Eternity - December edition - Issue 76

at your FREE church or bookshop

E

W: eternitynews.com.au F: eternitynews T: @eternitynews

76

Brought to you by the Bible Society

Number 76, December 2016 ISSN 1837-8447

Peace on earth & good will to all

(but how can we make sure all means all?)

Planting What are Dami and What’s 1000’s of our kids the Jesus Colin’s churches watching? factor #1 song?

Anne Lim

Bryce McLellan

Anne Lim

Guan Un

E

NEWS

2

DECEMBER 2016

Obadiah Slope SIGNED WONDER: Seems that Jesus likes the ESV version of the Bible.

News 2-4 In Depth 5-10 Bible Society 11 Opinion 13-20

Quotable From left: Dave Sheerman, Brad Conomy, Jo Dutaillis, John Dickson, Mark Hadley and Allan Dowthwaite in Rome NOT PAR FOR COURSE: “Aaron Baddeley sits down. Jesus sits down next to him. Jesus is in his bag when he plays. Jesus is in his heart and mind. Thank God for that.” That’s how Patrick Smith began a recent profile of golfer Aaron Baddeley in The Australian.

Obadiah wonders if a journo would write about him the same way.

NOT JUST A WINNER: Don’t be cynical, reader. Baddeley is not just another celeb praising Jesus because they win or are famous.

The hard times in Baddeley’s career are why he follows Jesus. He has lived through golfing hell, losing his swing, not knowing where he would hit the ball. “After ’99, if I’d understood how to maintain my swing, then things would have been a little bit different, but then I wouldn’t have the life I have right now. I wouldn’t have my relationship with the Lord, I wouldn’t have probably my wife and kids, so all things are great.”

Christianity warts and all ANNE LIM

A team from the Centre for Public Christianity has conducted more than 40 interviews in Britain and the United States and shot location footage in Jerusalem, Athens and Rome for its upcoming documentary on the impact of Christianity on the West.

For the Love of God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined is due for release next year.

According to CPX director Simon Smart, the documentary has three aims: to acknowledge that some of the criticisms of the church are valid; to correct some popular misconceptions; and, to tell a forgotten story about the way Christianity has shaped the world.

Scenes shot in Jerusalem, about the First Crusade in 1099, illustrate

one of the most appalling chapters of Christian history. After arriving in Jerusalem, the Crusaders not only slaughtered thousands of men, women and children that they had promised sanctuary to, but they held a service afterwards to give thanks to God for their victory.

“That is hard to marry up with the followers of the Prince of Peace, and you’re left with legitimate questions and challenges – how those claiming Christian faith could be so caught up in the violence,” says Smart.

Director Allan Dowthwaite was thrilled when permission was granted to film inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. “I think it helped that we were telling the story of the terrible excesses of the First Crusade,” he says.

CPX believes it is important to be honest and to give a full picture

of the big themes of Christian history. Douthwaite says that rather than whitewashing the terrible chapters, the documentary handles the interplay of the good and bad by using a metaphor of the beautiful composition of music that Christ provides for us.

“Over the centuries, sometimes followers have played that tune really badly and discordantly.

The end result has not been good,” he says. “But right from the beginning, many of his followers played it beautifully. Either way, you judge the composition on its best performance, not its worst.

“We have an important and beautiful story to tell about the way Christianity has shaped the world in a way everyone, not just believers, can be glad of.”

For more information, visit: fortheloveofgodproject.com

Michael Jensen

on wowsers Page 19 “To restrict the fun of others is not what the followers of Jesus are called to. Jesus himself was fond of a party, and once produced an extraordinary amount of wine for a wedding, if you recall.”

NEWS

DECEMBER 2016

3

Spreading joy in the street JOHN SANDEMAN

“

Singing carols in the streets is such an uplifting experience and having people come out of their house smiling just made my heart melt.”

Carolsbystreetlight.org

Carolsbystreetlight.org is a website whose address is their message: let’s sing carols up and down our local streets. Founded in Adelaide, the idea has made its way to Tasmania, Sydney and Melbourne. “A couple of years ago I heard the sound of a few carollers in my street,” remembers Carols by Streetlight founder Astrid Priest.

“I’d never heard carol singers in a street before and I found it really moving. It made me wonder: What would Christmas be like if all the streets of Australia were filled with the joyful sound of carols? Would it bring back the true Christmas joy?

Well, I shared the idea and there is now a movement amongt Christian churches of all denominations to sing the Christmas story into the heart of the community during the week before Christmas.

“We’ve often found people coming out of their houses to listen and say ‘Hi.’ It creates a really fun, festive and friendly atmosphere in the community.

“Imagine how nice it is for a carol group to pause for a song at your letterbox – and maybe bring the Christmas spirit to a neighbour who can’t get out into the community themselves.”

Team member Rebecca Ward adds that “singing carols in the streets is such an uplifting experience and having people come out of their house smiling just made my heart melt.”

Bowling for Jesus When Methodist Minister Frank Byatt, from then working class suburb Williamstown in Melbourne, put a bowl on his table on Christmas Day, 1948, and invited his guests to give money for refugees, he probably did not realise what he was starting. The Christmas Bowl is now one of the longest Christian fundraisers.

The refugees were European “and they had a suitcase and little else,” says Christmas Bowl volunteer Howard Graham.

“Their plight was as desperate as refugees today.” Bales of clothing were dispatched to Europe in the early years. The Christmas Bowl

still raises funds for refugees, focussing on camps in Jordan and on the Thai/Burma border, as part of Act For Peace. While the Bowl has remained constant, it’s been promoted by an ever-changing array of ecumenical (inter-church) agencies, from the “Churches International Relief Committee” to “Christian World Service” to “Act for Peace”.

According to Graham, Christmas Bowl is strongly supported by Uniting, Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches.

Some people still put a bowl on their Christmas table, and some churches take up collections.

E

In brief MASS GIVING: A phone app that allows in-church cashless donations is being trialled at Catholic parishes in Canberra. The app is called Qkr! and has been developed in partnership with MasterCard and Commonweath Bank.

ACROSS BORDERS: Hillsong’s Young and Free have released a radio and video single Falling Into You for free – but they are asking people to donate to a World Vision appeal for Syrian refugee children (instead of paying for a download).

HOLY LANDS: Children in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are going to sleep with a book of Bible stories about peace under their pillows, says Dina Katanacho, director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society based in Nazareth. Katanacho toured Australia last month, seeking support for the Bible Society’s current “Holy Lands” appeal.

LAST TRUMP: The more often that US voters go to church, the more likely they were to have voted for President-elect Donald Trump.

Frequent churchgoers supported the Republican candidate more than less-frequent churchgoers, with infrequent attenders even less likely to support him.

JESUS IN IRAN: “Twenty years ago there were about 2000 to 5000 Christians in Iran. Now, there is a conservative estimate of up to 400,000,” according to Mark Howard of Elam Ministries.

Reports suggest up to 30% of them have seen Jesus in a vision.

E

NEWS

4

DECEMBER 2016

Colin Buchanan inspired by tragedy BRYCE MCLELLAN Singer-songwriter Colin Buchanan is a household name. For the past two decades, many households around Australia, and the world, have been soundtracked by his catchy children’s songs celebrating the Bible’s wisdom.

Twenty years after he released his first Christian album for children, Remember the Lord, Colin Buchanan is celebrating that anniversary with a national Australian tour, kicking off in Sydney on December 10.

There are many things that Buchanan’s young – and old – fans already know about him. From his popular appearances as a presenter on ABC TV’s Play School to being Australia’s best-selling Christian artist for the all-ages market, Buchanan is beloved by countless families. But what you might not know about this highly popular and energetic entertainer is Buchanan’s own No. 1 choice from his extensive back catalogue.

What’s Colin Buchanan’s favourite song from all of his vast store of material?

Eternity asked Buchanan for his personal pick – and his choice might surprise or shock you.

“My favourite song is The Lord is King,” revealed Buchanan. Unlike many of his upbeat songs, The Lord is King was written as a reaction to an upsetting event – the 9/11 attacks on New York City in 2001.

One of Buchanan’s children was horrified by those events. In

RTC018_EternityAdDec16.indd 4

E

Watch Colin sing: eternity.news/colin

“The Lord is king, He’s going to look after everything, Every single thing in this world, Because this is his world.” particular, the continual repetition of news footage showing the planes slamming into the Twin Towers.

To help his then nine-year-old daughter deal with what was happening – and how God is involved in such global events – he picked up his pen, paper and guitar.

“I wrote a song called The Lord is King, around Psalm 2. It starts with ‘You might have seen bad things happening on the TV news’ and I’ve

sung it at almost every concert ever since,” explained Buchanan.

“I’ve got a soft spot for that song.

“It’s special to me. I just love what that song is saying; it’s an important moment of gravity in the mayhem of a kids’ concert. It was helpful for my daughter Laura and it’s been special to me, and I think it’s found a home.”

Buchanan sees Psalm 2 as a “potent declaration that the kings

of this world better watch it, they need to kiss the real king, bend a knee to him. It’s a reminder that earthly power is no power at all – it is given and taken by the Lord God and it is made for his glory ... and that’s a real comfort.”

To watch Colin Buchanan perform The Lord is King, visit eternity.news/colin For Colin’s tour dates, visit colinbuchanan.com.au/tour

Buy back the farm ANNE LIM The location of future Katherine Christian Conventions hangs in the balance as the owner of its longterm venue prays for a purchaser who will continue its ministry programmes.

Morrows Farm, 15km outside Katherine, has hosted Christian groups for about 40 years. But the owner, former CMS missionary Bruce Morrow, turns 80 next September and no longer feels capable of managing the property.

