostle Paul counsels the household slaves in the troubled church of Corinth to “remain in the condition you were called?” is he suggesting that they should not rock the boat? (See 1 Corinthians 7:17-24) 

Change is constantly necessary if human society is to function as it ought. Paul seems to be addressing where it begins – deep in each human soul. Unless we are free within ourselves, even under the direst circumstances, we are unable to connect sufficiently with others in order to bring about external change.

Palm Sunday: come walking with us

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Manus, Nauru, Palm Sunday, peace, refugees

Palm Sunday marches – what do they achieve?
Hear Perth’s Fr Chris and come and join us in Perth (1pm at St George’s Cathedral) or at one near where you live.

Peace is a Pair of Shoes

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Ministry, theology, Wembley Downs

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Advent, Homelessness, John the Baptist, New York City Police Department, NYPD, peace, Radio Australia, Zechariah

deprimo-homelessI love preaching at my church – it opens up so much thoughtful dialogue.

This week we tackled the Advent theme of peace in relation to charitable giving.

It had been the week of a photo of a NYPD cop buying a pair of shoes for a homeless vagabond. It had gone viral. Something of the juxtaposition of officialdom, destitution and the approaching season of good will touched our collective hearts. Within a few days investigative journalism had done a number on the homeless guy, raising cynical questions of his worthiness and the naivety of the “do-gooder” charity dollar.

But Advent Peace, announced in the words of John the son of Zechariah, comes in the phrases “Prepare the way of the Lord… make his paths straight…” – and those who hear have to work out an immediate response when need confronts them.

Will I be ripped off? And if so, does it matter?

The question exercised our very generous congregation somewhat as we examined the protective measures in our charity giving and whether they diminished or enhanced the spirit of hospitality without which charity is simply an exercise in condescension.  This was the topic of post-sermon coffee conversations.

This morning, a church member sent me a link, part of which follows:

James Doty, neurosurgeon and philanthropist, discussing the science of compassion on Radio Australia, speaks of the need to keep an open heart

James Doty: To put it in context, I had made a donation, a significant donation, to a charity that had misused my donation and I was so infuriated by that that I actually sued them. At the time this incident occurred I’d just left this lawyer’s office, and I was actually chastising myself because I gave this money away, these people misused it, am I just a fool? I always believe in people and I’ve been taken advantage of and now I have to deal with this situation which is creating my own stress. And I was walking along in this not so great neighbourhood with my head down actually contemplating about how foolish I was, and I was tapped on the shoulder by an Afro/American young man in his 20s who was not dressed particularly well, and this was in an Afro/American area, an area of poverty. And whether any of us like it or not we have prejudices and my immediate response was this is probably a drug addict who’s trying to get money, who’s just going to take it and spend it on drugs. And the individual said to me, ‘You know my car broke down and could you give me money for the bus, so I can take my mum and I so we can get home?’ And I saw no mum, I saw no car. So now I’m stuck with another dilemma because I’ve just beaten myself up for giving this money away and I’ve got this kid in front of me who I’ve already decided is a drug addict and I think to myself for a few seconds and I go, you know, am I going to believe in the innate goodness of people and just give him the money, and giving him the money regardless of how he uses it, is it going to change my life? No.

So I went ahead and gave him money, and then he thanked me and walked away and then I started the walk to this restaurant where I was having lunch and I was going again through the whole exercise—now I’m doubly beating myself up because I’m saying I’m even more of a fool because I’ve been used by this one group of people and now I’ve just given money away that’s going to be obviously misused.. And then I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn round and this young man is there and he’s got his mother, and he says to me, ‘You know, I just wanted to introduce you to my mother, I’m so thankful to you for giving me that money.’

You know, so it reinforced of course my basic belief in humanity, you know it brought a tear to my eye, but I think you can always try to keep an open heart as much as possible.

