The Triangle of Death

I recently read a speech by the Dalai Lama in which he suggested that most of the world's problems are caused by religious preciousness (my phrase not his). Today about 10 Million people are starving because of the protectionist agenda of a religious militant group who display a gollumesque preciousness that makes adherents seem as ugly as Tolkien's selfish creature.

An anti-foreign agenda that orders people to starve rather than seek assistance is not a mandate of Islam. I think that all my Muslim friends would denounce this as violently, if not more, than I do. We have the capacity to feed the hungry, heal the sick, transform our world, but whilst religious groups (Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu etc, all of whose sacred texts speak of love, compassion, care and acceptance) are more concerned with protecting their own precious agendas we will continue to see this kind of evil abuse which results usually in the suffering of the least powerful - whilst the 'fanatics' keep up their strength for the fight.

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MOGADISHU, July 22 (Reuters: Ibrahim Mohamed) - Islamist rebels in Somalia - who control the parts of the country where famine was declared this week - have said aid agencies they expelled from those areas last year cannot return, reversing a previous pledge.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants imposed a ban on food aid in 2010, which the U.N. and Washington say has worsened the crisis, before appearing to reverse it last week.

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) was among several groups ordered out of rebel areas which are now preparing to return, describing the situation in Somalia as "extremely dire".

The United Nations told Reuters it had not heard about any new position from the rebels and planned to take last week's pledge at face value and push ahead with food shipments by air and sea.

Al Shabaab had promised to allow relief agencies with "no hidden agendas" greater access to their territory.

"The so-called aid agencies that were already banned and named are not part of the agencies we free to work in al Shabaab areas," al Shabab spokesman, Ali Mohamud Raghe, told a news conference late on Thursday in a rebel-held part of capital Mogadishu.

"They had problems with people and had a hidden agenda. We shall also expel any agency that causes problems for Muslim society," he added, urging hungry Somalis to stay in their homes and wait for the rain to come rather than going to foreign-run refugee camps.

Some 10 million people are affected by famine and drought in a region, dubbed the "triangle of death" by local media, that straddles Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Investing in Hope and Happiness

I have been at World Vision Australia (WVA) now for 5 weeks, and it's been quite a learning curve! It felt as if even before I arrived my diary was full - orientation and introductory meetings, interrupted the few days I had with my team members before they all went on holidays and left me to manage the cluster. “Welcome and See you later...” he said trying to hide the smile and the desperation to get away.

So here I am: My time so far (other than the meetings) has been spent appraising and designing development projects:

• in Azerbaijan we’re going to work to reform education systems so that the business sector has faith in young people (with a focus on the disabled) who are trained in technical trades. And we are going to train and assist Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in diversified crop management and marketing.
• in Afghanistan we’re going to work with women to develop livelihood projects, (with a focus on Bee keeping) so that women and children will become self-supporting and hopeful for a future. And we’re going to work with communities to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
• in Pakistan we’re going to train teachers and assist rural communities to educate children, especially girls. And we’re going to train and employ midwifes so that the horrific under 5 mortality rate can be arrested
• in Georgia we’re going to work with the Ministry of Health to decrease the prevalence of HIV/AIDS as a result of migratory work patterns and gender mores, through training, awareness, counselling and testing.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation that seeks to transform the lives of children and communities by tackling the causes of poverty. They do this in numerous ways. One of the many exciting ways is through VisionFund. So, if you’re looking for a different way to invest in Hope and Happiness check out the video clip (below).

Afghanistan, Pakistan & Azerbaijan

23 years and 6 months (almost exactly to the day)! That's a long time to work for the one organisation. And to say that I have few regrets is perhaps even more miraculous.

[With Sandy and Alexis] the Salvos allowed me the privilege of living in three countries; learning to love, respect and trust many people that have influenced and transformed my life. Add to that the opportunity to serve in a number of other countries; to offer hope in moments of despair and you have a (so far) eventful life journey. In all these years God has been good to me - to us.

But today I move aside from this avenue of ministry into another. Soon I begin with World Vision Australia as a Country Program Manager - Middle East and Eastern Europe Region (MEER). Whilst based here in the Melbourne office, my countries of focus will be Afghanistan, Pakistan and Azerbaijan where I will work with World Vision and its partners to deliver long-term development and sustainable community building projects.

So, my ministry continues in a different uniform (no tie) but the same passion - transforming lives and reforming society by claiming dignity and worth for all (disadvantaged) people.

