A song
Category:Hope,Love,Neighbour,Peace
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.
Tonight I grieve for a friend who is suffering and am again reminded, like Jesus we are acquainted with grief and sorrow.
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.
One of my mates from around town called the other day wanting to catch up.
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
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.
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.
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!!
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??