The letter W

Today's post is brought to you by the letter W:

As the handsome fellow got up and dressed his sleepy wife rolled over and rested until she woke some time after 9.30 a.m. on a sunny Sunday morning. Her chores were soon completed, including the washing which was soon flapping wildly (well that is an untruth but gently is not a W word) on the line. Their beautiful elder daughter waited for the wonderful couple to eat their lunch. Then the family wended their way along the Warringah freeway to the waterside at North Head. They wandered along the walkway astounded at the view until at the Western end (actually I have no idea which direction it was) they were looking out towards Watson's Bay (this bit is true). Then right in front of them, clearly visible from the clifftop, swimming along in the water, were two WHALES. Real live whales. WHALES! Swimming in the harbour. The people watched as one fisherman continued to stand in his dinghy, eyes following the line he was casting, oblivious to the whales that swam within metres of his boat. A small launch motored around a bend and over the top of one of the whales, cutting the engine as the other whale surfaced alongside. We watched as the whales swam side-by-side out of our line of vision and into the Tasman sea. What a day.

What are we capable of and where do I truly stand?

Began this Lenten season well with reading the prayer and study for Lent Event on the train, and attending Mass at lunchtime. The imagery is remarkably stark as the fires in Victoria continue to smoulder and erupt, and Queensland recovers from flood. The ash on my forehead connects and yet emphasises the disconnect between the experience of so many and my unscathedness. The generous reproduction permissions granted by the Lent Event team mean I can share the commencement reflection from Peter Pereira:

Down from the Mountain.
A transfigured Jesus stands on a mountain bathed in light.
He turns and beckons us to him.
No words are spoken but the message is clear.
‘Do you dare follow?’
The light fades and the journey begins.
We plunge into the depths of the Easter journey,
to be baptised by the death of Friday,
to gasp for breath in the grief of Saturday
and to burst into the light of Sunday.
God of new life, nourish us as we travel.
May new wine burst the old wineskins.
May laughter and joy burst from our lips.

And in the study I was struck by the thought that "A tempter seeks to make a person fail and fall, whereas a tester seeks to find out what a person is capable of and where they truly stand." The challenge for me this week is to consider how my lifestyle aligns with God's promise to Noah not to destroy the earth. Am I standing with God in this, or with the principalities and powers that spew out carbon and swamp nation states into oblivion? I am enjoying the challenge of developing Lenten disciplines as a way of standing for creation. It will be amazing to see what Lent Event participants are collectively capable of.

Nation ablaze

Sobering news coverage from Victoria this evening just begins to reckon the damage caused by the blazing bush fires. Whole communities destroyed in a matter of minutes. Over 700 homes burnt to the ground. Seventy-six known deaths and many people unaccounted for. Cheryl posted this morning from near this hell zone. It's one of those times I sit transfixed by the television monitor almost numb trying to even begin to imagine how deeply people have been affected. The fire crews so professional and so methodical and clear in their instructions. Spared communities opening their doors to their neighbours. Prime Minister and Premier responding rapidly. Fire crews and trucks despatched interstate, forensic teams flying in to assist with identification, Australians responding to a national appeal. A mother sitting and playing with her children, providing a sense of normality and routine in the midst of devastation.

Singing 'The North wind is tossing the leaves" will never be the same after this day (should be a link on Oremus but I can't get it to work. A famous Australian Christmas song).

Here in NSW we have several fires as well, but so far no lives lost or serious injuries sustained. Further north Queensland communities are experiencing repeated flooding. A small boy out walking with his brother was apparently taken by a crocodile.

As our nation experiences the full force
of the uncontrolled brutality of nature
May we know in some small part
The full force of human compassion
and a measure of grace

The rebuild will be long and slow and arduous. It's a time I am glad to belong to a church that is known for being with people through such long hauls. That doesn't lighten the heart. But it does sustain the spirit even when hope seems ethereal and distant.