Peace is always linked with the figure of John, the son of Zechariah (aka John the Baptist) during the Advent season. The “peace” associated with his stormy transforming ministry that called for repentance and cleansing is based on the Hebrew concept of shalom – wholeness in relationship with others, oneself and the Divine.

Donating a pair of shoes or a bus fare, no questions asked, may be naive in the eyes of the cynical – but it may also be a nudge from the Divine!

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115.772731

Peace is a Pair of Shoes

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Ministry, theology, Wembley Downs

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Advent, Homelessness, John the Baptist, New York City Police Department, NYPD, peace, Radio Australia, Zechariah

deprimo-homelessI love preaching at my church – it opens up so much thoughtful dialogue.

This week we tackled the Advent theme of peace in relation to charitable giving.

It had been the week of a photo of a NYPD cop buying a pair of shoes for a homeless vagabond. It had gone viral. Something of the juxtaposition of officialdom, destitution and the approaching season of good will touched our collective hearts. Within a few days investigative journalism had done a number on the homeless guy, raising cynical questions of his worthiness and the naivety of the “do-gooder” charity dollar.

But Advent Peace, announced in the words of John the son of Zechariah, comes in the phrases “Prepare the way of the Lord… make his paths straight…” – and those who hear have to work out an immediate response when need confronts them.

Will I be ripped off? And if so, does it matter?

The question exercised our very generous congregation somewhat as we examined the protective measures in our charity giving and whether they diminished or enhanced the spirit of hospitality without which charity is simply an exercise in condescension.  This was the topic of post-sermon coffee conversations.

This morning, a church member sent me a link, part of which follows:

James Doty, neurosurgeon and philanthropist, discussing the science of compassion on Radio Australia, speaks of the need to keep an open heart

James Doty: To put it in context, I had made a donation, a significant donation, to a charity that had misused my donation and I was so infuriated by that that I actually sued them. At the time this incident occurred I’d just left this lawyer’s office, and I was actually chastising myself because I gave this money away, these people misused it, am I just a fool? I always believe in people and I’ve been taken advantage of and now I have to deal with this situation which is creating my own stress. And I was walking along in this not so great neighbourhood with my head down actually contemplating about how foolish I was, and I was tapped on the shoulder by an Afro/American young man in his 20s who was not dressed particularly well, and this was in an Afro/American area, an area of poverty. And whether any of us like it or not we have prejudices and my immediate response was this is probably a drug addict who’s trying to get money, who’s just going to take it and spend it on drugs. And the individual said to me, ‘You know my car broke down and could you give me money for the bus, so I can take my mum and I so we can get home?’ And I saw no mum, I saw no car. So now I’m stuck with another dilemma because I’ve just beaten myself up for giving this money away and I’ve got this kid in front of me who I’ve already decided is a drug addict and I think to myself for a few seconds and I go, you know, am I going to believe in the innate goodness of people and just give him the money, and giving him the money regardless of how he uses it, is it going to change my life? No.

So I went ahead and gave him money, and then he thanked me and walked away and then I started the walk to this restaurant where I was having lunch and I was going again through the whole exercise—now I’m doubly beating myself up because I’m saying I’m even more of a fool because I’ve been used by this one group of people and now I’ve just given money away that’s going to be obviously misused.. And then I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn round and this young man is there and he’s got his mother, and he says to me, ‘You know, I just wanted to introduce you to my mother, I’m so thankful to you for giving me that money.’

You know, so it reinforced of course my basic belief in humanity, you know it brought a tear to my eye, but I think you can always try to keep an open heart as much as possible.

Peace is always linked with the figure of John, the son of Zechariah (aka John the Baptist) during the Advent season. The “peace” associated with his stormy transforming ministry that called for repentance and cleansing is based on the Hebrew concept of shalom – wholeness in relationship with others, oneself and the Divine.

Donating a pair of shoes or a bus fare, no questions asked, may be naive in the eyes of the cynical – but it may also be a nudge from the Divine!