Our vision for every child,

Life in all its fullness;
Our prayer for every heart,
The will to make it so.

(World Vision: Vision Statement)

The Cost of Discipleship

I think I have probably preached on the theme of "The Cost of following Jesus" a few times in the last 23 years. Scripture verses come to mind: "take up your cross", "if anyone isn't willing to give up...", "by [love] will they know you are a disciple". It's all great in theory. But right now, at this moment all I know is that being a disciple, or trying to be, hurts!

The cost of discipleship for me, at this moment, means doing what I honestly believe God wants me to, even though I feel like I am letting all my heroes down. I feel like I am deserting the people I respect the most in my life. People who have been ministry examples to me. People who have taught me and supported me. People who have encouraged and equipped me. People who love me and have sacrificed for me.

I know that's not what they feel - but it's how I feel. So, right now, today: doing what God has called me to hurts. Even if it is the right thing - or perhaps, I know it's the right thing because it hurts so much.

The easiest, safest, most secure thing to do is to stay where I am - I can do that, I can be good at that, I can make a difference there. The most comfortable thing to do is to stay put. But I suspect that's also the reason I can't stay. Because I wasn't taught to be comfortable. (I have preached a number of times that God's job is not to make us comfortable, it's to get us home safely, and our partnership with God is to get others home safely. Time to practice what I preach.)

The cost of discipleship, for me, today - is to leave the secure, known comfort and dive head first into the unknown - trusting and believing that I may just have heard God right.

"Christ did not give you a car and tell you to push it.

He didn't even give you a car and tell you to drive it.

You know what he did?

He threw open the passenger door, invited you to take a seat,

and told you to buckle up for the adventure of your life."

(Max Lucado)

Thanks Salvo Studios for the chance to tell some of my stories. Keep up the good work Ben and David.

WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF ME

“Because, like Christ, Christians are to love the world and be agents of its redemption, God’s callings also relate to human needs, whether those needs are in the church or beyond it. When a Christian perceives a genuine human need and has the abilities needed for attending to it, that need becomes a spark of God’s calling to him.” (Douglas J Schuurman)

Those that have read my blog before will no doubt have picked up on my ministry and life theme – transforming lives. I am fairly passionate about the ministry opportunities that exist to partner with those less fortunate than I to bring about improvement in their circumstances.

From my earliest recollections my parents have taught me, in their living and teaching, that we are all equal, and that we all deserve the same privileges. But since this is not a reality, where there exists an obvious disparity (in opportunity, in voice, in privilege) that I exist to give priority to the poor, the marginalised, the ignored and the rejected.

I am convinced that God has grown, equipped and called me to be engaged in ministry within the humanitarian relief and development sphere. This passion and equipping has been assisted by The Salvation Army (Australia Southern and New Zealand Territories) in their willingness to support my ongoing graduate and post-graduate education and to release and support me to be engaged in humanitarian ministry. I am extremely grateful for this support.

I have had the privilege to attempt to put my actions where my mouth is on a number of occasions now. Each opportunity has served to remind me that I am a man of privilege and that whilst I can rationalise this unfairness of my privilege, a pure accident of birth and my resultant upbringing, I am not able to forget it, nor allow it to pass as an academic life-framing exercise.

So, when World Vision (Australia) offered me an opportunity to become fully engaged in aid and development work I decided that it was time for me to follow my passion and what I believe to be my calling, and make the most of my equipping. On June 3 I will remove myself from my current Salvation Army appointment and commence a new chapter of my life.

I am so very grateful for the Salvo investment in my life, but at this time there is no opportunity for me to grow my talent (Matthew 25:14-30) within this movement. I was born into The Army and have served for 23 years as an Officer and had some amazing opportunities and met some incredible people. So it is not easy to say thank you, and move away – but I believe that God requires that we each, as individuals, are accountable for our service.

This is what God requires of me (and frankly it scares me at the moment)!

AUSTRALIAN RECONCILIATION BAROMETER

The Australian Reconciliation Barometer is a landmark study which provides a detailed snapshot of the views of Australians about reconciliation and what barriers affect people from taking action.

The Barometer measures four core areas that are considered essential to progressing reconciliation - awareness, attitudes, perceptions and action - and is designed to be repeated every two years.

The research tells us that attitudes are improving, that we value the relationship and that we all have part to play in reconciling. Here are some of the key findings.