A few of my favourite things

Inspired by Singing Owl's contribution, I'm putting in a late play in the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five posted yesterday by Songbird who wrote:

In a week of wondering how various things in our family life will unfold, I found myself thinking of the way Maria comforted the Von Trapp children in one of my favorite movies. Frightened by a thunder storm, the children descend upon her, and she sings to them about her favorite things, taking their minds off the storm.

So, let's encourage ourselves. Share with us five of your favorite things. Use words or pictures, whatever expresses it best.

1. Water. I love water. Streams, rivers, sea. Font, pool, fountain. This could take up my whole five favourite things. I like to be beside water, be in water, see water, hear water, drink water, feel water. I guess water is one of my favourite things. I like the catholic tradition of having the full font at the entrance to the worship space. For me a visible font (or other sign of baptism) is important in every Christian worship event. And water is such a precious commodity in our world. I hope I treasure and respect water in all its forms.
   
2. The feel of getting into bed made with freshly washed and sun-dried sheets. I remember the childhood combination of being rubbed down with a fresh towel, into clean pyjamas and then into fresh sheets. I guess it must have been on 'wash day'. Now the days I change the bed linen I look forward to bedtime!
3. Flowers. I'm not too good at growing them, but I do enjoy receiving and displaying them. Joining the flower roster at church has been fun (I notice I'm only on twice a year though and freely admit my efforts are not of a professional standard). But heading early to the flower market, finding the colours I'm after, having access to the empty church building and spending time preparing the space for worship: it all lightens my heart! And I did love this Advent wreath.
4. Ice cold lemonade. The traditional way. Place 2 cups sugar in a bowl. Add one cup of boiling water and stir until dissolved (even better if thinly peeled rind of lemon is steeped in the boiling water first) . Add juice of 2-3 lemons, 1 teaspoon tartaric acid and 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts and a second cup of boiling water. Pour into bottles (strain if you wish) and serve diluted with water to taste (about 1:5 or 1:6 seems good). For special treat serve with soda water, squeeze of lime and dash of angostura bitters.
5. Earrings. Those who know me would insist this is on the list. I have so many favourites. A new pair is always high on my retail therapy wish list. Most holidays I come back with some. My loved ones know that I will always appreciate a new pair as a gift. Most have some significance. Several are just randomly fun. But beware the person who ever jokes about my earrings! It may just be the wrong day to do so :-)

And there is more - movies, music, al fresco dining, camping (nothing like a tent in summertime), cool places on hot days, warm places on cool days, sensible shoes, linen jackets. I have lots and lots of favourite things but my top five are pretty indicative of my being.

Ladybirds and other summer blessings

What a blest day we have had. A call at 8.30 a.m. signaled that friends from NZ were passing through Sydney (en route to Denver) with a day to spare. So out to the airport, drive into town and walk around Mrs MacQuaries's chair with tired but keen on climbing three-year-old who made the most of all the sandstone steps. Then home to our 'empty nest' for a great time of catching up and renewing friendship.

After several 30 degrees plus days, and 43 degrees again yesterday. today's cooler 24 made a late afternoon in the garden very pleasant. Hibiscus trimmed back strongly and all the paths swept and clean. It's time for our six-monthly massive rubbish collection and there is now a pile of tree branches on the kerb. Plus various other unfixable items cleared from the garage.

I hadn't realised that the hibiscus provided a home for so many ladybirds. They were flying everywhere as I pruned. I have never really seen them airborne before. Very beautiful! A very tiny one I relocated by hand. But the others seemed to find new (attached) branches quite easily. Although I was aware of the asault I was making on their territory.

So carried away with the gardening we were late for church. But not too late for the blessing of Matt Redman and Beth Redman's song:

Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful
Where streams of abundance flow, Blessed be your name
And blessed be your name when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness, Blessed be your name

It was the high point for me. Amid contextless pleas for change and a meander through the failure of the congregation to embrace the 'change' (undefined) recommended by a review in 2001. I was a bit lost in the sermon, and some of the other music, but this song does give me a sense of linking with the varieties of experience of life, and the hope and praise that can come forth in those diverse circumstances.

