Category Archives: Neighbour

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A song

Category:Hope,Love,Neighbour,Peace

Well my friend, well I see your face so clearly 

Little bit tired, little bit worn through the years 

You sound nervous, you seem lonely

I hardly recognize your voice on the telephone

In between I remember

Just before we wound up broken down

Drive out to the edge of the highway

Follow that lonesome dead-end roadside sound

We’re all in this thing together

Walkin’ the line between faith and fear

This life don’t last forever

When you cry I taste the salt in your tears

Well my friend, let’s put this thing together

And walk the path that worn out feet have trod

If you wanted we can go home forever

Give up your jaded ways, spell your name to God


All we are is a picture in a mirror

Fancy shoes to grace our feet

All that there is is a slow road to freedom

Heaven above and the devil beneath

Willie Watson
Ketch Secor
Blood Donor Music 

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SO YOU WANT SOUP??

Category:be excellent to each other,Bubba,Coffee,Community,Compassion,Family,First Peoples,Hope,Love,Neighbour

YOU GIVE THEM SOUP, THEY WANT THEIR LIVES BACK.

That is a line from a movie I watched last week and that one line has caused me to think about, why and what I do on the street.

This is not to say providing food, clothing,meals and conversation or friendship is not a good thing.

 For me however, it goes to motive.

Why do I do what I do?

Is it the best for the other, does it bring new life or indeed a ‘better’ life??

Those are the questions I am asking myself.


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COMPASSION

Category:#Jesus,Community,Compassion,Family,LISTEN,Love,Neighbour
Hello is that Peter?, yes it is, your friend ‘M’ has just been to see us and is quite distressed we have called an ambulance he would like you to contact him.
Sometime later I try to contact the hospital where ‘M’ was being taken to, only to find due to his refusal or ability to co-operated ‘M’  had moved on. 

I had tried to call at one point and heard the distress ‘M’ was in as paramedics tried to help him.

I found it distressing, in fact, I felt I was entering into ‘M’s’ suffering, (compassion) and it impacted me for the rest of the day, as it does as I write this.

Eventually  ‘M’ answered  his phone and another friend from the street along with his mother comforted him, we hope to catch up in a couple of days.

Compassion takes its toll, and like listening, really listening, it allows us enter into others pain and joy.


Tonight I grieve for a friend who is suffering and am again reminded, like Jesus we are acquainted with grief and sorrow.



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a nobody.

Category:death,grief,Neighbour,nobody,respect,Stranger

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what would this pictures words be??

This shot taken on a street in Melbourne, on the street are great cafes, a bakery and restaurants.
It is also home to one of the few funeral parlours in the ‘inner’ City precinct.

It has a history of funeral services for people of means, criminals, famous people and of the granddaughter of some friends.

The place was packed, I was there as a mark of respect for the grandparents. It was so packed many had to stand out in the street, which is where I stood.

I had no official part to play, no words of comfort to offer, no antidotes and I shed no tears, I just observed others grieving and ‘coming to terms’ with death and dying.

I went and purchased small packets of tissues to hand to people and to place a hand on the shoulder of strangers.

I was reminded of the line in a song, everybody gets a chance to be a nobody.

I like being a nobody.


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Taking it to the streets

Category:be excellent to each other,Bubba,catch up,Family,Hope,Hospitality,Joy,life,Love,Neighbour,respect

One of my mates from around town called the other day wanting to catch up.

He told the story, with scared face and broken nose, of his recent bashing.
He wanted me to ask the person who bashed him why?? ‘M’ felt helpless and frightened, he was shattered.
The person responsible for this was not in the usual spot, this person too has the street for his 
home and is just as vulnerable.
As we walked and talked we met up with three other of his mates, two who had also received the same treatment from the same person. 
We shared food and drink we talked together. 
It was heart breaking. 
By their own admission, they are no angels, but the sense of helplessness and despair, not so much about what they do or don’t have, rather of being respected and loved, was evident. 
One of these men I have known since 2014 we catch up regularly and this week, along with his mates we hope to celebrate ‘M’s’ 44th birthday. 
As we share food together, as we respect, care for each other and celebrate the precious live of one of God’s children, I hope this moment in time will be the start of dignity and hope restored.

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‘popup church’.

