Friday, July 3, 2009

Sermon 15 _ Choose Life!

Feel free to comment but keep to the rules



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4 comments:

  1. White RabbitJuly 3, 2009 at 8:25 AM

    Remember Rulz!!!....

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  2. AnonymousJuly 4, 2009 at 7:53 PM

    Listening to the second speaker, I found myself reflecting on the problematic nature of 'charity'and helping professions. Working in a critically underfunded crisis assistance centre one day, I encountered a striking symbol of this in the form of a pile of carefully crocheted but grossly undersized and useless 'knee' rugs donated by the local parish to combat the miserable effects of winter endured by the homeless and displaced. Words cannot accurately depict the expressions of exasperation and disappointment on the faces of intended recipients. Stigmatisation and condescension are much more harmful than winter without shelter.
    I guess the best example of the difference between acts that empower and acts that disenfranchise can be seen in our responses to issues regarding Indigenous australians - which often emanate from a centre which truly does not know Indigenous people, nor seek to know.
    Imagine what a different society we would live in we genuinely extended beyond ourselves to move further along the path of wholehearted reconciliation? We wouldn't recognise ourselves. We would all be changed forever.
    I am beginning to believe that to wholeheartedly move beyond ourselves "as we know it" and move towards others or otherness (?)in this way is perhaps the transforming relationship we seek which underpins progressive notions of spirituality and social justice.

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  3. White RabbitJuly 4, 2009 at 8:22 PM

    I agree with your point. It is odd to here the speaker mention the story of the person throwing back crabs into the ocean. A similar story was once told to me during a leadership course in which a boy was throwing starfish back into the ocean...almost word for word the same actually. We were then read a brutal critic on the same subject, that such activities may appeal to emotion and alleviate our guilt but truly fail to take seriously the problem at hand.

    If such a person were to organize others he could solve the problem truly. If they were to take the time to understand what happened they could prevent it happening in the future. The question may even be asked "should" the situation be helped or will it commit to greater harm.

    I'll admit I do not understand the aboriginal situation as well as some but it seems our efforts thus far to help have failed to an extraordinary extent. I'm not even certain the problem IS reconciliation. The problems don't seem to be between Non-indigenous and Indigenous Australians any more. It seems to have become more systemic than that, a series of vicious cycles. Some even say the welfare system may itself be killing them. I have no solutions to this, my feeling is though that the issue must be solved from within and cannot be imposed.

    Oh an thank for keeping to the Rulz...and commenting too, it was very constructive.

    ^_^

    White Rabbit

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  4. AnonymousAugust 13, 2009 at 4:15 PM

    Raimond Gaita furthers the original address.
    An example:
    http://www.radio.adelaide.edu.au/festivalofideas2009/index.html

    Scroll down to "List By Session" and choose the MP3 "The Joy McLennan Oration - The idea of absolute value"" by Raimond Gaita

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