Commun...

Had a chat to some friends today and we got to discussing communication in community, of course after the obligatory discussion about the weekend's football action. Whilst having this discussion a very basic concept hit me in the face. It is so basic a concept that we often over look it. Community, Communication, Commune, Communion, Commonwealth, etc. are all words built on the same root word.

When we are in community we share something in common. When we communicate we share seeking to find common ground. A commune is a group of people living in community sharing ownership and the division of labour. Communion is the people of God sharing together in a common activity and relating to God. A Commonwealth is where the wealth of a nation is considered to be held in common by all the people.

Obviously that is a gross simplification of each of those concepts but the simplicity of their connection hides the challenge inherent in the idea of commonality.

In community it is much easier to find that which divides rather than that which we have in common. In communication it is easier to argue over a slight difference than seek to find the common ground. In the Christian traditions how we do Communion (or don't do it) can be one of the biggest points of conflict between us. In our Commonwealth we do a good job of dividing the nation rather than uniting around our common values, ideals and beliefs (in a non-Howardian way).

Tomorrow I am going to try to spend the whole day looking for what I have in common with the people around me. Why don't you try it as well? I would love to hear how you get on in the comments.

What I read today:

Who would Jesus smackdown?

A Prayer ritual shared in religion and football

Deferred responsibility

Modern western society is built on the idea of the Social Contract. Individuals of a society give up some of their rights to the nation in exchange for the benefits that being part of that nation. For example citizens give up the right to absolute freedom in exchange for the civil order that comes from having laws and a police force to enforce those laws. The social contract is also the idea that gives legitimacy to governments and states. Individual citizens form a social contract with the state and allow it to exist.

The second theory I was thinking about today is the idea of a deferred responsibility. A parent who sends their child on a school holiday program while they work is an example of a deferred responsibility. The parent is responsible for their child's supervision over the holiday period but instead they defer that responsibility to the provider of the holiday program.

As a society we have become very good at the concept of deferred responsibility. As part of the social contract we defer responsibility for providing for the disadvantaged in our community to the government who have then deferred that on to private organisations. When we watch 'a Current Affair' and they show us the poor state of a nursing home we immediately lambast the money hungry owners of the nursing home. However under the concept of the social contract we are all responsible, by extension, for that nursing home.

As far as the social contract extends we as citizens are responsible for the actions of our government because we have given them legitimacy through the social contract. We are therefore responsible for their budgets, their wars, their healthcare plans, their lack of public transport, etc.

Do you take this into account when you watch 'A Current Affair'?

What I read today:

Behold the Jewish Jesus

Emergent Salvationism

Desensitised

I presented a workshop today at the National Christian Youth Convention (NCYC). During my presentation I showed a video produced by Stop the Traffik which, among other things showed a protest featuring a girl holding a sign which had written on it "13 year old virgin for sale". The protest was to highlight the plight of the victims of human trafficking. During the question time I was asked if the pack I was talking about had any information on how to handle sensitive topics like that with young people. It wasn't something that we had thought about when putting the packs together.

Whilst acknowledging the relevance of the question and the need for information along those lines I also responded with a thought in the back of my head. I said that this generation of young people is perhaps the most desensitised to violence and other visual stimuli generation ever.

I was reminded of the group of young people in Britain who stood at the bottom of a building while a young person stood at the top and threatened to jump to end his life. The young people on the ground were yelling out to the boy at the top to jump. The police were horrified but were unable to stop the mob. When the boy eventually jumped, the crowd rushed forward with their mobile phones out to record and photograph the dead body.

I wonder how much this desensitisation has effected young people's interest in issues of justice? The news reports coming out of Gaza are just another movie on the TV showing war and destruction. Why should we care? These are not the images of the Vietnam war beamed back to a disbelieving public who had never witnessed anything like that.

Do we care? Are we too desensitised?

What I read today:

A statement from the bishop of Jerusalem

Why creationism is not the biggest threat to schools

101 Goals in 1001 days

So I have decided that I am going to take part in the 101 goals in 1001 days challenge. Now that I have decided that I am going to have to put some thought into what goals I want to achieve. I also need to plan some categories for my goals, to make sure that I get a fair cross section. Currently I am thinking of the following categories:

1) Personal(/Selfish)

2) Personal Development

3) Community Development

4) Faith/Mission/Spirituality

5) Outdoors/Hiking/Travel

6) Relationships

7) Fitness/Healthy Living

If you can think of any more categories, or have some suggestions for some goals then leave them in the comments section.

I think effective goal setting is a useful exercise for everyone, no matter your personality type. Obviously goal orientated people are more naturally inclined towards setting goals but they aren't the only ones who will benefit from them. Goals keep us accountable to what matters in our life and achieving things that are going to have lasting impact. I see plenty of people who are extremely busy, but yet achieve very little. They don't achieve much because their action is not directed and is blown here and there by other people's situations, needs and desires.