-31.911079
115.772731

Advent Reflection: Peace – not absence of conflict

05 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Ministry, Wembley Downs

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Advent, Bill Loader, Holy Spirit, John the Baptist, peace

Jan Brueghel the Elder, John the Baptist preaching

Image via Wikipedia

It may strike one as absurd that a day given to reflecting on peace revolves around that fiery wild figure that stormed out of the Judaean desert preaching repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins. John the Baptist seems an incongruous figure for what we imagine to be peace – serene narcosis wrapped in fluffy cotton wool where the daily grind can’t “get at us.”

Consider the elements of true peace however, based on the Semitic languages shalom (Hebrew) or salaam (Arabic and its derivatives), alluding to wholeness in relationship with self, others, the environment and the Divine. It seems to me that one has to navigate some conflict to achieve each of those summits.

Well known New Testament scholar Bill Loader, at the local Uniting Church commissioning service for their local minister, noted three surprises in Mark’s use of the John the Baptist episode to open his discussion of  what the “good news” of Jesus was all about. I summarise and paraphrase, hopefully accurately, his points as I heard them. But go here for Bill’s online commentary on this passage.

First, there is the lack of apocalyptic judgement often associated with John the Baptist’s ministry. Change is in the wind, people are being called to change, but the use of Isaiah’s words are couched in the language and context of comfort and strength. The world is full of people bearing a heavy weight of oppression , poverty and injustice, but change is possible and imminent.

The second surprise is the universality of John the Baptist’s message. All are invited to the baptism he offers – poor and rich, sick and well, Jew and Greek, peasant and soldier. There is no particularity, the invitation to change is for all. It begins with “repentance”, literally “turning to face a new direction,” or we might think of starting again with a blank page. The word used by Mark is metanoia (Koine Greek) “renewing of the mind”.

The third surprise is the incompleteness of his ministry – forgiveness is a beginning, but completeness comes with one who baptises with the Holy Spirit and who demonstrates the presence of God’s reign amongst us through the ministry of the Spirit. Those who wear the name of Christ must get past acting as if it was only about forgiveness and get on with the Spirit ministry of teaching, reconciling, healing and helping build a world that is whole.

It sounded to me a little bit like shalom, salaam, peace.

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Peace is possible

25 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in international politics, reconciliation

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Activism and Peace Work, Afghanistan, Giz Watson, Kathy Kelly, peace, postaday2011

The topography of Afghanistan: there are Hindu...

Image via Wikipedia

It’s one of those days of convergence again. I finalised an article for the local community paper – “200 words on what Christmas means to you as a local clergy person.” I rattled something off under the title that headlines this piece. Then I left to share lunch at Parliament House with about twenty folk, organised by Pace e Bene and hosted by Greens MLC, Giz Watson, the purpose being to meet and hear world renowned peace activist, Kathy Kelly and Afghan peace worker, Hakim.

My underlying reflection is on how far from peaceful the process of achieving peace (in its fullest sense) often proves to be. My local article touched briefly on a range of folk in conflicted circumstances who were nevertheless driven by the conviction that “peace is possible.” At lunch, Dr Hakim, outlined a movement amongst young people in Afghanistan who work for peace against tremendous odds, noting that “peace is hard work!” and Kathy Kelly responded to questions in a way that reinforced the costly nature of working for peace.

All things worthwhile have to be worked for, often against overwhelming odds. It is important to persevere, addressing the practical issues, not out of unrealistic optimism, but out of hope that is inspired by a vision of what can be.