One potential buyer is negotiating but Morrow has decided to advertise the property more widely, citing the Anglican Bishop of the Northern Territory, Greg Anderson, as a contact.

In the meantime, the KCC committee has hired Katherine Showground for next April’s event.

The urban venue will be a big change from the 24-hectare Morrows Farm, which provides opportunities for fishing on the Katherine River and camping under its many shady trees.

“The key thing is that KCC is a really precious bicultural Christian event bringing together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people across a wide area of the Territory area,” says Anderson.

Tavis Beer, chairman of the KCC committee, told Eternity they would love to see a private person buy Morrows Farm and make it available for the convention again.

17/11/16 3:27 pm

DECEMBER 2016

E

5

IN DEPTH

E

+

Finding no resources to help her discuss the dangers of pornography with her children, author Emily Olivia decided she would write a book about it – for other parents.

Your kids are looking at porn

GUAN UN At this moment, there are – at a conservative estimate – around 140,000,000 other people on the internet who are not looking at a story about pornography.

They are looking at pornography.

Of those people, some – in fact, many – will be children. From the age that they’re able to search on Google by themselves, there

is the possibility of them seeing pornography online. A possibility that approaches a certainty as they spend more time online.

But how do you have that conversation with kids about what pornography is, what they can do about it, and what to do when they see it? With that in mind, Melbourne author Emily Olivia wrote Put a Lid on It, an illustrated book for kids (from the

age of six and up). Emily wanted to address this modern problem in an approachable way, and from a Christian foundation.

Emily is herself a mother of three, currently studying psychology, and Put a Lid on It emerged from her concern for her own kids, and even the experience of her husband: “My husband grew up in a very stereotypical ’80s family where there wasn’t a

lot of open communication about these issues. And when he went to a friend’s place as an 11-year-old boy and his friend showed him pornography, he didn’t know what it was.

“He had no one to talk to – and we didn’t want that for our kids!

“We wanted to be able to communicate on these big issues so that our kids would feel comfortable and confident to talk

to us when issues came up.”

Emily’s own children are 4, 8 and 10, and she went searching for a resource that would help her broach the issue with them. Not finding anything suitable, she decided to write it herself.

“I hope it will empower parents to have this conversation. It’s not a conversation that any parent wants to have … And I hope parents will continued page 6

wikimedia / Nevit Dilmen

John Sandeman on a mega church’s bold move

E

IN DEPTH

6

DECEMBER 2016

Your kids

2017: a big year for God’s word JOHN SANDEMAN

James Hart

from page 5 see that it’s a conversation they can tackle, that it’s not too hard – once you’ve set that foundation, it becomes a lot easier.”

Emily acknowledges the disturbing nature of the statistics around children and pornography.

The average age at which children are most likely to be first exposed to pornography is 11. And 80 per cent of 8 to 16-year-olds have viewed pornography online.

For Emily then, with two children in that bracket, this is a live issue. “Most of their friends would have viewed pornography online – while they were doing their homework. They’re not seeking out this content, they’re finding it by accident. Kids can look up their favourite cartoon characters and they can get a whole lot of images or links to pornographic websites!

“That’s where I want to say: what are they going to do with that? Are they going to be confident to talk to you, their parents? That’s what I want to happen – because it is a matter of when they see it, and not if they see it.”

Emily also acknowledges the complexity of the issues – from questioning the sexualisation of the culture around us, to the issue of parents who might themselves be struggling with an addiction to pornography, which the children then come across.

But she also believes there is a reason for Christians to have hope, despite the problems: “I think so many parents are struggling with this topic, and with pornography

An illustration from Emily Olivia’s book, Put a Lid on It. themselves, and it’s important to remember that we can never move outside of his love – the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of God (Ephesians 3:18).

“Especially with pornography, people can feel like they’ve done too much, or they’ve seen too much and God can’t forgive them. But I think when we’re approaching this difficult topic, for our children, for ourselves, we can’t move outside of his love. It is the place to come when we need help. Come back to him, because he will provide our peace.”

Emily describes one of the TED talks that she watched as background for the book. Called

“The Great Porn Experiment,” the TED talk’s speaker explained how, for research purposes, he found a group of male students who regularly watched pornography.

But a “control” group – a group that did not watch porn – couldn’t be found.

There was no suitable group of young men in universities across America that wasn’t regularly watching pornography.

“And I want to see a control group!” Emily says.

“I want to see a generation of kids growing up in churches and Christian families free from pornography addiction.”

Put a Lid on It is available now from emilyolivia.com

2017 is set to be a year of celebrating the Bible. Next year marks the 200th anniversary of Bible Society Australia, but it wants the focus to be on the Bible, not just the major birthday.

“We are Australia’s longest living organisation – one month older than the oldest bank,” Bible Society CEO Greg Clarke told a launch celebration in Sydney in late November. “But we want everyone who supports the Judeo-Christian scriptures to celebrate. We want to serve the spread of the word.”

The Bible Society went back to where it all began, hosting its launch celebration at the Museum of Sydney. The museum sits above the foundations of Australia’s first government house, which is where the first meeting to launch the Bible Society was probably held.

“Governor Macquarie was our first patron, and a major donor,” Clarke added. “Those colonials were good at keeping their records, so we know.” All those 200 years ago, several of the directors of the Bible Society met again the next month to found the Bank of New South Wales, today’s Westpac.

“200 years? They say a week is a long time in politics,” said guest of honour NSW Premier Mike Baird.

He was asked by BSA chair Richard Grellman what it was like to have

taken one year off to study the Bible. “It was fantastic” said Baird.

“It was while I was at Deutsche Bank: we used to discuss our deals at our morning meetings. ‘I am going to go to Bible College’ was a real show stopper.”

The Bible still gives meaning to his life, said the NSW Premier. “You know you are having a bad week in politics when your friends start texting you verses.”

“I go back to 2 Samuel 23 where King David talks a lot about leadership when it is done in the name of the Lord.”

“It is a reminder that if you follow the Lord by being close to him, you can be a ‘light in the darkness’.

“After 200 years, we’re here for good” is the Bible Society’s campaign focus for 2017. “We are a mature aged organisation with the energy of a teenager” said Greg Clarke who listed listed four main priorities.

• Distributing the Bible: with Amity Press in China (which produced its 150 millionth Bible this year) as a prime example.

• Engaging in the public square: “Elevating the beauty, truth and goodness of the Bible.”

• “Making noise” about the Bible and creating great resources.

• Promoting literacy “which draws people out of poverty, using Biblebased material to teach them to read”.

MEET : MATT

THESE ARE REE HIS EXP EEXPERIENCES PERIIENC

A BI BIBL BLEE--CE BL CENTRE NTRE NT RED, D, MIS ISSI SIOONNNSSS-FO S--FFOOCUSS CUUSS SSEEDD GGAAP YE YEAARR FOR OR 188--211s

STUDYING REVELATION

“IT WAS AWESOME TO GET INTO SUCH A BIG BOOK. IT CHALLENGED AND ENCOURAGED ME. IT CREATED A SPARK TO GET INTO IT MORE AND SHARE IT WITH PEOPLE.”

Kayaking + Sports

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS “WE LEARNT TO HAVE PATIENCE DESPITE OUR DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. WE NEEDED EACH OTHER.”

PERSONAL GROWTH “I GREW IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND I LEARNT HOW TO RELY ON HIM. I LEARNT HOW GREAT IT IS TO SPEND TIME WITH GOD AND THAT HE WANTS TO LEAD ME AND STRENGTHEN ME THROUGH MY STRUGGLES.”

Le Learning to Cook

POWERED BY

FEE E HE EE HELP E LPP AV AAVA VA IILA VA ILLLAA BL BBLE LLEE

THEBRIDGE.SMBC.EDU.AU

THEBRIDGE@SMBC.EDU.AU

/THEBRIDGEGAPYEAR

02 9747 4780

IN DEPTH

DECEMBER 2016

7

E

Shaking the planet for 20 bucks JOHN SANDEMAN Planetshakers, who run a largescale conference each year in Melbourne, are taking a big step of faith. In 2017, the four-day Planetshakers conference will cost $20. In total.

“We felt the Lord speak to us about dropping the price which is a big step of faith,” Pastor Russell Evans, who leads Planetshakers, tells Eternity. Besides the conference, Planetshakers is a four-campus church in Melbourne that attracts 10,000 weekly, with three branches overseas.

“It’ll be $20 to attend four nights and three days of conference, at the Hisense Arena in Melbourne – and hiring venues like that costs a lot of money. But the beauty of a $20 registration is it does not stop people attending other conferences – they can go to all of them. We did it because God told us to do it.

“Everything about Planetshakers is about empowering people to make a difference in their world.”

Planetshakers is a challenging name for a church and conference as God’s world definitely needs a shakeup. One of the key speakers at the low-priced conference will be Mmusi Maimane, the leader of the opposition in South Africa’s parliament. He’s a Christian, sometimes called “a young Mandela.” Time magazine compared him with Barack Obama (although he prefers Bill Clinton).

Another session will be a roundtable hosted by Daystar, a Christian TV channel. It will include Theo Zurenuoc, speaker of the PNG parliament, Maimane, and other Christians influencing their nation. “We believe discipling the nations is a key mandate for the church,” says Evans. “I am pretty excited about that session.”

Planetshakers are serious about their name. “I believe we should impact every part of society,” says Evans. “We are called the light of the world. We are called to bring light, not to bring darkness. If the light does not shine, darkness will prevail – so we do need to make an impact on every part of society.”

Evans was youth pastor at Paradise Community Church (a large Pentecostal church in Adelaide, now called Influencers).

“I was in a meeting one day, and had an encounter with God.I felt God speak to me and he said, ‘Start a conference called Planetshakers,’ and I said ‘God, what is that?’ I have discovered that with God –

he does not tell you the ten-point plan; he tells you the first step.”