I came across a good question while researching for 101 goals in 1001 days. It was simply, "will this matter in five years time?" If it will matter, then it is worth investing time and energy into. If it won't matter, then don't worry about it and instead find something that will matter.

So who wants to join me on a 101 goals in 1001 days journey? If we start on the 4th of April then we will finish our journey on the 31st December 2011.

What I read today:

101 goals in 1001 days

Will all of this matter in five years time?

Connection with the land

I read today that a steering committee has recommended that all Crown land in Victoria should be opened to Native Title claims by Indigenous groups. If this was to come to fruition (it still has to become legislation and pass the parliament) it would be a great step forward for Reconciliation in this state.

A number of years ago I was able to walk with the Indigenous custodian of Wilsons Promontory. He spoke of the Aboriginal heritage of that place and their connection to the land in that place. Anyone who has ever been to the Prom recognises that it is a spiritual place. That walk, more than anything else, has shown me the connection that our Indigenous people have with this land. It also showed me the lack of connection that we non-indigenous people have with the land.

While some indigenous cultural practices might change our use of the land (not climbing Uluru for example) I think that this would be for the best. For too long we have tried to live in Australia as if we lived in England. We steal water from the rivers to irrigate farmland to grow and graze food and animals from Europe.

The article currently highlights a problem with the current system. Indigenous groups currently have to show a continuous link to the land they wish to claim under Native Title. In Victoria most indigenous communities were relocated after colonisation and so have lost that continuous link. It is interesting to realise that I lived for 18 years in Gippsland and was never told once that it was the site of numerous massacres of the Indigenous population. Their disconnection from the land is a direct result of European colonisation.

It is definitely time that we recognised the indigenous communities connection with their land.

What I read today:

Native title reform bid

Isreali troops enter Gaza City

Cultural Change

I have to admit that the inspiration for this post came after reading Gen's post over at the JustSalvos blog.

Twice in the last week I have seen people wearing a 'uniform' for a cultural event. At Sensation (a dance party at Telstradome on NYE) there was some 40,000 people all dressed in white dancing the night away. Today at the SCG was Jane McGrath day, with everyone encouraged to wear pink to support the McGrath Foundation in the fight against Breast cancer.

Gen in her post talks about the ability of Disneyland to 'create a culture', a culture where people don't litter and everyone enjoys themselves. She talked about the ability of culture to shape behaviour.

I on the other hand want to reflect on how culture takes shape. All culture is fluid. From now on the third day of the Sydney Test will be Jane McGrath day and everyone will be encouraged to wear pink. That cultural event is shaped by the tragic loss of a cricketer's wife. A negative event has been transformed into a day to raise awareness and funds in the fight against breast cancer. The fact that Jane McGrath was married to one of Australia's most famous sports person helped her death, as opposed to any other person's battle with cancer, to create a cultural change.

Viral marketing is a form of cultural change. It aims to spread a message like a virus. Word of mouth, create a buzz. When I read the New Testament I see a viral marketing campaign of sorts. There was a message that was spread. It was an alternate culture, but yet was culturally relevant and culturally engaged. I don't think the same can be said of the church today.

How do you want to make a difference in our culture?

What I read today:

Binge culture curses 'lost generation'

Pulp Mill decision a 'dark day for Tasmania'

Questions

Melissa in her comment on my previous post brought up the issue of questioning. I think that a question is perhaps the most powerful tool on this earth.

William Wilberforce asked the question "is it right for human beings to be enslaved by another human?"

Martin Luther King Jnr asked the question "why is my son judged by the colour of his skin and not the content of his character?"

I could go on but I think you get the picture. Questioning of the status quo is what is required to find new directions and challenge stale assumptions. But a question is not always negative. Ask someone what they love about their spouse and you are sure to get a string of positive traits. The question can assist in pointing out the positive in a situation.

Questions can bring us closer to those around us. "How do I fix this broken wheel on my rubbish bin?" There is a level of vulnerability and humility in a question that empowers the person asked to respond.

For me the most influential question that I can remember from a faith perspective was being asked to respond to an article entitled, "Was Jesus gay?" I had to think through my thoughts on homosexuality but more importantly I had to ask some big questions about who I believe Jesus was as a human being. Most Christians I know would shake their head and tut tut at the question, some would even consider it blasphemous. I on the other hand remember fondly the challenge of that specific question on my faith journey. It challenged my assumptions and beliefs. But you know what, they survived. Not only that, they were also strengthened by the asking of a hard question.

What hard questions have you grappled with?

What I read today:

Tim Costello talks about Paris Hilton and the Celebrity syndrom in this article.

Free to Air Networks not serious about multiple channels