We agree the relationship is important (Indigenous 99%, Other 87%)
All Australians see the relationship between Indigenous people and other Australians as important and are optimistic for the future of the relationship. There was a 99% agreement with this statement from Indigenous respondents and 87% other Australians.

We agree the relationship is improving (Indigenous 52%, Other 48%)
Both groups are most likely to agree that the relationship between Indigenous people and other Australians is improving according to 49% of general community respondents and 52% of Indigenous respondents. Though contact with Indigenous people is limited results show we want to interact more.

The Apology has improved the relationship (Indigenous 58%, Other 42%)
The survey demonstrated that the Apology was important for Indigenous people and the relationship between us. Around 3 in 5 Indigenous respondents and 2 in 5 Australians believe this statement. The survey also identified that Australians believe that there should be government specific measures to address Indigenous disadvantage, though most thought that government programs to address disadvantage have been unsuccessful.

We know a lot about Indigenous cultures (Indigenous 89%, Other 39%)
The general community’s knowledge of Indigenous history and culture is fairly low. However, the research showed that around 4 out of 5 Australians believe it is important to know about Indigenous history and culture and are therefore open to learning more.

We believe past policies still affect Indigenous people (Indigenous 91%, Other 64%)
Both groups agree that previous race-based policies continue to affect some Indigenous people today. However, both groups ranked different perceived reasons for Indigenous disadvantage. Indigenous people identified external factors such as poor access to health care and education services, while other Australians identified Indigenous people as being responsible for their own disadvantage.

We believe in the special place of Indigenous people and their connection to the land (Indigenous 96%: Other 59%)

Australians believe Indigenous culture is important to Australian and Indigenous heritage. Many agreed that Indigenous history should be a compulsory part of the history curriculum in schools. However only 44% of all Australians identified that they believe Indigenous people are open to sharing their culture.

We don’t think the media presents a balanced view of Indigenous Australians (Those who think it does present a balanced view, Indigenous 9%, Other 16%)

Only 9% of Indigenous respondents agreed that the media provides a balanced view of Indigenous Australia. The survey also identified that the general community’s attitudes to Indigenous people comes from secondary sources like the media, rather than from personal experience. However, the survey found that many wanted to interact more.

We agree we are prejudiced against each other (Indigenous 93%, Other 71%)

There was strong acknowledgement, particularly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents (93% agreed), that there are high levels of prejudice between the two groups. From the other respondents 71% agreed with this statement.

We trust each other (Indigenous 12%, Other 9%)

The study revealed that levels of trust between the two groups are very low. This shows that while Australians see the relationship as important there is general acknowledgement that there is a lot of work to be done to build the quality of the relationship and how the two groups see each other.

To read the full Barometer go to www.reconciliation.org.au/baromter2010

Kia Kaha Cantabrians

In the last 24 hours there have been 23 aftershocks, including "the jolt" as it has become known. The 5.3M quake rocked the city at about 5:49pm last night. Located in Sumner the site of numerous landslides already this 'aftershock' awakened the not very deeply buried fears of Cantabrians.

I was out for dinner with the leaders of the Salvation Army when we watched with fascination, and in apparent slow motion, as the concrete slab outside their lounge room window rose and fell like a bizarre Mexican wave. The garden beds, resplendent with some kind of pink flower, seemed to bow in reverence to the staked roses that alongside them swayed as if hit by a sudden gust of wind.

It seemed like seconds, but must have been almost instantaneously that then the ceiling, the walls, the glass doors and windows seemed to bend and rise, before falling back into place with a thud. The laughter, masking the uncertainty and fear perhaps, followed soon after. Our hearts pounded as the reverberations and shocks continued like rolling thunder.

Ten minutes later another shock, laughably smaller (3.4M), interrupted us as we sat down for roast lamb with mint sauce and roast veggies. Numerous other little shakes interjected their presence into our evening before the last one for the evening (4.1M) signalled the end of the entertainment for the night.

This morning the church was buzzing with bravado: "is that the best the best the Moon Man can do?" "Bring it on, that was a pathetic attempt". But behind the bravery there is still uncertainty and fear.

With the predictions that these aftershocks could go on for years, and the results of recent surveys that say they have found a new fault out into Pegasus Bay which could go any time (raising the fear of tsunami) and of course the Moon Man - this is a city on the edge.

But despite all this there is an desire for community and a atmosphere of ingenuity that gives rise to a tangible hope that like the mythic Phoenix, Christchurch will somehow rise again.

