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27th April 2008
Day of Prayer for the situation in Zimbabwe
My country - right or wrong?
On Friday the 25th of April we commemorated ANZAC day. Things stopped and we took a moment to think about who we are. The weekend of the 19th and 20th of April - the 2020 summit was another moment - when Australians took stock of who we are too. I'm sure it is not just the optometrists who get the 2020 'vision' thing. We look around and within and think about the world we live in, and also the world we want to live in.
It perhpas doesn't occur to us that much to think about our systems. We may talk about Republics, but that's only a tiny part of the story. For example, a fine line exists between patriotism, chauvinism and jingoism - as suggestions that the National Anthem might be changed show. Emotions rightly run high when we think things we value are at stake. But we should remember that in this lucky country until 40 years ago, certain people were not deemed people: and their imposed unluckiness still affects their chances of a fruitful and adundant existence.
Some countries are named by position: Austria=East Land; China='central country'; some after names (America, Bolivia); some after descriptions - Nigeria is full of 'black' people, and Greenland is actually surprisingly green! All of those choices are 'political' choices in both senses, projecting either someone's importance or our own. Yet there's a more insidious choice lurking and we find countries like Zimbabwe. Meaning 'big house of stone', we at this glorious Cathedral can identify with that. Zimbabwe (once known as Rhodesia) now has a degree of autonomy, and former colonial powers like the UK find it difficult to comment on that country's situation. But when the stones begin to fall, who gets hurt?
We have been invited by the church in Zimbabwe to pray for the country and its people. and while we must pray for the leaders and the people they serve, that is exactly the issue under discussion. We have no interest in imposing a Christian perpective on the situation, but we can reflect that democracy is about being ruled by the people - 'demos' - not demonstrations. The descent into anarchy is something that is dreadful and, yes, it does directly affect us. For where money is literally not worth the paper it is written on, we often find violence and strife reddling the body politic. Every single Zimbabwean is a human being, and we diminish ourselves if we shrug our shoulders and say the problem is not in our back yard, conveniently 'over there'.
In a world where we are at war with others, we should think long and hard about what it is to maim, destroy and kill in the name of freedom. A 'Crusade' uses the Cross in a particularly ugly way: turned upside down it is a weapon - the Word of Life becomes a Sword of Destruction. But today in the land of the Southern Cross we can pray not to be 'upside-down' and centre our concerns on letting much needed light shine in Zimbabwe.
The Rev'd Rupert Jeffcoat.
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ST JOHN'S NEWS |
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15th Annual Capt'n Snapper Loaves and Fishes Luncheon
Wednesday 28th May 2008 at 12.30pm
This year's guest of honour is the Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of Brisbane Councillor Campbell Newman.
For more details
Invitation (1.20MB)
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Brisbane Organ Recitals International Series (BORIS)
For information regarding this series.
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Dean's latest Sermons
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NEWS FLASH |
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With the towers in place, Pearson's original vision of St John's Cathedral is on schedule
to be completed by the end of this year.
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