24^th Sunday of the Year

In the late 1960’s, I read a book by Father (later Bishop) Trevor Huddleston called Naught for Your Comfort. I have read this book a number of times since 1969. Huddleston was a towering figure in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. This small book was hard to read as it captured the lone voice of a man whom Desmond Tutu referred to as one of the strongest critics of South Africa’s oppressive regime. Huddleston shared his experiences in the shantytowns and of being on the protest lines as church and state clashed over politics. It highlights injustice such as apartheid being met with silence, and the failure of white Christians to come to grips with that evil, and the failure to resist makes one compliant. This book describes how people can mistreat others, and even justify it supposedly because it is for the best.

23rd Sunday of the Year

I remember facilitating a gathering of religious where we had invited a young many to share with us. He was deaf. He spoke of his work in the church and how often deaf people are not noticed or listened to.  He said that if a pill was available to cure his deafness, he would refuse it. He had always been deaf and lived in a community and culture where he was at home. As I remember this young man, I wonder what people who are living with deafness feel when today’s gospel proclaimed. Do they feel they may be damaged or abnormal in need of repair? I wonder if the call is for us to be open and listen to the thoughts and feelings of people who are deaf.

22^nd Sunday of the Year

The readings challenge us to demonstrate our faith by the breadth of our love and not external observances. The reading from Deuteronomy has a strong message for us about our treatment of vulnerable people. We include the negligence in Australia of our treatment of vulnerable people. The recent rhetoric from our political leaders speaks of failure to vaccinate First Nations peoples, the failure to bring people home from overseas for the last 18 months, the failure go beyond a failed immigration policy that continues to traumatise people in our midst and now the failure to bring to safety people escaping Afghanistan.