The first conference was in Adelaide, 20 years ago. About 1000 people attended, with many more to follow. “It grew to 30,000 young people attending around Australia.

Music came out of that; millions have been impacted through our worship around the world.

“I was in London and the Lord spoke to me saying leave Adelaide, go to Melbourne and plant a church – called Planetshakers – twelve and a half years ago. So we are just following a mandate from that encounter with God. “That encounter then defines your life as you live out what God tells you to do. I tell people that how to see God move in your life is to love him with all your heart and obey him with all you can.

“Out of our encounters with God ... he then empowers us to a life of destiny, to make a difference and

not live for ourselves. Rather, to live for something greater and that is the cause of Christ. And laying your life down to serve. Jesus was not the king servant, he was the servant king.

“That’s what Planetshakers has always been about. The church is the bride of Christ; what the bride looks like is what people will think the bridegroom looks like. So, the church should look like what Jesus looks like.” For Evans that means bringing to non-Christians the hope, love and the possibility of what life could be like with Jesus.

“If we are to shake the planet, we need to serve our communities, and the cities and the people we are around, for the love of Christ.

We are not here for ourselves but to bring the love of Jesus whether that is through kindness, through prayer, serving our community – if we did all those things the world would be a better place.”

Since Planetshakers church started in Melbourne in 2004, 45,000 people have made public commitments for Christ at Planetshakers. Some are in other churches, says Evans, and others have gone their own way. “The number and largeness is nice but it is the individual stories that actually excite me,” says Evans.

“What excites me is families that have never heard the gospel, walk in to a church or encounter a Christian who shows them the love of Christ ... and their children come into a relationship with Jesus and, then, their parents come in.

“There is a gentleman in my church and he would be in his seventies. He is a doctor, and his daughter is also a doctor; they came into our church because a patient she had been looking after for 20 years had had depression for

a long period. She (the patient) gave her life to Jesus and there was a dramatic change. This doctor was so impressed with the change that she, in turn, came and looked for herself. She gave her life to Christ and then her father who is a doctor, was impressed with what he heard, so he came and looked and gave his life to Christ.

“It’s exciting when young people come to Christ. But it’s exciting when a 50-year-old atheist has one of his friends who is an atheist get saved in our church. He kept inviting the 50-year-old. He saw the change in this guy was so powerful that he came to one of our campuses and the other week, he gave his life to Jesus.”

A great planter JOHN SANDEMAN Russell Evans has a lot to live up to. His father, Andrew Evans, brought massive church growth to the Assemblies of God in a 20-year term as National Superintendent.

“The Assemblies of God went from 80 churches to over 1000 churches in that period, and saw a new generation of young – and young at heart – people that modernised the church,” says Russell Evans.

Significant churches such as Hillsong’s main campus, Shirelive (Sutherland), Riverview (Perth), Inspire Church (western Sydney) and Citipointe (Brisbane) were founded or grew substantially during that time. Many of these now, like Planetshakers, have branch churches overseas.

Russell’s brother Ashley leads Influencers in the US, based at the Atlanta, Georgia, church plant.

Andrew Evans also grew Adelaide’s Paradise Community (now called Influencers) Church into one of Ausralia’s largest.

He also founded the Family First political movement. The Assemblies of God is now known as the Australian Christian Churches (CCC).

“He would say it was a team effort – which it is – but there is always a leader who helps bring the team together,” says Russell Evans of his father.

At one stage the movement was planting one church every three weeks. Russell Evans is circumspect about comparing his father’s church-planting leadership with others, only noting that he was significant for the Pentecostal movement. But many of the more recent movements, such as Geneva Push and the renewed Seventh Day Adventist plantings, will take time to catch the ACC up.

“My father was always a man who believed in people’s ability to hear from God and encouraged them to step out,” shares Russell.

“Church planting was a big aspect of what he did.”

Russell Evans was inspired by God to create the Planetshakers movement.

E

IN DEPTH

8

DECEMBER 2016

Dami Im

wikimedia/Albin Olsson

ANNE LIM Pop sensation Dami Im says she feels called by God to sing to people who don’t know Jesus, and bring him glory wherever she goes.

The Korean-born Queenslander grew up singing in church. When she entered and won The X Factor television singing competition in 2013, Dami did not even have any non-Christian friends.

“Before X Factor, I was singing at churches and it was good fun and I really enjoyed talking about Jesus in my songs to people that believe in Jesus,” the 28-year-old singer tells Eternity.

“But I felt like everybody already knows Jesus and I felt like ‘I don’t think this is all I should be doing.’

You know, God called us into the world not to be the light where there is already so much light.

“I was very sheltered but I knew that God loved the world and he wanted me to be loving the whole world rather than just the people at church.

“So I always had that longing, but X Factor was just something that came up and I thought ‘OK, I have to do something differently even if I’m terrified.’”

To cope with that fear, she recited a verse from Psalm 23 that she learned in primary school in Korea. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Dami Im performing Sound of Silence at 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.

“I didn’t even have any friends that weren’t churchgoers,” she explains about life before national success on The X Factor.

“That’s been all my life, all I’ve known. It was terrifying, but I knew God’s love wasn’t just for us at church but for everybody.

So, that’s what happened and I’m really learning about the life of everyone outside.”

Dami was speaking to Eternity after the release of her new single, Fighting for Love, and during a tour based on her album, Classic Carpenters – a compilation of hits from 1970s duo The Carpenters.

Classic Carpenters is a wonderful showcase for Dami’s rich and flexible vocals while Fighting for Love is a catchy dancepop anthem reflecting the struggle she experienced growing up in Australia as an immigrant.

“This year has been a really big year for me and I learned a lot about myself,” Dami says, reflecting on how different her life is from when she was growing up.

“What I learned was that I have something like a fire inside of me, and that I was much stronger than I thought I was.

“Growing up in Australia wasn’t always easy. I always pretended to fit in and try to blend in but this year I’ve learnt that I don’t need to really do that. I’m different and I’m a strong person.”

The tall, slender beauty says this new perspective upon herself also includes accepting how she looks.

Faithful for a Lifetime!

Sydney, Feb 22 | Brisbane, Feb 24 | Melbourne, Feb 27 | Adelaide, Mar 2 | Tasmania (Launceston) lunch, Mar 1 Around 800 Australians retire every day, and around 15% of those are Christians.

These are ‘fourth-quarter Christians’ – those aged 60 and over who are, statistically, in the fourth quarter of their lives.

Imagine what could happen if those 120 Christians retiring every day were inspired, equipped and connected to enable them to make the fourth quarter of their lives a time of profound impact for God’s kingdom!

God doesn’t call you to be faithful for a season and then retire – he calls you to be faithful for a lifetime. Join us and a range of international and Australian speakers for a one-day conference in early 2017, and discover what this means for you, and for the churches and ministries you connect with.

For fourth-quarter Christians: Our presenters will help you think clearly about the phase of life you are in, and what it takes to make these years really rewarding! You’ll discover the myriad of opportunities that you never knew existed, and develop strategies to put your lifetime of experience to Kingdom use.

For church and ministry leaders: There is a huge cohort of Christian people, with a lifetime of experience, skills and wisdom, who are eager to use their gifts for God’s kingdom. So how do you engage effectively with them? If you don’t provide meaningful opportunities for them, everybody misses out. Let us help you uncover some solutions.

OUR VISION: “Australia transformed by thousands of fourth-quarter Christians who know where they fit in God’s plan; are equipped for that role; and are connected to the people, organisations and resources they need to impact their world for God’s kingdom.”

GET INVOLVED! Sign up for free email updates Become a kick-start member for $100 Request a free copy of our booklet

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS Richard and Leona Bergstrom, from Seattle USA, are the founders of ‘Re-Ignite’, and the authors of ‘Third Calling’.

Bruce Bruinsma from Denver USA, is the CEO and co-founder of Envoy Financial, and the founder of the ‘Time and Purpose Foundation: Faithful for a Lifetime’

Plus a range of other elective presenters, varying by city.

www.cma.net.au/q4

REGISTER BY 31 DECEMBER FOR EARLY-BIRD PRICES! More information and online registration at www.cma.net.au/q4 Proudly supported by:

Each convention has exhibition and sponsorship opportunities. Contact us for details.

CMA

ADVANCING MINISTRY

Q4Connection is a ministry of CMA (Christian Ministry Advancement) PO Box 459, North Tamborine QLD 4272 Phone 07 5545 2004

IN DEPTH

DECEMBER 2016

9

E

sings to bring glory to Jesus Maintaining a relationship with God when on the road, surrounded by non-Christians, is not a problem for this family-oriented teetotaller, though. It is helpful that her husband, Noah, whom she met at church, is supportive and joins her on tour whenever he can.

“For me, I don’t find it difficult to keep a relationship with God; it’s more about having to shift and adjust to a new way – I feel like I’ve grown and matured.

“I feel like God’s promise to me will never change wherever I go or whichever situation I’m in – and I’ve just really experienced how strong his love for me is over the years.”

As her fame and fan base have grown, she has begun to wonder about God’s purpose in giving her a platform to reach so many different people.

“I still question that often. For me, it’s about just doing what I do where God has placed me and still keeping that connection to him and just being a daughter of God wherever I go and just being faithful,” explains Dami about her everyday approach. “I find music is such a powerful tool and just touring around the country and singing these beautiful tunes every weekend in a different city; I’ve got to sing to a lot of different people in Australia and I just pray each night that God will touch everyone’s hearts as I sing to them, especially those people that need healing.

“I think God works in mysterious

ways and hopefully, through my songs, I’ve seen that happen and people cry listening to my music.”