It made sense of the call from our partner churches in Fiji for additional aid as they face the aftermath of severe flooding. Of course the political instability and denial of democracy means that nations like Australia and New Zealand are not providing aid through government channels.

This comes after a solid and productive week at work, orientation with fellow tutors for 2009, movies on Friday and Saturday nights that were well worth seeing. Valkyrie for (limited) insight into a period of German history - and I was pleasantly surprised by Cruise's performance. Doubt for intriguing glimpses at the intricacies of human relationships, gender power imbalances, trust and justice.

And that empty nest. A sense of rightness rather than bereavement. One child celebrating 21st with friends interstate (due home on Tuesday). One still serving ice cream to deserving (or at least paying) customers in the Great Barrier Reef region, and taking a dinghy to a neighbouring island to celebrate Australia Day tomorrow. And one safe with a host family in the USA central time zone experiencing temperatures below zero and where quite possibly no one knows that it is Australia Day weekend!

Mind you I don't think anyone here noticed my careful selection of gold and green flowers for the church arrangement! It's kind of time we started engaging with the community around us rather than continuing the 8-year-plus conversation about how we must so engage.

Advent longings

A wonderfilled seasonal Friday Five from Sally this week:

"Imagine a complex, multi-cultural society that annually holds an elaborate winter festival, one that lasts not simply a few days, but several weeks. This great festival celebrates the birth of the Lord and Saviour of the world, the prince of peace, a man who is divine. People mark the festival with great abundance- feasting, drinking and gift giving....." (Richard Horsley- The Liberation of Christmas)

The passage goes on, recounting the decorations that are hung, and the songs and dances that accompany the festival, how the economy booms and philanthropic acts abound....

But this is not Christmas- this is a Roman festival in celebration of the Emperor....This is the world that Jesus was born into! The world where the early Christians would ask "Who is your Saviour the Emperor or Christ?"

And yet our shops and stores and often our lives are caught up in a world that looks very much like the one of ancient Rome, where we worship at the shrine of consumerism....

Advent on the other hand calls us into the darkness, a time of quiet preparation, a time of waiting, and re-discovering the wonder of the knowledge that God is with us. Advent's call is to simplicity and not abundance, a time when we wait for glorious light of God to come again...

Christ is with us at this time of advent, in the darkness, and Christ is coming with his light- not the light of the shopping centre, but the light of love and truth and beauty.

What do you long for this advent? What are your hopes and dreams for the future? What is your prayer today?

In the vein of simplicity I ask you to list five advent longings....

In this time of waiting
for the coming of the Saviour
For what do I long?

• For a world where justice and peace are rampant
• For every child to be born in a context of love and concern
• For meaningful connections with family and friends across seas and continents
• To be in touch with nature; to feel the sand between my toes and the wind on my face
• To eat well and share abundantly; and know this experience is universal
  

Johnny Appleseed Friday Five

Across the Pacific from here, they are celebrating the 234th birthday of Johnny Appleseed. Singing Owl has posted a Friday Five in his honour:

September 26, 1774 was his birthday. "Johnny Appleseed" (John Chapman) is one of America's great legends. He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania, but he was among those who were captivated by the movement west across the continent.

As Johnny traveled west (at that time, the "West" was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois) he planted apple trees and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew. A devout Christian, he was known to preach during his travels. According to legend, Johny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received to churches or charities. He planted hundreds of orchards, considering it his service to humankind. There is some link between Johny Appleseed and very early Arbor Day celebrations.

So, in honor of this interesting fellow, let's get on with the questions!