 

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Three local churches join together for Pentecost communion

01 Monday Jun 2009

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal, Wembley Downs

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

advocate, ecumenism, Holy Spirit, peace, Pentecost, reconciliation

It’s a tradition in these parts now. Every Pentecost over the last four years we have joined with the Uniting Church at St Paul’s Anglican Church to celebrate Pentecost with an Anglican Eucharist. Everyone wears red and the sharing of communion is a highlight. Here’s the reflection I shared on John 15:27-16:4

As well as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that culminates today, we are in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation that focuses on Aboriginal Australia. Some of us are involved in the process of planning a series of meetings involving indigenous liaison that includes a weekend retreat and some time away on a Kimberley field trip. We are calling it “Listening Journeys.” For those of us that are action focused, the planning and negotiating is a slow and frustrating process. Listening’s not our favourite game, we want to get in there and fix things. For those of us that are more reflective, it seems more appropriate to apply the brakes rather than the accelerator. We want to ask, why are we doing this? What is the best outcome for all? Should we even go if we are not invited?

Today’s celebration is helpful as we process and receive again the wisdom of the Word.

John’s Pentecost is not focused on a single invasive event as recorded by the writer of Acts. The coming of the Spirit is all pervasive, both at the same time anticipated and realised amongst those who fellowshipped with the pre-crucifixion Jesus and joined others in enjoyment of the companionship of the post resurrection Christ.
John’s writing draws on the memory of Jesus enfleshed – walking, talking, back-slapping, foot-washing, comforting and confronting – living, sleeping, eating and finally dying. But the Easter story tells us Jesus was raised so John’s gospel entices his community and ours to awareness of the same along-sidedness – the Holy Spirit, invoking the presence of the risen and ruling Christ, to encourage, protect, invoke, confront, rebuke and enfold all who are committed to his way.
The emphasis in Acts is, as the name suggests, on action. The events generated by the day of Pentecost set off a flurry of activity. The ministry and proclamation of an emboldened band of apostles draw crowds who are overwhelmed, converted and baptised – there are journeys and expeditions, persecutions, jailings, trials, confrontations – but all along the way churches are planted and universalised to include both Jew and Gentile. By the end of Acts, the presence of those who follow the Way has taken firm root throughout the Mediterranean.
The emphasis in John’s gospel, on the other hand, is on relationship – the intimacy of the presence of the Spirit. No spectacular crowd drawing visitation of wind and flames here. The risen Jesus quietly breathes upon his disciples in the privacy of a locked room, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
From John’s gospel we draw the assurance of God’s intimate involvement in every fibre of our living – yes, enhancing our unique and individual human contribution to the world by drawing us together into that expression of human community we call the Church.
No longer need we objectify God as someone who is out there that I must seek out, puzzle out, and somehow pacify through good works. It is about relationship. Not God and me, but as intimated by the medieval contemplatives, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, God in me and I in God.
This is the closeness of advocacy that John’s gospel speaks of when Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, an Advocate, a “come alongsider.”
Acts and John need each other. Action that is not guided and discerned by intimacy with the Spirit is simply spinning wheels in the mud and digging a rut. Internalising our whole attention within to the exclusion of acts of service and mission leads to irrelevant quietism that changes nothing and eventually shrinks to nothing.
The journey inwards is incomplete unless the journey outwards is engaged, and vice versa. Action needs reflection; reflection must lead to further action.

Trish travels to Nazareth in the name of peace

29 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in mission, Personal

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Galillee, Israel, Middle Aast, Nazareth, peace

open-house-party-2008_2008-12-11_0149_edited-1

Trish supervising in our church kitchen

News from the Middle East is not all that good right now as Hamas and Israel hammer at each other again. But we’re in the business of celebrating small candles that light the way in the darkness.

Nazareth Hospital is one such candle – a Christian place of healing where both Jew and Arab are treated equally no matter what ideology or faith stance.

On Christmas Day we commissioned Trish Bevan for her return stint at the Nazareth Hospital and two other Galilee projects for some maintenance work. This feisty septuagenarian wields more than a paint brush. She is passionate about the cause of building peace amongst Jews, Muslims and Christians. Without fear and with sustained high energy, she immerses herself in the work parties that travel from Australia to to Nazareth under the guidance of Paul and Merrill Kitchen. Follow the unfolding news on the current project blog here. 

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