“

I have Compassion volunteers who come and set up their stand every night and we’ve been getting kids sponsored every show. I’m just doing what I can to bring him glory, I guess.”

A supporter of the charity Compassion since the age of 17, Dami went against her management’s advice after her Eurovision success and visited one of her sponsored children in Uganda – rather than going on to tour Europe.

Now, at every live show, she shares about her journey with Compassion, with her fans.

“I have Compassion volunteers who come and set up their stand every night and we’ve been getting kids sponsored every show. I’m just doing what I can to bring him glory, I guess.”

wikimedia/Albin Olsson

“I didn’t always feel good enough and beautiful enough,” she reveals.

“Only recently I started to notice that, even though I look imperfect, I’m happy and there’s beauty in being imperfect.”

A natural introvert, Dami has gradually gained more confidence since being “thrown into the world” three years ago with The X Factor.

This year, her star unexpectedly rose internationally with her second place at the Eurovision Song Contest.

“I didn’t think that I would be doing this for as long as I have,” admits Dami about her burgeoning career. “I just thought ‘I’ll give it a crack’ and winning X Factor was a huge surprise at the time, but also being able to maintain my career has been such a blessing.

“I think I’ve come a long way in that I’ve learnt so much and my faith has also developed. I think I’m learning new things about the world and the importance of being grounded and having the faith in something that’s unshakeable. So, this journey’s been such a blessing to me.”

Learning about the secular world, she has gained insights into how people who live without God think and act and suffer.

“I never really knew or thought about that and what I realised was God loves everybody, each one of us, and even if you’re outside the church, all they really need is love, and that unconditional love of God,” she says.

Dami Im wants to serve God, on the stage.

E

IN DEPTH

10

DECEMBER 2016

Mike Baird: proud to be a public Christian TESS HOLGATE “If you can understand grace from people, then you can understand the ultimate grace, that God sent his son to die for us,” said Mike Baird, the Premier of NSW, to about 150 business leaders at Parliament House in Sydney last month.

The business dinner was the first event in the City to City Renewing My Workplace conference.

Premier Baird went on to tell a story of one of the first times he saw grace in action, as a student at evangelical Regent College in Vancouver, Canada.

“There was a guy in the corner of the [class]room named Norm.

He was Canadian, he had a long beard, down to his knees, colourful hat and clothes and he was incredibly painful. You know the people like that.”

At the end of the semester, Norm approached Mike and invited him to Christmas dinner.

“When we arrived at Norm’s place, a door opened up, and his wife was there. She gave me a hug, and in that moment I kind of melted. She said, ‘thank you so much for coming. Norm has been cooking for three days for you.’

“And then Norm comes around, with his beard, with flour in it, and he gave me a hug, and he said, ‘Mike, merry Christmas, it’s so great for you to be here.’

“And at that moment I saw grace. Norm knew how I felt, and

“

If you can do that, lead in the fear of the Lord, and try and reflect Christ in that leadership, that is going to be a light to the world.”

Premier Baird

how I had treated him. Norm was clearly of the understanding that I wanted to be anywhere but next to Norm. But he returned it with a hug and the most incredible Christmas I’ve ever had.”

Premier Baird addressed the room, speaking explicitly about his time as a student at Regent College and how it influenced his decision to go into politics.

“I found myself [at Regent

College] because I was living in the context of multiple lives. I was in banking in one life, and then I was in ministry in another life – in youth group and church. And there was not this integration. It tore me up; I wrestled with it for many, many years.

“And then I heard about Regent – non-denominational and with so many different inputs. And they were talking about how you

bring your faith and life together.”

Convinced at that time that he was going to be an Anglican minister, Baird decided to spend a couple of years at Regent, and then return to Sydney and spend a couple of years at Moore College (the Anglican training college for the Diocese of Sydney), and, he said, “then – wacko – I’m an Anglican minister.”

But at Regent, he looked at the foundation stone engraved with verses from Ephesians 4 – that God has equipped all of us in different ways, with different gifts and different purposes – and began to wonder how that applied to his own life.

After completing a course called Christian Life, which involved reflecting on his past and what had brought him to this point, he began to think more about how he could use all his gifts to serve God. And in scrawled handwriting on the bottom of an assignment, one of his lecturers wrote, “maybe in Aussie politics.”

“I had been running from that my entire life,” said Premier Baird, “[but] in that moment it came back to Colossians 3 – whatever you do, in word or deed do it all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father.

“I thought: well, maybe I do understand a bit about politics, maybe I could use the banking side in the context of actually helping the finances of the government in the economy side.

Maybe that was the place.”

As he thought about going into politics, Premier Baird said he reflected on the words of David in 2 Samuel.

When one leads in righteousness, when he leads in the fear of the Lord, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain, that brings grass from the earth.

“If you can do that, lead in the fear of the Lord, and try and reflect Christ in that leadership, that is going to be a light to the world,” he said.

As a Christian, Premier Baird said, “you have to be purposeful.

It doesn’t mean you force what you believe on to anyone, but you shouldn’t be holding back. Let people know who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in.

I have certainly tried to do that.

“We have decided at least once a month we’re going to go to events and be explicit in our faith, and not be afraid of the consequences, and I have to say that is a dangerous thing to do. “[But] anyone who’s living a Christian life expects storms.

It’s very clear in the gospels that it’s not going to be smooth sailing. If you read the gospels it’s the opposite. You can expect difficulties and challenges. And that is something that comes with the territory. “[But] we’re not going to back down from what we believe in and know is true.”

APPLY NOW FOR 2017 Live On-campus High quality accommodation and student facilities Pastoral care and academic support High speed internet included via WiFi and Ethernet Scholarships and bursaries available Catered and self-catered options Weekly cleaning Make life-long friends Vibrant social programs Formal Dinners with eminent guest speakers

Do you know someone thinking of studying at UNSW?

Music nights, theatrical productions and cultural events

New College is a Christian residential community on-campus at the University of New South Wales, open to people of all faiths or none. It operates sister communities: New College, fully-catered for 250 students and New College Village, a mostly self-catered residence for 315 students.

Both communities provide pastoral care and Christian ministry through a strong team of supportive residential staff led by the Master and a live-in Dean in each residence. The College seeks to challenge residents to consider matters of faith through optional Bible studies, College services and Christian fellowship.

Inter-College Sport Exciting O’Week programs Safe communities in which to embark on new challenges

(02) 9381 1999 newcollege.unsw.edu.au

(02) 8344 4500 ncv.unsw.edu.au

DECEMBER 2016

11

BIBLE @ WORK

E

Iraq’s frontline Christians Families of Iraqi Christians are confronted by the danger of remaining in their homeland, and the difficulties of trying to flee.

BEN MCEACHEN As Iraqi troops inch forward in their ongoing battle to take back the city of Mosul, Christians in the war-torn region continue to face the threat of death, persecution, kidnap and bombings. Yet, according to front-line workers, the prospect of Mosul being freed from ISIS control is unlikely to inspire Christians to want to return there.

“Actually, it’s very difficult for Christians. I don’t think a lot of Christians will come back to his house in Mosul,” explains Wassim Adil Al-keloonchy, Programme Coordinator at Erbil Support Centre of the Bible Society in Iraq.

“It’s very difficult for Christians to get back into Mosul after liberation. This is because they will not trust people in their neighbourhood. It’s difficult to trust them again because you know their neighbours, they helped ISIS to take their houses – everything they have.”

Based in Erbil, one hour from Mosul, Wassim works with colleague Wassan Wadee Ayoob, Trauma Healing Coordinator and accountant at Erbil Support

Centre. They spoke with Eternity while attending a spiritual retreat with Bible Society workers from Lebanon and Syria. These teams from across the Holy Lands are helping to spread the life-changing news of Jesus in some of the planet’s most volatile territories.

“Wassan was a student at Mosul University,” Wassim says, translating for her. Wassan lived in the town of Qaraqosh, a 15-minute drive east of embattled Mosul – and the largest Christian town near Mosul, in the safe Kurdistan region. “She was going to her university by bus. A lot of buses – maybe 50 buses – go every day to the university. One day, they put on the way to the university, a bomb on the street. Maybe four buses were bombed, and that’s where Wassan was. Very horrible; very terrible for her.

“There is another case; they kidnapped five or seven Christian students from the bus. They took them out from the bus, just because they are Christian. They obligate them to cover their hair like Muslims at the university.”

While World Watch Monitor recently reported Christian leaders

returning to Qaraqosh, Wassan, Wassim and General Secretary of Bible Society Lebanon, Mike Bassous, are not sure a mass homecoming will occur for the thousands of Christian families who fled fighting in the region.

“For the Christians from villages, I think they will get back,” says Wassim. “But for those from Mosul, I don’t think so.”

Wassim adds that many Christians still want to leave Iraq for Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan because necessities like employment have been blocked to them. They may remain in Iraq because they don’t have the money to get out. But Mike travels regularly to Iraq and he has witnessed how Christianity has powerfully sustained some Iraqi people during decades of civil war.

“The faith of Iraqi Christians is stronger than any other group or community of Christians all over the world,” Mike says. “I’ve never seen stronger faith than Iraqi Christians. They’ve been through so much persecution in the last 30 years. Christians in Iraq have been displaced four to five times since 1980. They have been moved

around, shifted around, due to wars and that is why they are now seeking to leave the country. Would you accept, in your last 30 years, to have to be forced to move homes and be a refugee four to five times inside your own country?”

Before ISIS captured Mosul, Wassim and Wassan distributed Bibles and other materials in villages around that city. Based now in Erbil, “we work with partner organisations like World Compassion and Christian Aid, working on distributing wheelchairs, food and Scriptures, and sometimes we brought doctors from Sweden and America, to visit refugees in camps here in Erbil,” says Wassim. “Just to take care of them.”