1. What is your favorite apple dish? (BIG BONUS points if you share the recipe.)
Apple crumble. The recipe depends what is in the pantry but the basic idea:
Put rolled oats (about a cup), walnuts (or almonds, or other nuts) (1/2 to 1 cup), 1 tbs brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon or allspice, and any seeds on hand (pumpkin, sunflower etc) and 50-75g cold butter into a food processor and blend until butter is in small pieces. (If no food processor put dry ingredients in a bowl and chop butter into the mix)
Cut up plenty of apples and slice into a pie dish.
Pile on the rolled oats topping
Bake at 180 degrees celsius until top is golden and apples are soft.
Almost everything in this recipe can be substituted. It is OK with white sugar, wholemeal or even plain flour, and other grains and spices.
2. Have you ever planted a tree? If so was there a special reason or occasion you can tell us about?

When I bought my first house it was newly built and I planted out the section with lots of trees. We planted a tree to mark the place where we placed each of our children's placentas. Our son co-planted a tree to commemorate a church anniversary when he was two years old. Our daughter was born in 1989 and we planted a tree in a community planting the following year to mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty between the indigenous people of New Zealand and Queen Victoria. We have planted lemon and peach trees in our garden. I've not before reflected on trees in my life but there have been quite a few!
3. Does the idea of roaming around the countryside (preaching or otherwise) appeal to you? Why or why not?

Appeals greatly because I like the feel of the earth beneath my feet and sun (through the sunblock) on my skin. Not so keen on the preaching - but meeting people on the way and sharing our stories would be grand.

4. Who is a favorite "historical legend" of yours?

Again so many! Sir Edmund Hillary. Kate Sheppard. My great-grandfathers - legends within their families.

5. Johnny Appleseed was said to sing to keep up his spirits as he traveled the roads of the west. Do you have a song that comes when you are trying to be cheerful, or is there something else that you often do?

It's a happy day
And I praise God for the weather
It's a happy day
And I'm living it for my Lord
It's a happy day
And things can only get better
Living each day by the promises in God's word :-)

Spring equinox

Walking back home across the Parramatta River today I was struck forcibly by the presence of Spring. As we approach the equinox I'm turning Songbird's Friday Five on its head and celebrating the southern season:

As this vivid season begins, tell us five favorite things about spring:

1) A fragrance - jasmine

2) A color - bright green

3) An item of clothing - white linen jacket

4) An activity - walking with joy (not specific to the season but definitely part of it)

5) A special day - today. September 19th. Anniversary of women's suffrage in NZ. And newly discovered as International Talk Like a Pirate day. And this very day has been a delight in many ways.

Relativity

My mother received The Little Red Recipe Book as a Christmas gift from her cousins in 1945. In the front of the book is so much useful information (handy hints, how to foretell the weather, useful measures, antidotes for poison etc) including a table of income or wages. I was struck by the observation that the highest income in the table is 1000 (pounds sterling). I've commented to a couple of people how unbelievable that is. That many people earn more than that in a week now. How hard it is to envision a world where the highest income you could imagine is under $20 a week (just taking a wee bit of license and substituting long outdated currency with the modern version). And then like a thunderbolt it hit me!

Almost half of the people on this planet live on less than $1000 a year. ($2.50 a day is $912.50 a year). And 80% live on less than $10 a day - or under $4000 a year. The disparity that seems almost laughable when viewed chronologically and internally, is heart-breaking and resolve-strengthening when viewed geographically and internationally. I realise there is nothing new in these facts. It's just that the reality has hit me afresh. In a new way. Everything really must change.

On the radio today I heard an interview with the Queensland Premier. Who stated that the responsibility to address climate change lay with private citizens who must reduce their emissions. But that 'trade sensitive industries' needed to be allowed to continue to contribute to economic success and to manage climate change through emissions trading. I have been cynical that emissions trading is a way to avoid actually reducing our addiction to carbon. A sort of prop to look as if we are doing something but in fact nothing is changing. In her interview the Premier certainly bolstered my cynicism.

