Chaplain Chatter

Father Braden Short - College Chaplain

"Now make me completely happyllive in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person." (Philippians 2:2)

I HAD the privilege of going to a Positive Schools Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference in May this year. The keynote speaker was Jane Elliott, famous for the Brown Eye, Blue Eye exercise that exposed prejudice and bigotry, initially among the middle class of a small town called Riceville, in America. Since the initial exercise with her Year 3 class, her work has been studied and documented by both universities and broadcasters, and many others have learnt about themselves and racial prejudice.

During the course of one of her presentations a fellow delegate, of Aboriginal heritage, shared how her children are treated differently, simply because of the varying shades of their skin, here, in Perth, today. The sad truth is that difference is looked upon with suspicion, even in our beautiful part of the world.

One of the most powerful talks came from Wilson McCaskill, of The Games Factory; Play /5 The Way Program, whose school years were far from positive. He shared how he overcame systemic brutalisation by finding strength from within, which sustained him during his years at school. He was able to transcend being bullied and, as a child, discovered by himself that bullying was about the perpetrator, and nothing to do with him or his worth as a human being.

One of the great gifts we have at All Saints' College is the diversity of our community's heritage. We are a community well represented by people of differing racial backgrounds. This bodes well for our children's future as they share the gift of diversity as part of their education. Indeed, to educate means to lead out of ignorance. As our world becomes smaller, the celebration of diversity will become all the more vital. As our students continue to support those less fortunate than themselves, by paying for balloon launches for foster children, through to the Red Shield Appeal, they are becoming united, 'becoming one' and forging a community of harmony and love. To be educated means far more than being proficient in Mathematics, English, SOSE and Science. It means taking responsibility for one another and for our future. It means being resilient in adversity and taking a stand against those who would bully, rather than being a bystander.

If you are only interested in a person for one year, plant crops. If you are interested in them for 10 years, plant trees. If you wish to support them for their lifetime, educate the people. May we continue to be educators, for the educated will shine a light on ignorance and seek harmony.

The Lord Be With You.