As Mike explains, Bible Society puts on events in Erbil such as free programmes for children, youth and adults on Fridays, along with Scripture distribution.

About 400 people attend, to hear relevant and affirming truth about what God’s doing in everyday life.

“That’s simply one way that the Bible Society is supporting and encouraging the congregations to stay steadfast in their faith.

“We visited a church two weeks ago – a refugee church; this is where Wassan comes from. In Qaraqosh, it is her church. It is a Syriac Catholic church.

“There was a group of 30 young people practising hymns to sing during Mass on Sunday. Beautiful sounds, beautiful faith. Everyone in the visiting delegation was crying when they saw the strong faith these young people have.

“Yes, Wassan and Wassim do live in very dangerous places. Only a week ago, seven Christian girls in Kirkuk were almost abducted

by ISIS; it was a retaliation by ISIS about a week or ten days ago. No news covered it, that they miraculously escaped and now these seven girls are in Lebanon for trauma and psychological healing.

“What Wassan and Wassim would like to say is, yes, life is dangerous and difficult but there is joy in serving the church – even in these difficult persecution times.”

+ Can you help Bible Society tell a different story to the children in the Holy Lands and neighbouring nations? To fund this important work, go to biblesociety.org.au/turn

E

12

CHARITY FEATURE

DECEMBER 2016

Infographic: Aussies get behind charities McCrindle research shows why we support non-profits.

OPERATION SAFE HAVENS

Help us spread the good news of Christ to children and young people in the bush.

Can you help evacuate Christians in danger?

barnabasfund.org

Reaching Australia for Christ since 1919 bushchurchaid.com.au (02) 9262 5017

8220 Eternity Newspaper 002.indd 1

22/9/16 11:01 am

DECEMBER 2016

E

13

OPINION

E

+

Tim Wilson on the future of religious freedom in Australia Greg Clarke on being “roughly Christian”

As Luke chapter 2 records, angels appeared to shepherds and announced the birth of Jesus as “good will” from God.

Good will to Muslims Richard Shumack on Christmas cheer

Central to the Christmas story is that Jesus’ visit reveals the depths of God’s good will to all people (Luke 2). It’s no surprise that Jesus’ followers traditionally take Christmas time as a key reminder to, likewise, exercise good will to all. It’s great that Eternity is taking the opportunity to explore just how to do that – particularly among those in our community who don’t always feel that they enjoy the good will of Australians. Muslims are just such people.

What many ordinary Muslims – and very many female Muslims – regularly experience is not

good will from their Australian neighbours, so much as fear, suspicion and even abuse.

Most Muslims, of course, are incredibly easy to feel and practise good will toward.

In my experience, they are overwhelmingly generous, hospitable and affirming of Christians as fellow God-fearers.

Many of us have good Muslim friends at work, school and play for whom good will is the norm in their everyday relationships.

Some Muslims, however, are much harder to feel and enact good will toward. Some Muslims

are so high-need that it can seem overwhelming. The contemporary global refugee crisis – vast numbers of whom are Muslim – is so extreme that it is hard to know where to begin to help, even if we do feel good will.

Other Muslims hold to such a different view of God’s goodness, and what’s good for society, that mutual good will is sometimes hard to establish. I have often experienced Muslims ridiculing the Christmas good will message as ludicrous – as well as untrue – all the while evangelistically promoting a Muslim view of

goodness that usually highlights obedience to Sharia law.

Good will is difficult amid such strong disagreement about deep spiritual truth.

Yet, other Muslims are clearly “enemies.” Islamists who hold to strict views on jihad, like ISIS, are ideologically and practically opposed to Christians, seeking to either subjugate or eradicate them. This is not simply a distant threat relegated to Africa or the Middle East. I have played soccer with Muslims who would happily have killed me for my Christian continued page 14

E

OPINION

14

DECEMBER 2016

Good will

istock/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

from page 13 beliefs had we not been living in Australia – and told me so. What might “good will to all” look like here? Like so much of the biblical Christmas story, the idea of good will to all has become tame, domesticated. Like the “Olympic spirit,” it has come to describe a mood or sentiment, within which (at least for Christmas holidays) we all try to get along with our crazy families.

The good will to all that Jesus calls his followers to is substantially more disturbing, unsettling and challenging than that. Far more than a mood, the sort of good will exemplified by Christmas is real, practical and, often, costly or sacrificial.

So, Jesus speaks of: giving generously to everyone who begs from you; loaning to anyone without any expectation of being paid back; offering the jacket thief your shirt too; and, carrying your oppressors’ load twice as far as they demand. Jesus also speaks of loving enemies, blessing cursers and abusers, and responding to hatred with forgiveness.

This sort of good will is big enough to cover all Muslims. It is sacrificial enough to attempt outrageous acts of welcome to refugees. It is generous enough to withstand heated disputes over belief, with good humour and grace. It is courageous enough to keep loving those that hate you despite the risk that that hatred might play out in violence.

So, here are a few ideas for how Christians, both individually and in community, might exercise this

When it comes to showing good will to others, such as Muslims, the biggest challenge often can be our “will.” sort of generous, sacrificial and courageous good will towards Muslims this Christmas: • Pray for Muslims, that they might come to see the truth and beauty of the Christmas story, where God came to visit in person.

• Invite any Muslims you

know along to a church or family Christmas celebration – Christmas dinner or, perhaps, Carols by Candlelight. Muslims might not believe in the Easter events, but they do believe that Jesus was miraculously born of the virgin Mary and are more than happy

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

20161118 RZIM 20171118 RZIM Eternity Ad.indd 1

to hear stories of angels and fulfilled prophecy.

• Offer Christmas gifts to Muslim asylum seekers. Perhaps through organised Christian responses such as: www.anglicare. org.au/syrian-refugee-response • Speak boldly to Muslims about

why you think the Christmas story shows the extraordinary good will of God toward all people – even to the “ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).

• At the risk of turning my column into an advertorial: join me at the “Understanding and Answering Islam” conference, jointly run by Melbourne School of Theology (MST) and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), at MST on April 7 and 8, 2017. It takes a high degree of good will to put strong effort into understanding someone else’s worldview and beliefs, as well as thinking hard about how to share Christ with them in a way that will touch both their minds and hearts.

Some of these suggestions of good things also will take more effort than others. Still, my hunch is that the biggest hurdle to overcome in exercising good will to Muslims (or anyone else for that matter) is not working out what the appropriate thing to do is, but working out whether we really want to. In other words, the bigger good will challenge is not with the “good,” but with the “will.”

I think that’s why Jesus encourages his followers to pray for their enemies (as well as, not instead of, loving them). Genuinely pursuing goodwill for others is extraordinarily hard, and you will need God’s help in passionately pursuing the sort of good will to all that led Jesus to visit our world, at that first Christmas time.

Dr Richard Shumack is a parttime research fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) and also Director of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology.

17/11/2016 9:57:08 AM

1 Peter 4:10

$25

$30

Build, equip and maintain stations: studios, antennas and electricity.

Give radios so villages, families and churches can tune into FEBC's programs.

$40

$60

Protect women, families and children from sex trafficking, abuse, suicide and family breakdown.

Grow Bible Christians through content. Train staff, pastors and reach communities.

OPINION

DECEMBER 2016

15

Good will: How to love the gay community 6 Like Jesus with

“

David Bennett gives a guide to LGBTQI responses Wikimedia Crisco 1492

David Bennett, once a gay activist at the University of Technology Sydney, now lives a celibate Christian life and is studying at Oxford University. He is uniquely placed to help Christians extend good will to our LGBTQI friends, neighbours and family members.

Often as the church, we are focused on vindicating our own doctrinal views on the gospel.

But, really, when it comes to our obsession with gay marriage and homosexuality, that’s from our own insecurity regarding the sexual sanctity of the church. We need to return to the figure of Jesus and reach out in love to the LGBTQI community, radically identifying with their struggle, showing them our brokenness, and letting go of the moral highground we have been tempted to take because of “being Christian’,” “heterosexual” and, generally, middle class. Like Jesus with the Samaritan woman, our

Living water: The Samaritan woman as our example job is to love the person, identifying with their brokenness and offering them the water of the Holy Spirit, whilst standing in God’s truth.

SUPPORT US Have a discussion group for LGBTQI/other people to explore this subject, before God, in our churches and to organically build understanding.

Stop putting heads in the sand about the experience of same-sex attracted, gay or transgendered people – but don’t give in to the cultural narrative of progress which presents a false gospel of hope.

SPEAK OUT In preaching or bringing these topics up in church, we have to be very

1 2

wise, but it’s important to allow people to share their testimony without negative backlash. Stand with people who are genuinely committed to discipleship; don’t talk down to them. Stories are definitely better than just preaching or seeing it as a “tick the box” church issue. Let go of your fear and get behind those people, like myself, who stand out there for holiness in our celibate state or otherwise.

COMMUNITY Be incarnational.

There needs to be a community solution with alternative church families of single people living together. If we are going to maintain what Scripture says, we

3

the Samaritan woman, our job is to love the person, identifying with their brokenness and offering them the water of the Holy Spirit ...”

must live like it shows us in Acts 2.

We have to sell everything and give, live together and stop sectioning off the church into private family groups. We need to break the idolatry of marriage; the family of God is much wider and more diverse.

ADVOCATE Get behind already existing groups such as Living Out and Spiritual Friendship, which are becoming much wider theologically and, also, in terms of the people getting involved.

Welcome them into the intellectual and spiritual life of the church.

REFLECT Have a working group of interested people in the church, reading different kinds of material, so Christian communities are aware of the wider conversation and don’t just remain in old wineskins.

4 5

PRAY God is on the move – be aware of his heart for LGBTQI people; don’t be exasperated by the media or other pressures.

