Letter to PM Julia

this was sent via Get UP Welcome Writ Large

Dear Prime Minister,

warm congratulations on yesterday (24th June). I hope it will be a fulfilling and exciting time for you.
My plea is that you will be mindful of the needs and terrors facing those who seek asylum in our country. Those who cannot obtain a visa to fly in and whose only hope is to take to the seas in leaky boats.

I do not share that worry about border protection that you talked of in your press conference yesterday, but I understand that you do know more about it than I do. However, I would hope that you might lead us to be the welcoming nation that we were when I was at school in the 1950's. A time of migration and a time when Australia was a refuge for many fleeing the aftermath of war.

But now, we need a new story to build on the strength of the multi cultural society we have become. I ask that you might seek to find that.

I would also encourage you in your efforts to place a price on carbon and to bring Australians with you.
Climate change is not something to "believe in", but something to cause great action and deep changes in the way we live our lives. Changing our lives to combat this danger can bring great benefit to all of us.

I write as a "Woman in Black", one who has stood at the back entry into Parliament on those early mornings of a new sitting. As I watch you all (politicians and others) come into the Parliament to work I am very aware of the weight of the task that we lay upon your shoulders. May that task be light upon you, enjoyable and fulfilling,

yours sincerely,

Michael's latest piece. Christianity's "Fall".

http://michaelcardensjottings.blogspot.com/2010/06/whos-responsible-for-christianitys-fall.html

Another  fascinating blog from Michael Carden. I love the new eyes that he uses to see the christian story.

Rejecting the dualism of Paul versus Jesus... Pointing out the Californian Jesus of the 'Jesus Seminar'...

There is a lot here, worth looking at deeply! thank you Michael!

The Broad Vision

http://changingattitude-england.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-is-archbishop-of-canterbury.html

Colin Coward is again broadening the view!

"There is a movement of the Spirit flowing in our world which is leading people in new directions, towards a reconnection with the earth, our environment and the inherent unity of all creation in God and away from dualism, polarization and the abuse of our planet and of each other."

I am taken by calls for "new eyes for seeing" (since the WCC gathering in Canberra 1991). Colin quotes the Archbishop of Canterbury's sermon to the Royal Society

To keep the eye open is to keep open the possibility of health for the whole body (says Our Lord). And surely not only the body of the individual but the body of a society..

But we are always hindered by what Bergson alerted us to:

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend"

an archbishop writes to the Anglican Communion...

I was unwilling to post a link to Archbishop Rowan William's letter to the Anglican communion until I read Bishop Katharine's response. I can't find that response on the web so I put it up on our parish web site.

A conversation, a "listening process" requires two participants. The way I read what the communion is saying to the episcopal church is "stop doing it" (or you will go blind?)"; no, "stop doing it" and you listen to us. Who is listening to the episcopal church?

A typical problem for conflict resolution. Every one is feeling wronged, or taking the role of the under-dog, the victim, it's all their fault...

Perhaps both bishops are trying to get beyond that. I just don't see it very clearly. (Maybe more clearly while writing this, but now I have to go and do women-in-black. There is still work to be done!
The Archbishop of Canterbury +Rowan Williams wrote to the Anglican Communion at Pentecost. A summary and link to the letter is at http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2876
Download the letter at the Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter [89kbWordDoc]
Episcopalian (USA) Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori responds to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost letter.http://www.stphilipsoconnor.org.au/Response.html
(Brian has found it at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_122615_ENG_HTM.htm)


Colin Coward's comment is now on the changing attitude blog at http://changingattitude-england.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-archbishop-of-canterbury-and.html

religions and languages

Michael is back on his blog!

and writing some lovely bits that I am happy to pass on. His latest blog is about Samaritans. http://michaelcardensjottings.blogspot.com/2010/05/samaritans.html

It brings back memories of the trip to Palestine and Israel last year. 

near the end he writes:

Like languages, religions express something about what it means to be human. The death of a religion, like the death of a language is an irreparable loss. Religious diversity must be fostered, encouraged, sustained and celebrated; respected.

An important point that I hadn't really seen before. That Language and Religion can be the cradles, the containers in which we hold our culture and our humanity.

Languages I see as dying out too fast. And I was watching SBS tonight about the teaching of ethics being available to students who do not take SRE (special religious education). It is a philosophy based programme, not about morality. Seems very good to me. But where does that leave "religion"?  Is there any place for it in our society? I certainly think so, and think that the University chaplaincy is one place to ask the question.  I am getting closer to making up a uni blog there.

Where has all the passion gone?

Where has all the passion gone? asks Pat Brennan in an address to Sydney MOW (Movement for the Ordination of Women)                                                   

"If you occupy the place of prophesy but do not prophesy, you are stifling passion."

An important word to all of us.

Lizards facing extinction with warming

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s2899483.htm

I heard part of this on Friday as Andrew was doing some more electrical work that had been made necessary by our recent additions to our photovoltaic array.

The study in Mexico that is published in Science this week might have an explanation for the diminished skink population here. I had blamed the snake. I might have been wrong!

The skinks obviously do not like the heat on very hot days. I have had a papier mache cover on the wire over their birthing spot for some years now. But this year they didn't even get over to the mud bricks which had been a normal cool spot for them over the years. (ten or more?)

The study suggests that lizards need more than four hours in a day when they don't have to work at keeping cool, but can spend their energy getting food and doing all the social things that are needed to keep the population going. I doubt if our lizards would have that these days. They don't start to move without the sun being on their rocks (even if the morning is warm enough); then the sun is too hot on many summer days. (even in spring time we had a heat wave in 2009!)

When they come out of hibernation, perhaps I will feed them some more.

and on another note. The front verandah has been draped in gold for a few months. A "golden orb" spider took up residence near the clothes line that Mike put in. I have been surprised that she survived so long. She was there for some months and we have had some frosts. But 'Shelob' lost her life in Thursday's frost. On Wednesday Fred had seen the Wattle Bird having a go at the huge spider as she sat in the middle of her web. What a honey eater was doing looking at her I don't understand! I looked out at 5am on Thursday and she was still there. But by 7am the frost had come down (-1 I think) and she had gone.