And so what do I do? Remind myself daily that most of my world brothers and sisters are living with 1940s incomes in a world of third millennium commodities and prices. And live in that knowledge. Letting it work away at every level of my being. Strategically work out how to make a real difference. And work personally, in community and politically to make that difference happen. So help me Godde.

I have seen with my own eyes ...

Out watering the new veges and along the fence line I saw it ... the blue-tongued lizard. Only one other member of our family has seen this shy inhabitant of our garden, But there she was, out in the open enjoying the sun. And surely her appearance from hibernation must mean that winter is over and spring has come. As the Hebrew poet said (even I can't move away from the King James Version sometimes):

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of the singing of birds is come,

and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

Song of Solomon 2:11-17

I think the Blue Tongue may be the Australian equivalent of the turtle(dove) - the definitive sign of the coming of new life in the springtime.

Summer sweetness

Great Friday Five from Presbyterian Gal sweltering in the summer heat provokes a bit of nostalgia.
1. What is your sweetest summer memory from childhood? Did it involve watermelon or hand cranked ice cream? Or perhaps a teen summer romance. Which stands out for you?
Strawberries and pavlova. Kind of like a huge meringue covered in whipped cream. A New Zealand icon - although Australians like to claim it as their own :-)
2. Describe your all time favorite piece of summer clothing. The one thing you could put on in the summer that would seem to insure a cooler, more excellent day.
A gorgeous little white linen jacket with coconut shell buttons. Looks good with everything. And has pockets. I'm wearing it in this (Presbyterian) photo.
3. What summer food fills your mouth with delight and whose flavor stays happily with you long after eaten?
Now that would have to be watermelon. The stains on the chin stay around for a while as well.
4. Tell us about the summer vacation or holiday that holds your dearest memory.
The year that we spent 5 weeks at Whangamata. Kind of a busman's holiday as my beloved took the worship services at the churches there and they provided accommodation. He departed for two weeks in Tokelau and left daughters and me to fill his shoes for the final week. That summer I completed a tapestry, enjoyed sun and sea, read avidly, watched 5 DVDs starring George Clooney one after the other. It was idyllic. This will sound liturgically strange to those in the opposite hemisphere but it was the summer I discovered Epiphany and the baptism of Jesus. I still think the sermon was good for any preacher including this lay one. And some good interactive creative participation with sea shells and stars.
5. Have you had any experience(s) this summer that has drawn you closer to God or perhaps shown you His wonder in a new way?
Staying with my wonderful friends and their toddler daughter this past summer reminded me again of the wonder with which little ones explore and investigate our world. And walking along the waterfront refreshed my spirit.
Bonus question: When it is really hot, humid and uncomfortable, what do you do to refresh and renew body and spirit?
Splash witchazel about abundantly.

Cultural complexities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make up a high proportion of the Northern Territory population and are very visible in the community. On my morning walk along the esplanade on Sunday I met the artist above, who invited me to see her work at the Mindil Beach Sunset market that evening. Later in the week we met artists selling their work directly to the public at Wangi Falls. They spoke with significant feeling about the way they are treated by galleries, who pay the artist $100 for a work then marketed to tourists for several thousand dollars. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are allegedly signed up to a gallery and are unable to sell their work independently. At the Sunset market the music was playing and some members of the audience dancing in a display of culture of a different kind.

Our outing on Tuesday of last week started with a drive almost to the edge of Litchfield National Park, and a visit to the tin mine. Fully operational for only a few years, and wreaking serious health damage to those who spent their days breathing in silicon in while mining the underground seams of tin, this mine also seemed to operate as a multi-cultural workplace with both colonists and traditional owners of the land working in collegial, and in several cases conjugal, partnerships. The mine site was well laid out, with a short walking track and well-written interpretive signs giving a good impression of the lifestyle of those early miners and their families.