Last Things (Again)

Many years ago, my grandfather taught me to play a brass instrument and the song that he chose for my (and my brother's) debut performance, on the eve before our family went overseas for four years, contained the words "Now is the hour, when we must say good bye..." There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and that wasn't because we were leaving!

Once again I need to say goodbye to a group of people that I have had the privilege to work alongside. The last weeks (since February 23) have been an amazing experience and mostly because I have had the opportunity to work alongside almost 1,000 people from all over New Zealand and Australia as they have endeavoured to meet the needs of the people of Christchurch.

As always there have been some great days and some not so great days. There have been some extremely grateful people and a minority that have tried to play the system. There has been much laughter and some tears. There have been many meetings, and many flow charts and budgets. But most of all there has been the privilege of using talents and abilities to serve a people hurting and in need. The opportunities of ministry and worship have been many - but it always comes at a cost.

One of the costs is having to leave a people that I have come to respect. So, thank you to all that have allowed me to be part of your life for this time, but now (or soon) is the hour when I will say good bye!

Kia kaha Christchurch.

It's Time for Some Fun

In a suburb of Christchurch, within line of sight of the leaning Hotel Grand Chancellor a public park was turned into a place of fun and screaming kids on the Saturday. There was a bouncy castle and other fun rides, women 'performing' zumba on the stage and lots of 'fare' food - deep fried dagwood dogs, candy floss and red drink.

The sun was shining, the sky was almost clear, the wind droppped - it was a beautiful day. The kids were running wild, and the parents were happy for them to do so. The Sallie Community Care Mobile Office was in prime location adding to the mayhem and the sugar levels (as Robbie Ross tends to do) by handing out lollies, chips and drinks.

As we have experienced so many times in this period of response, the reception the Sallies received was wonderful. The expressions of gratitude overwhelming.

It doesn't take much: just people being genuine and available, offering service without discrimination and with love.

Small World

Almost 31 years ago I, with the rest the Class of 1980, left Hebron High School in Ooty, Nilgiris Hills, South India (yes I am that old). These many years later and half a world away, I looked down at the people that formed the new team of Relief Workers for Christchurch and there, in amongst the many faces I didn't know, was the face of a man I remembered. Graeme and Rosemary Wallis, who live in Wellington, were amongst the teaching staff those many years ago in India - and I remember them quite well.

As the week progressed, and as we reminisced about those golden days of schooling, another man too, older and wiser than I, introduced himself to me - Dr. Bramwell Cook (Jnr), he was a Breeks Boy - he too had lived at Lushington Hall, through those gates next to the Botanical Gardens, in the beautiful Hill Country of Southern India.

I was remembering that my first dorm mother was Miss Reid had punished me with her bamboo cane (2 cuts across the bare legs) for not going to the school clinic to get my cough  medicine. We were recalling 'emergency relief' that we provided during floods that impacted Ooty and other towns. I am glad to say I don't remember being punished by Mr Wallis - but I do remember the "Hebron Hot Shots"!

It is amazing that this far away, this many years later and in this most unlikely of scenarios the tendrils of Hebron, (Lushington and Breeks - all associated schools) continue creep into my present.

Thanks Graeme and Rosemary for the week you gave us (and for the opportunity to reconnect). There have been so many non-Sallies come and join our teams in the last 5 weeks - you have all been awesome and we appreciate your support.

42 Years to Save, 42 Seconds to Destroy

I had the privilege of meeting a couple today who finished building and moved into their dream home last April. Semi-retired and looking forward to the future they were set. But then on September 4, a 42 second long earthquake destroyed the house they had worked and saved 42 years to build.

That night their house rode a wave that carried their house 10" toward their neighbours, before it slid 4" back again and settled into liquefied earth about 3" higher than it was designed to be.

Before Christmas their dream was "unofficially" written off by 3 engineers, but no one would make an official decision so they put their house back together again with rubber bandages and carpet, they barrowed out the 2' volcanoes of liquefaction that had erupted in their yard and they went out to volunteer their time to assist others through the Sallies.

Life was becoming sane again, (except for a broken house) when on February 22 their house moved again: this time 2" to the side. This quake, more violent than the last turned the inside of their house inside out and their yard was once again visited by a river of liquefied earth. On the same afternoon they picked up their furniture and belongings and headed out the door, Lyndsay got back behind the wheel of a Sallie truck and Elizabeth got back into the production line to produce food parcels.

They have been going now for a month, and they would have it no other way: "That's our family out there hurting: we can't sit in our broken house frustrated and useless - we have to help."