Keep your eyes on each individual.

Pastoral approaches can be developed through doctrine and learning from the experience of LGBTQI people who have come to Christ but still walk with it until the final day.

THINK Each person who has walked through this has a piece of the puzzle. Patience with each person is vitally important; don’t avoid it because it’s too heavy or hard. Develop a theology that is close to the experience of LGBTQI people but is consistent, with holiness as the goal by grace.

The church has no excuse to reject or not accept the LGBTQI community. Our starting points must be: all LGBTQI people are made in the image of God; they are sinners just like all of us and in need of Jesus’ salvation, grace, truth and love; the walk of LQBTQI people is unique and the cross we carry is also unique.

Learn to understand about the particular suffering that LGBTQI people have gone, as they have had to come to terms with sexual orientation, or personal difficulties with gender dysmorphia.

Don’t dismiss this as “easy.” Let us lay down our lives in love for our “cultural” enemies and show them Jesus really does love them. True love never compromises what is true, but it always offers the grace to receive the truth we all need to be free.

7

To study Christian theology is to embark on an adventure of the mind, heart, and soul. Whether you’re seeking to explore your beliefs, deepen your faith, or equip yourself for greater work in the Kingdom, St Mark’s provides a safe community for your journey into the world of theology.

Start your adventure with us.

Applications close 16 January.

In partnership with A L P H AC R U C I S C O L L E G E

stmarks.edu.au

E

E

OPINION

16

DECEMBER 2016

Perils of Christian dating

“

Doesn’t every woman want a man who is head over heels about them?

Of course. That is, unless they are literally falling head over heels.

When I first met Ryan*, he was friendly, cool, calm and easy to chat to. We got on OK and all seemed well ... even hopeful. We agreed to

Unsplash / I’m Priscilla

catch up again and have dinner the next week. When the next week rolled around, Ryan seemed like a different person. He was very nervous and could barely look me in the eye! I like to think it was due to a realisation of my outstanding beauty but, usually, that would have been recognised a bit sooner, probably in less than one week …

Ryan’s nerves made me talk more than usual (I do like a bit of a natter). Off I went on a monologue, trying to be light and friendly to my nervous-wreck of a date. Poor guy.

We were in a lovely Thai restaurant in Surry Hills, Sydney.

It has concrete floors and everyone sits on stools and not chairs.

Unsplash /Ben White

Doesn’t every woman want a man who is head over heels about them?”

Jo Armstrong on falling hard for someone

I suppose that’s “hipster.” We order our food and when it arrives Ryan appears to be entirely captivated by his pad thai, because that is all he looks at. Perhaps it wasn’t that I am outstandingly beautiful after all.

Ryan starts to relax, though, and begins telling me a story about his lunch that day. Yes, seriously. I listen along as much as I can, trying to look interested – but I do catch my mind wondering if it could be as stunning as the pad thai before him. I am starting to feel tired and ready to make my excuses and head home. I was trying hard to muster some interest in what he had eaten that Saturday but, well, you might be able to imagine my struggle.

As Ryan lent back, mid-way

through his monologue, he suddenly disappeared. In a flash, I saw the soles of his shoes and, again, he was gone! I was frozen in shock. I wondered if Ryan had been raptured? Then I saw his stool roll down the centre of the restaurant and, moments later, there was Ryan rolling on the floor after it. All of this was happening in slow motion.

Silence fell on the restaurant.

Ryan had fallen off his chair.

HE FELL OFF HIS CHAIR! The image will be forever burned on my brain. He seemed as if he was a cartoon character, slipping on a banana peel.

I’ll admit it. This scene did strike me as, by far, the funniest thing I had seen in a long time (possibly

ever). But then it dawned on me – do not laugh. You cannot laugh.

Using every ounce of Christian benevolence that I have, I tried desperately to stifle an enormous belly laugh with a feeble disguise of a cough. Then another cough.

And then a few more coughs and splutters and I kept replaying the moment through my mind.

To my utter bemusement, Ryan batted off the lovely, kind, caring Thai waitresses from helping him. Instead he immediately repositioned his stool at the table, opposite me and continued to tell me the story of his lunch. It was as if the whole spectacle had never happened. Or, perhaps, it happened so often it was just business as usual for Ryan? As you might expect, this made it even funnier for me. I found that disguising my giggles was making me red in the face and short of breath. All I yearned to ask, “Did you just fall off your chair?” But I had to behave.

Ten minutes after the scene, Ryan started rubbing his neck and I knew I just needed to leave before I embarrassed the poor guy even more by laughing in his face. He generously paid for our meal and we went our separate ways.

I actually quite liked Ryan. He was a nice guy. I messaged him the next day, yet he didn’t ever reply.

Strange, because I thought my outstanding beauty had made him fall for me in such a way that noone else ever has! * Not his real name.

istry n, Amazing Min Future Chaplai haplains

rce.gov.au/c web: www.airfo

ov.au

ains@defence.g

email: raaf.chapl

DPS:MAY049-16

Great Christmas gift!

Superbook: The First Christmas is just one of 21 DVD’s in the series, and for a limited time it’s 10% OFF!

Create

a Brighter Future

Buy before Monday 12 December & you’ll receive it in time for Christmas.

for people in need this Christmas

Give a meaningful gift by purchasing a gift from ADRA’s Gift Catalogue. Your gift of chickens, ducks, seedlings or garden tools can provide a farmer in need with the skills and resources to help them support themselves and their families.

www.visionstore.org.au Free Delivery orders over $25

$1795

adra.org.au/eternity

12002DVD normally $19.95

OPINION

DECEMBER 2016

17

E

Defending religious freedom Tim Wilson suggests a compromise wikimedia / Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joe Laws, taken from en-wp, uploaded by Dorbie

“A pluralistic society must be built on an understanding of the importance of humility,” says Tim Wilson, former Human Rights Commissioner and current Liberal Party member for Goldstein.

Wilson, a partnered gay man and a non-Christian, has been a strong defender of religious freedom. This is an edited version of his 2016 Acton Lecture, sponsored by the Centre for Independent Studies.

The opportunity to deliver this lecture followed my interest in religious liberty in my former role. That interest came after a concern that religious liberty was increasingly being deprioritised or completely ignored by the human rights community.

But equally my interest came from concern that religious leaders and communities were responding poorly to the issues that were arising and doing harm to themselves and their cause, particularly around the tensions of religious freedom and sexual morality.

At the time I concluded: who better to try and resolve these issues than someone who is gay and agnostic.

That might seem like a joke; but in all seriousness getting the conclusion of these debates right has as much impact on people like me as those of faith.

Religious freedom doesn’t trump the rights and freedoms of others, but it is something to be accommodated in the rights and freedoms of all.

A free society does not seek to homogenise belief or conscience but, instead, affirms diversity and advocates for tolerance and mutual respect.

If we are to preserve religious liberty in Australia in an increasingly pluralist society it must be built on an understanding of the importance of humility.

The capacity of modern Australia

Soft landing: the marriage debate in Australia can be resolved, humbly. to unite depends on the coexistence and mutual compatibility between those with faith and those without.

Instead of seeking differences and division, humility offers a pathway to understanding and acceptance.

Religious freedom today The Constitution makes it clear: the Australian government is secular.

The grey is where government ends and society begins, and whether we are a secular or pluralist society.

A secular society is one which respects religious liberty, but recognises its place as a primarily private practice. Faith ends at the temple door. It has a limited place in the public square. There is no room for religion in public institutions, such as schools and hospitals. Equally unless they want to accept secular strings, religious institutions can’t accept public

FRACTURED

FAMILIES

monies to deliver services to the community.

A pluralist one respects that, like other individual characteristics, faith informs all aspects of people’s lives. Public institutions reasonably accommodate faith and religious institutions are not discriminated against simply because of wanting to act consistent with their traditions. Instead they are embraced as a way of delivering a diversity of services.

The test ahead The future of religious liberty now hinges on engagement on how religious leaders and communities engage in the next and I expect, final, round of debate on the civil definition of marriage.

Now that the Senate voted down the plebiscite I feel freer than I have previously to broaden my commentary on it as a method of resolving this debate.

Preparing people for Christian Ministry since 1949

UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES FRIDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2017

Kingsley Australia

SPONSORED BY MU SYDNEY

NO CHARGE BUT BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Why hesitate any longer?

Study for Christian Ministry Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate (Training Centres around Australia, Web conference or distance study)

P: 03 9357 3699 E: kingsley@kingsley.edu.au www.kingsley.edu.au REGISTER WWW.MUSYDNEY.ORG.AU OR 8030 8970

Kingsley Australia is a partner College of the Australian College of Ministries # 90965

The plebiscite was popular.

Yet the public turned against it, harshly. I believe they saw what I did when it was originally announced – the pain of a prolonged public debate about the legal standing of their fellow citizens’ relationships.

The other reason it was never my first preference is because it sets up a zero sum outcome. Someone wins. Someone loses.

The group who should fear the loss isn’t the winner, it is the loser.

In the end the advocates for the plebiscite were predominantly from faith backgrounds. Had they lost, they set up the legitimate tool for secularists to say the Australian people had the debate about these issues and they won.

The question now is how we move forward on the issue. As the Prime Minister said last week: “we’ve got to let the dust settle.”

There is now no opportunity to change the law this year; and I won’t be pushing for it this year.

Yet even if you are opposed to a change in the law, it is hard to see how the debate goes away.

Religious communities also face a choice. There will be a change in the law at some point in the future.

The question is what change and who delivers it.

The first option is to wait until Labor and the Greens are in government. I hope that is a long time in the future. But we live in unpredictable times. We know what they will do. They will change the legal definition of marriage to a union between two people. Ministers of religion won’t be compelled to marry same-sex couples because that would breach the Constitution. There will be no further recognition of religious liberty. It will be the hard landing of a secularist solution.