Category:#Jesus,be excellent to each other,Bubba,Cafe,catch up,Coffee,Community,Family,Godsmacked,Hope,Hospitality,LISTEN,Love,Neighbour,News,Peace,rant,respect

POPUP is an informal get together of people, who have faith communities, but sometimes like to to discuss, vent, encourage, be encouraged and heard in a different setting.
Today three of us spent one and a half hours drinking coffee/hot chocolate and discussing matters of faith and personal stuff.
We are quite different, rather than look for differences we share what we have in common and challenge and are challenged to think and rethink what we believe and why.
It is always good to listen and be heard, and to go away knowing we love and care for each other.
One person who is a regular, has recently moved back with partner and family after a time of separation,another is a single dad coping with all the stuff of life and who hangs out with ‘dangerous’ people, then there is me, who struggles to make sense of doubt and faith.

Together we travel this road we call ‘our faith journey’, and together discover the importance of life before death!!

It’s a mixed group, crazy group, and its sinners and saints together making sense of life


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TAKE MY ADVICE I DONT NEED IT.

Category:Bubba,Community,Family,Godsmacked,Neighbour

A recently spotted Tshirt with words, take my advice I don’t need it, caught my attention.

Not having ever being big on offering advice however, it did ring a few alarm bells for me!!

It was a reminder to be a ‘do as I do not do as say kind of person’.

It’s easy to tell others how to act, behaveā€¦..add your own favourite here!!

It reminded me of Jesus, much more than ‘being an example’ Jesus ‘exampled’.

So I will take my own advice first.


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Community Humanity

Category:Family,Hope,Hospitality,life,Love,Neighbour,Peace,Stranger,streets,The Other

Loitering on the streets of Melbourne over  fourteen hours during the white-night festival is a little different to the ‘normal loitering and lurking’ i undertake.

The crowd was intense the  creative expressions and emotions of humanity are out there for all to see, sadly so were those ‘other’ human traits we try to hide.
For me it was not so much about the art in all its expressions rather the people and their interactions with each other.
Putting thousands of people into the city precinct, for a 12 hour festival is an interesting idea.
I did not see many of those friends with who I spend time, although a generous, warm hug from one ensured the evening got off to a good start.
It was the stranger and the interactions which made the night.
Extracting a smile, the giving of a high five, a hello or an intense conversation about a dead brother, an upcoming coronal inquest, a request to visit some of his mates’ doing time’ or the connection with a young man from one of the schools I worked at years ago, now living of the streets or the warming conversation with a young Maori girl abandon by her ‘mates’.
These ‘strangers’ and the interactions made me wonder, who and what they encountered as we connected together as fellow humans??


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Silent Vigil, Actions Speak louder Than Words!!

Category:Bubba,Community,Family,First Peoples,Love,Neighbour,respect,The Other

Every Monday on a prominent mall in the Melbourne CBD, a Silent Vigil happens.

The Quakers have been there at the same time for the past 15-18 years.
Not a bad effort by any standard.

I join them from time to time, as they respectfully acknowledge Australia’s First Peoples.

Anyone who is interested or curious are able to take a handout explaining why they hold this vigil.

Many years ago a student in her final year of secondary school, presented her art workpiece for the yr 12 art competition, a State wide competition.

It was at the same time as the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in 1996

This was described as the ‘worst massacre’ in our short history, by many journalists, commentators and politicians.

This student disagreed, and depicted in her piece the massacre of many of our First Peoples in Tasmania, suggesting this was the first massacre and equally despicable.

This student was aware her piece would not qualify to win the competition, and proceeded anyway.

 As I watch people. observing the vigil, and recall the students art, it reminds me that there are times when actions speak louder than words!!


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What we ‘wear’ may identify us.

Category:Bubba,Neighbour,Stranger,streets,The Other

Travelling around Melbourne on the train, I get to see and hear some interesting stuff.

On a recent trip, a woman boarded and a conversation started between her and a stranger.

This stranger, a male was very observant, during the conversation he asked which part of Russia she was from.
The woman was surprised at his accurate ‘guess’ and enquired as how he knew, he replied, it was the unique jewellery she was wearing.

He had purchased some for his partner and knew it came from a particular jeweller in Russia.

It made we think, what is it we ‘wear’ that identifies our residency??