Our luxurious historic retreat in Batchelor was just along the road from the Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education . The hospitable library staff allowed me to use their internet connection to liaise with colleagues back in Sydney regarding public health education matters. Graduates from the Institute are working in many places in Australia, including many in their communities of origin. Exciting to see such a worthwhile enterprise doing well. In a further twist of history and culture, the guest house was the home of the manager for the uranium mine in the 1950s. The material mainly sold to the US of course.

On Wednesday we visited Adelaide River and learnt more about the relentless bombing experienced in the whole top end of Australia during World War 2. The War Commission Cemetery was sobering, as such sites always are. We walked to dinner that evening at the Butterfly Farm - literally capturing something of the beautiful fauna of the region and run by an Englishman.

WE concluded our trip to the top end with further exploration in Darwin on the Thursday. We concluded our trip with a visit to the excellent Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory where we saw not only the current exhibition, but the outstanding collections of Aboriginal Art with excellent explanatory captions. Such art was originally very sacred and could only be viewed by specific people or groups of people. Much thought and effort has gone into adapting styles of work to make them available to a wider audience. For this I am glad, as the art is awe-inspiring.

All in all an eclectic interwoven set of experiences of history and culture within a relatively limited geographical area. And now I see there is a job advertised in Katherine - further south and allegedly with the lowest petrol prices in the Territory (according to my bus driver cousin who should know!) I am tempted by the climate and the opportunity to make a real difference in addressing the health disparities of the traditional owners and occupiers of this country. But a 5 hour plane commute from Sydney is not really very friendly to the planet. I do have some other opportunities closer to home that I will explore first.

And to conclude: a random trivial fact. Left-handed people are over-represented among USA Presidents, and both the current contenders are left handed. Trivial? YES. Useful? NO. Interesting? MAYBE

Top End Flora

More about the Northern Territory sojourn last week. Flights into Darwin seem to be most frequent in the middle of the night and mine was no exception. After a delayed departure from Sydney I finally arrived in Darwin about 12.45 a.m. Driving the rental car into the city about 1.30 a.m. I was struck by the abundantly flowering frangipani trees repetitively and rhythmically caught in the headlights along the roadway. Remember of course that for me this is winter - and our frangipani tree is a bare branched thing with just a few surviving leaves. I just did not expect to see flowers blooming - especially not at 1.30 a.m. Then again the temperature in the middle of the night was hotter than in the noontime sun in Sydney! Of course I didn't stop and take a snap of the blooms at that time, but did find this tree in Batchelor later in the week.









Then over the following few days I was delighted by the range of vegetation we observed, including these pretty wildflowers and the brownish fruit (I have no idea what it is!).

Banksia is one of my favourite Australian natives and the orange flowers were also abundant on our walks each day. There was something quite energising about experiencing such different weather and such different plant life. It reminded me of an April in London (autumn in NZ of course and spring in the UK) and my delight in daffodils which were such a surprise at that time of year. It is amazing to be living in this vast and multifaceted country and to have the opportunity to explore its riches.

Litchfield National Park

A week ago we arrived in the town of Batchelor and settled into our luxurious accommodation at the Historic Retreat. Our host Rob was wonderful. We shared the common areas with a couple from Melbourne, helping out with a new grandchild in the town and enjoying their own space from time to time, and four intrepid US sailors on a three-day vacation from their catamarans.

We drove down from Darwin, stopping on the way for a Spectacular Jumping Crocodile cruise. I got to hold a python and see some pretty big crocs up close and personal. They did jump but sadly I didn't capture any on the camera (lots of shots of bits of croc out of frame. Check out their website for more. On the return trip delighted to see the sky filled with kites, relatives of course of the American bald eagle.

Once unpacked we headed into the park and visited the giant termite mounds. These are described as the equivalent of cows? In an environment where there are no natural herbivores, the termites carry out the processes needed to dispose of grass etc and return it to the soil. These are magnetic termite mounds. Very apt in a region named for the biologist Charles Darwin. It seems the termites are genetically programmed to build the mounds on specific axes. Those for whom this is thermally advantageous survive - those who freeze or bake don't survive. Leading to a whole community who build in the same direction. Or something like that!
And then further along the road to the very popular Buley Waterhole and a one hour trek to the ever-so-beautiful Florence falls. We swam in that pool at the foot of the falls and could get right in underneath the waterfalls. It was so lovely. Then up the 160 steps to the carpark and back to the open air restaurant at the motor camp for a delicious dinner of local Barramundi and fresh steamed veges.