The second option is that those opposed push for the plebiscite again. Personally I think that is pointless, and as I have outlined I think it poses serious permanent risks to religious liberty.

The third option is that those opposed seek a hard landing by proposing a law that won’t be accepted by the Parliament, and even if it does, keeps the debate going. The classic example is the pursuit of allowing the law to change and exempting bakers and florists from supplying goods and services to same-sex marriages. This is a hard landing solution because it simply creates targets that Labor and the Greens will pursue when they are in

government in the future.

Nothing will be settled. The debate will rage. In the end the secularists will win.

The fourth and my preferred option is that the dust settles for the Coalition to implement a soft landing through a change in the law that takes account of the concerns of both same-sex couples and religious communities.

“

Religious freedom doesn’t trump the rights and freedoms of others, but it is something to be accommodated in the rights and freedoms of all.”

So what does a soft landing look like? It starts with humbly accepting the legitimacy of each other’s concerns.

There is a civil tradition of marriage. Laws can be made about it with the permission of the Australian Constitution.

Whether same-sex couples can enter it is based on a decision of the parliament. But there is also a tradition of marriage that comes from different religious traditions.

A law that respects and recognises that divergence is important.

It provides the security that the law reflects the values base of both secular and faith traditions, and ensures that religious institutions can teach their faith tradition of marriage and be utterly consistent with the law.

If religious communities also engage in negotiating a passage of the law, they can also negotiate any necessary protections to allay their fears about being legally pursued for expressing their views.

From where I stand, I can only guarantee one more chance to pursue a soft landing during this term of parliament. The burden of its passage comes down to the way that religious leaders and communities engage. If it is with humility, then religious freedom can win. Without it, a hard landing will likely be imposed in the nottoo-distant future.

E

OPINION

18

Tim Costello on the Trump card The evangelicals of the “Great Awakenings” that swept America in the 18th and 19th centuries preached a unity of personal piety and a passion for social justice.

They spoke out against the idea of an in-name-only affiliation, declaring that those who claim to be Christians must be born again.

The puzzle in 2016 – the Year of the Angry Voter – is that 81 per cent of white evangelical Protestants voted in their presidential election for a boastful TV reality star and casino mogul who they persistently claimed was God’s anointed candidate. Yet, in several interviews, Donald Trump said he had never asked God for forgiveness. Indeed, Trump has even said: “Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?”

Surely being aware of our

sinful nature and asking God’s forgiveness are a prerequisite to be truly born again?

The right-wing Christians’ support for Trump has confused and deeply divided evangelicals.

Trump’s divorces, his shifting positions on abortion, and his disparaging attitude towards women and “foreigners” were, apparently, not a problem for many leading Christians.

The President-elect actively courted the evangelical vote.

And some evangelicals, in turn, seemingly sold their souls for access to power. The result is perhaps a short-term win for the right-wing evangelicals – but long-term confusion for other Christians, all around the world.

Where do we go from here?

The solution for Christians of all political colours lies not in the manipulation of temporal affairs, but in unyielding devotion to the fundamental principles taught by Jesus. As writer and prelate Dean Inge once said: “Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next.”

With the approach of Christmas, the paradoxes are piling up. Jesus, born in a barn far away from the centres of power and influence, defined greatness as serving others, not seeking worldly power.

He told his disciples: “Whoever wants to become great among you

Letters No Yoga for Jesus

must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The church must speak out about issues of ethics and justice but it should not have a political agenda. It should proclaim something far greater – the Christ agenda.

Jesus said the world would know us Christians, not by our political activity, but by our love. That’s how the world can be transformed.

Understanding our Australian Christian Heritage http://www.chr.org.au/

UNI STUDENT HOUSING AVAILABLE NOW!!!

Victorian Style House to Share in Campsie, NSW. Furnished rooms for rent from $195 per week... all utilities & food included!

“All the comforts of home away from home” Located close to all amenities.

Great FOOD, FUN & SUPPORT! For Info Call: 0468 330 089 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Katoke Secondary School is seeking Christian volunteers who are team players, resilient and compassionate to perform the following roles: • • • •

Senior Educator & Teachers Building Supervisor Sponsorship Co-ordinator IT & Administration staff

Make a difference in a successful school serving a stable developing nation!

Enquiries: Alan Watson 0422 225 556 or info@katoke.com.au

SHOALHAVEN EMPLOYERS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TEACHERS INCORPORATED SECET is a cutting edge Christian organisation providing Christian Scripture on the NSW south coast for the past 24 years.

We seek an Executive Director to provide strategic leadership in developing and implementing a strategic plan, communicating to stakeholders and achieving set KPIs to enable growth and renewal. The role is a challenging mix of doing the work yourself and organising volunteers to support the teachers. We require someone with a passion for young people, exceptional ability to communicate at all levels of the corporate world and committed to making a difference. A proven track record in organisational leadership is essential.

For inquiries and information package prior to applying, please contact John Cheek ph. 4421 2661 A national newspaper for Australian Christians, Eternity is sent free to any church upon request.

Eternity is published by Bible Society Australia (ACN 148 058 306). Edited by John Sandeman.

eternitynews.com.au

DECEMBER 2016

Having read the article “Should we fear Yoga, or Hallowe’en?”

(Eternity, November), I make the following comments: Firstly, yoga is what it is, its roots are Hindu, it cannot change. I am sorry, there is no yoga for Jesus. All Eastern Religion, in my view, is demonic.

Part of the article says yoga has been and is undergoing change in the Western world. That might be so, but one cannot escape yoga’s roots. I believe that the Holy Spirit will not take you down that path.

There is no such thing as holy yoga; yoga is not holy. There is only one person who is holy, that is Jesus Christ, who gave up his life, for the whole wide world.

It is totally wrong for Christians to even mention the phrase “holy yoga.” There are a number of exercises Christians can undertake to get fit; one does not have to dabble in yoga. Pray to the Father, through Jesus, to reveal what is right and what is wrong.

I would also like to comment on “Backing Mad Dog over old Faithful” (Eternity, November).

The article starts with “I’ve always been interested in Chance.” My question is: “WHY?” The article also asks, “Is it reasonable to

Celebrate with us our National Christian Heritage on Sunday 5th of February 2017 http://www.nchs.net.au/

assume God is still with me through my illness, my child’s death, my family breakdown?” In my view, one should never assume anything in life.

Let me give an example: just because people stay quiet at an interview with police, it does not make them guilty. One can assume that but there must be evidence to show they are guilty. As Christians, we should know God is with us, at all times; he will never leave us or forsake us.

The article also talks about how being unpredictable gives you more power than being predictable, and predictable people can be more easily exploited by the unpredictable. I disagree with this.

A person who stays strong in the word of God, the Holy Spirit will ensure they are not exploited.

The article also mentions that God is himself unpredictable and elusive. I also disagree with this.

God knows exactly what he is doing; humans are the ones who are unpredictable, not Almighty God in heaven.

He holds our future in his hands; we do not know what is going to happen day to day but God, our loving Father, does.

God bless and kind regards, Harold Jacatine Keysborough, VIC

A WORLD THAT KNOWS JESUS

CMS seeks a new Regional Director for SA/NT. Visit www.cms.org.au/sant/jobs

ASLAN FINANCE a division Cronulla Sutherland Mortgage Options Pty Ltd

Home Loans/ Investment Loans Commercial and Industrial Finance Business Finance Non-Conforming/Specialist Loans SMSF Loans Motor Vehicle Finance Plant and Equipment Finance Personal Loans Associated Financial Planning and Insurance Services Tel 02 9526 5544 Mob 0407 432 910 Email: graeme@aslansolutions.com.au 2A Kungar Road Caringbah South 2229 ABN 50 007 982 167

Presbyterian Pastor, Melbourne Chalmers Presbyterian Church, East Hawthorn, Victoria, is seeking a new pastor on the retirement of the current incumbent in April 2017. We seek a godly person, possibly with a young family, to grow our congregation. The church is strategically located near Swinburne University, a large primary school and a Metro railway station.. We need an ordained Presbyterian minister with B.Th or equivalent. Pastoral skills, life/business experience and the ability to relate scripture to contemporary events meaningfully would be desirable.

The congregation is small but we are financially sound.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Find out why Christianity makes sense at: defenceofthefaith.org

2017 Tour Down Under Adelaide 14-22 January 2017

A time for you to get on Your Bike Invite your Church along, and your friends to join in An opportunity to share stories of faith. A chance for you to make a difference Contact Kim 0424 759 577 ETERNITY NEWSPAPER Print Co-ordination and Distribution by

For position description etc. please contact (Mr) Carey Cox, Session Clerk by e-mail careypcox@gmail.com

1800 88 MAIL sales@intellimail.com.au e: enquiries@eternitynews.com w: www.eternitynews.com.au po: GPO Box 9874, In your Capital City For general enquiries: (02) 9888 6588

Advertising sales: Wild Hive Studios p: 0414 291 273 e: advertising@eternitynews.com a: 5 Byfield St, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113 Print post number PP 381712/0248.

Printed by Fairfax print sites across Australia.

OPINION

DECEMBER 2016

19

E

How not to be a wowser Michael Jensen on the Aussie’s bias against Christianity

Image: Fair Use

You can tell a lot about a culture by the particular words it invents and adopts. Australians have been very creative with the English language, concocting words such as fair dinkum, bonzer, digger, furphy, on the turps, and ridgydidge. Even if we don’t use them, they tell us something about ourselves.

Then there’s the word “wowser,” a term of contempt for a person who is a killjoy – one who won’t join in the revelry and condemns others for doing so. It arose in connection with the work of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in the 19th century. The Bulletin, which was supposed to be a political magazine for the working man, often featured cartoons of women and clergy banded together in an attempt to spoil the fun of working men – mostly drink, gambling and smoking. They were ridiculed for it.