Was this an idyllic day? YES. Did I engage in any deep biological, public health or spiritual reflection? NO not really. Did I live the moments as fully as possible? YES. Did I share them with someone I love? YES. And I didn't really set out to blog like this - reviewing the past week day-by-day. However it is an interesting process that I might just keep on with.

Top End sunset market

Back in wintery Sydney it is hard to believe that just a week ago I was in Darwin at the top end of Australia, where there are only two seasons - 'the wet' starting about October and 'the dry' - now. Temperatures were about 30 Celsius dropping to the 20s at night. Sunday evening I wandered down to the Mindil beach market where I got myself some 'dinkum Aussie tucker' and ate it on the beach. Darwin is renowned for its sunsets (which occur in different directions at different times of year - I'm sure the astronomers will understand) and last Sunday was no exception. About this time I headed to the airport to meet my beloved coming back from a President's (of the UCA) conference in Bali. But time for bed for me now. Will post more tomorrow.

Beyond nutrients

Population Health Congress was a stimulating event. Wednesday's plenary on advocacy for food security brought to mind my second response to the Poetry Party. Michael Marmot is always so inspiring - and certainly no less on this occasion. I missed the first day plenary but heard good reports of the renewed challenge to environmental sustainability and mitigation of the effects of climate change. The lack of overlap between my public health circle and my faith community struck me during the week. The potential overlap is enormous. I did cite Brian McLaren in the paper I presented. And thought how relevant the Young Ambassadors for Peace programme was when I listened to a paper about the homicide of journalists. Back to the Wednesday plenary. Among many good things I was struck by Jane Dixon and her analysis that over emphasis on nutrient content has robbed food of cultural meaning. And contributed to the obesity crisis in developed nations. To round off a busy week I had a couple of hours to spare on Wednesday afternoon and enjoyed a wander through the impressive Brisbane art gallery. I will enjoy exploring more of this my new country with a trip to Darwin and the Litchfield National Park - starting tomorrow. I will be taking a camera this time!

Limiting options

This is a further play on the Abbey of the Arts image. Guess who's been grocery shopping today!

Two aisles of cereal
Colourful boxes enticing
I choose oats
and make porridge

Addicted to carbon

Ban Ki-moon has issued a call to all the world to kick our carbon habit. In his message for World Environment Day (at the beginning of this month) he said:

"Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us, makes us deny important truths and blinds us to the consequences of our actions"

Yet will I heed this call? Seriously? I recently completed one of those carbon footprint exercises - thinking I would come out reasonably OK as I think I live in a planet-friendly way. Yet if everyone on this earth lived like me we would need the resources of three planets to support our lifestyles. From powerhouse I learnt that my footprint is almost twice the national average and FIVE TIMES the world average. This is scary stuff.

I can cut down on vehicle use - and eat less meat. Use a water conserving washing machine - dry clothes on the line - and switch off the lights. The change required is even more radical. A challenge for me is that the response required is collective and not just personal. It cuts across my need to be needed. To provide transport to school and work and church activities. To run around after others. It also cuts across our decision to attend a church in a distant suburb. And that of the Uniting Church to provide clergy with large cars. And large houses.

In responding to this call I feel like the hypothetical disciple portrayed in the sermon this morning. Imagine if Simon and Andrew had made a more reasonable response. Well yes Jesus of course we'd love to follow you. You are a good teacher. We want to be on your team. Not literally of course. Metaphorically. We'll stay here where we know the situation. Of course we'll sign up. It will be good for you to say you have the numbers. Leave us with some of your literature and we'll read it thoroughly. You don't really mean for us to hit the road with you Jesus. Do you?