Painter Norman Lindsay, whose nudes were certainly controversial in the 1910s and ’20s, said wowsers were “pious hypocrites who dislike seeing others enjoy themselves.” The poet C.J. Dennis described a wowser as “an ineffably pious person who mistakes this world for a penitentiary and himself for a warder.”

We are taught in Aussie culture to denigrate the wowser and to celebrate the opposite, the larrikin.

The ideal Aussie character is funloving, hard-drinking, loves a bit of naughtiness with the opposite sex and doesn’t hold back. We are the country of the Prime Minister who gave everyone a day off when we won the America’s Cup; and of being so drunk at the Melbourne Cup that you mount a wheelie bin as if it was a horse. Our heroes are

of Jesus are called to.

Right? Jesus himself was fond of a party and once produced an extraordinary amount of wine for a wedding, if you recall.

Oh, and we look pretty hypocritical too, since the abuse scandals have come to light.

At the same time, we’ve increasingly realised the devastating cost of the Aussie love of the binge and bender.

A study by Griffith University estimated that the total cost to society of alcohol-related problems in 2010 was more than $14 billion. The Australian Government says half a million of its own citizens are in the category of problem gamblers or at risk of becoming one.

The social cost of gambling to our community is $4.7 billion.

Or what about another symbol of permissive behaviour – pornography?

The illusion that the sex industry traded for years – that porn did no one any harm – has been completely debunked as we now realise it harms those who use it and who produce it. We are only starting to see the consequences for our society of our porn addiction.

So here’s the dilemma: no one wants to be a wowser, but we can also see how damaging the impact of our devotion to revelry is. What are we to do?

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle calls on Christians to “arm yourselves with the intention to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God.” And what does that look like?

Well, he is clear about what it doesn’t look like. He says: “You have already spent enough time

The Simpson’s Ned Flanders: poster boy for wowsers everywhere.

Bob Hawke and Dawn Fraser and Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne and Barnesy and David Boon, who drank 52 cans of beer from Mascot to Heathrow. As a nation we believe what W.C. Fields once said: “Never trust a man who doesn’t drink.”

To be a wowser is to be positively disloyal to our national identity. And that’s a label Australian churches have had to wear for a few centuries. We’ve been perceived to be acting like the moral police of Australia; typecast as the death, rather than the life of the party. But, you know, restricting the fun of others is not what the followers

in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry.”

The Christians are to show a marked difference from the pagan world by not indulging in the orgies and drunkenness of that world. Armed with a new identity and with a new hope, there is no reason to indulge in the party-fest.

So, what’s actually changed for the Christian? We now have a hope: we have our eye on the future, and we want to obey the will of God, not just do what our flesh craves. We have a perspective of what lies ahead that means that what we do with our flesh and bone is not meaningless, not a simple accumulation of pleasurable sensations, but a preparation for our future together with God. That is: the Christian has a hope secured in Jesus Christ – “new birth into a living hope” – a view to the future kingdom of God. There’s more to come: a brilliant promise of a glorious and joyous future for us held in the arms of God. Our bodies are not simply pieces of meat; they are to be gloriously resurrected on the final day, radiant with the light of God. So, we can leave behind the pointlessness of the party because the kind of lifestyle that Christians have left is, frankly, hopeless.

The indulgence in the flesh is a theological statement: there’s no God. Nothing matters. It’s simply in denial of any future.

It’s the “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” philosophy.

Even if people don’t actually express that, there’s a sort of defiance of God himself in the party lifestyle.

Why would I believe in God, when I know that believing in God is inconsistent with womanising and shoving coke up my nose? I’ve spoken to people who’ve made this an actual choice. One guy told me, “Look, to be honest, if I believe in God, then I’ll have to stop looking at porn, and getting smashed, and I don’t want to do that.”

There’s a kind of lurking sadness in this. The hopelessness of it all pokes through, if you listen carefully. We know that a life of substance abuse and sexual indulgence is physically harmful to us; but it’s also a form of spiritual suicide. After he was caught having a sexual encounter

in a toilet, George Michael wrote a song with the line “There’s nothing here but flesh and bone/ There’s nothing more/Let’s go outside … ” To be at the funeral of a committed hedonist is to know true despair.

But the committed hedonist is wrong. There is a God who will demand an account from us of what we’ve done with the gift of life. He “stands ready to judge the living and the dead.” The grave does not draw an impenetrable veil over us. Our lives have meaning – not because we choose a certain set of values for them, but because God himself has.

How can we live by God’s will, and not be wowsers?

We need to be bold in saying “No” to the lifestyle of revelry.

For example: the Christian may or may not drink alcohol, but a Christian wants to give up drunkenness, because they have hope and don’t need to smash their own brain into oblivion to forget reality.

Now, the season of end-of-year parties is upon us. It’s going to be especially challenging to be a model of restraint in the midst of the bacchanalia. But your calling as a Christian is to show your neighbours what it looks like to live with hope. That doesn’t mean judgmentalism, but behaving differently as a sign of Jesus Christ’s care. Be the one who is ready to listen to your colleague who will surprisingly open up; or be the one who volunteers to organise the function in such a way that people have a celebration that isn’t destructive.

But there’s something more, too.

We need to throw better parties.

We have every reason to sing for true joy – not because we want to forget, but because we want to remember. We need to show what the true love of this meaningful and beautiful life is like, as we support one another even amid suffering. We rejoice not because we are in denial about the painful reality of this world, but despite it – because we know that it’s not the end of the story. Our rejoicing allows space for tears, but is never overcome by them. As we weep for our broken world, we also laugh with joy at the thought of the victory that is ours in Jesus.

Michael Jensen is the rector of St Mark’s Anglican Church in Darling Point, Sydney, and the author of several books.

In the Footsteps of the Reformers with

The Reverend Dr. Michael Jensen A 17 Day Pilgrimage to Czech Republic • Germany • Switzerland • Britain 26 April - 12 May 2017 316 Tours presents a journey with Reverend Dr Michael Jensen based upon the Timeline of the Reformation

For further information contact: 316@tourtime.com.au or freephone 1800 21 91 39

E

OPINION

20

DECEMBER 2016

Being roughly Christian

Greg Clarke on being salt and light down under

istock_VMJones

One day soon, I will know whether the hunch I’m about to reveal is a dud. That will be the day next year when the data from our recent national census – the one that brought a nation’s evening on the internet to a bemusing and frustrating halt – is released for all of us to view.

On that day we are going to know whether the nation is still “roughly Christian.”

The term, magnificent in the vernacular, belongs to poet Les Murray. Murray transposes the teachings of Jesus for the likes of laidback Aussies in his poem, “The Quality of Sprawl,” which is surely one of the best depictions of Australian culture in any art form.

Long live poetry!

“Being roughly Christian, it

scratches the other cheek,” writes Murray, contemplating whether “sprawl” can survive in this world, or will have to leave the Earth for the heavenly paradise where classlessness, humility and the thirteenth banana in the dozen can be found.

But is this generous, egalitarian, laidback and roughly Christian vision of Australian life now out of date? Will the new census reveal to us that Australia is no longer majority-Christian?

At one level, it matters not.

Christianity has never been a numbers game. It’s never been about efficiency or quotas or percentage growth. It is spectacularly uneconomical.

After all, Jesus promoted wilfully indulgent use of resources when he commended the shepherd who chased after the lost sheep.

Surely 99 out of a flock of 100 was a reasonable result? Nope, the numbers are never the main game.

And although Christianity grew to be a vast global religion, its origins are in small numbers of quiet, unseen believers, praying, singing and reading the Scriptures in private locations. Only a few were notable or noble, Paul tells the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:26).

Mostly, God just got on with things while the number of his followers was low.

God desires that every person

Are rough-hewn Australians still broadly Christian? We’ll soon know. turn to him and live, but statistical domination of a society does not appear to be high on his list of priorities. The social significance of Christianity waxes and wanes. Sometimes, Christian leaders rise up and shape a nation; sometimes it is tyrants; sometimes it is tyrants who unwittingly build on Christian foundations.

The number of Christians in the society is not the key issue.

But on another level, I will be

delighted if Christian belief holds up in Australia, and grieve if it doesn’t.

Christians are salt and light. On the whole, we improve the flavour and stability of any society we join. We try to preserve the good, and toss out the bad. And we help people to “live light” (to use the Bible Society tagline): shedding light on problems, opposing evil and trying to do something about it; sharing the heart-lightening

news of Christ, and lightening people’s burdens through social programmes, schools, medical care and charities. We are usually more good than harm, so it would be sad for everyone to see us in decline.

Of course, this is not the view of all Australians by any imagination.

Some now see Christians as the ones opposing progress, meddling with state matters and coercing leaders to accept a Christian agenda. It’s up to us Christians to demonstrate to society at large that we are here for good.

If our numbers do decline, I will see our job as something like the football team who have had several players sent off midway though the second half. We know it will be much tougher to stick to our match plan. We know the opposition will have a distinct advantage. But as so often happens on the field, the players that remain will rise up and find new strength, play more impressively than they did before, and sometimes pull off miraculous deeds because they know that the game rests on them. Nothing like an intensification of responsibility!

But I’m an incurable optimist, and I’m still clinging to the hope that Aussies in the main are roughly Christian. It would be better for everyone if that were so. Unless the internet fails us again, we’ll shortly know whether I’m right.

Bible Stat Scripture in the languages spoken by 5 Billion people, is available in digital.

the Bible,

BS_HillsongCelebrationAD_260x183_Bleed_FA2_OL.indd 1

celebration of

23/11/16 4:48 pm