But for now that feels as if this is where I am. Mitigating rather than changing everything. What does it mean? For me? For us? Here? Now? To cut free from this addiction. The stuff I do seems so like shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic, or fiddling while Rome burns, or whatever.

It's fine to sing Where you lead Lord I will follow
The challenge is to follow into unexplored territory. To keep working on those mitigating actions and whittle away the size of the footprint. To honestly discuss and share with those around me how everything can change. If the price of petrol finally influences church attendance perhaps we can explore how worship times can better match public transport. To seek the healing of blindness, so that I understand the consequences of my actions. To find out and speak the truth. To live in the rhythm of grace and break out of the control of the empire.

This whole post sounds a bit breast-beating and helpless. It's not meant to. The Church has been a powerful force in overcoming destructive forces through history, as have the organised efforts of other religions. At a personal level Hanane and Katie knitting for peace send a powerful message to everyone who meets them. In Amazing Grace those eighteenth century women gave up sugar in their tea as a powerful message against slavery. I hope and pray that people of faith can join together to address the carbon addiction that at the same time sustains and threatens our way of life. It is essential. And we collectively know that there is a better way.

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Christine at Abbey of the Arts posted this picture as an invitation to her 20th Poetry Party! For these parties Christine selects an image and suggests a title and invites us to respond with poems, words, reflections, quotes, song lyrics, etc. On Saturday she draws a name at random and sends the winner a beautiful zine.
Christine photographed the image below last summer on Vancouver Island at a Raptor Sanctuary. There is something so powerful about eagles and they are known for strength and vision. What in your life do you feel this kind of clarity about? Or is there something for which you would like a clearer vision?

My response to this magnificent creature:

Knowing nothing about you I visited around the vast world wide web and found out a few facts. Here I learnt that you and your kind were formerly distributed across North America, but you are now limited to breeding in Alaska, Canada, the northern Great Lakes states, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest. You are an amazing construction worker, building large stick nests (sometimes weighing over a ton) that are usually about six feet in diameter and more than six feet tall near the top of the largest trees near a river or lake. You eat fish that you catch yourself, or find dead, or pirate from other birds. Road-killed deer is a special delicacy that puts you at risk of being hit by motor vehicles. On July 9 last year (2007) you were removed from the endangered species list.

And from here I learnt that you have a big family and a long whakapapa. Birds with names like Kite or Hawk are relatives of yours. Your family is found in the fossil record 30-50 million years ago. Members of your family live all over the globe, yet you have no obvious relatives among the other birds; and scientists don’t even agree that all members of your family are closely related to each other. Maybe you have just grown to look alike because you need similar characteristics to survive in similar habitats.

And then I found this brilliant video clip of your distant cousin Kahu

And so I write

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

I’d like to know:

How does it feel

to be removed

from the endangered list?

Is it a relief?

Do you rejoice in your resilience,

that you have overcome

the powers of destruction?

Are vulnerable children

easier to protect than endangered ones?

Do you worry less

when you leave them in their treetop mansion

and go fishing for their breakfast?

Does it restore to you

the land that was yours for millennia?

Or make it any easier

to live within the confines

enforced by the invaders

who destroy your way of being?

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Congratulations!

You have turned around the forces

gathered against you.

You have found a mate

and continued your line.

You have done well.

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Remind us please

that we cannot fully congratulate ourselves

for this minute step

in the right direction.

We cannot ever restore

your true entitlement.

We have gone too far for that.

Please accept our contrition

as we come to realise

that our way of life

has so limited yours.

We rejoice in your presence

above, beyond and beside us

Inspiring us to persist

in the face of all that would overwhelm.

To make a home in the highest places

To find strength for ourselves

To secure a future for our young

To catch and find and even to scavenge

The things that will sustain

To fly high

and see our shadow

rest lightly

on earth below.