I am an avid reader. I recently read a series of books (the Tomorrow series) written for young adults by Australian Author, John Marsden.

The series depicts and Australia which is infiltrated and taken over by soldiers from another country… on the grounds that they (the “others”) have little space or resources… while we have much which is poorly managed and unfairly distributed. Ellie, the young hero, struggles to come to terms with what is right and wrong in this situation.

It got me thinking about the way we (here in Australia) are viewed by others and the way in which we use … or misuse … the resources of this wonderful country.

In Words For Worship I read, this week – The abundance of what we need that is portrayed in Psalm 23 is echoed in Revelation 7. Given that this is the world that God wants for all creation, and given that the Church is, in some sense, that new world to come, lived out here and now, how do we reflect God’s desire for a world with enough for all? This question is particularly pertinent for Christians in the West who, since the 1970s and particularly in the last decade, have lived in a society where the gap between the poorest in our communities and the richest is rapidly widening. The post-war dream of housing and jobs and consumer goods for all, which, in turn meant participation by all in the community, is for many, turning into a nightmare. What do these two truths mean for the way we as the Church organize ourselves?

It is God’s desire that there should be none left hungry, thirsty, homeless or in any other need so what is our response as individuals and as a parish? God delights in congregations whose actions parallel their words and teachings on love… who let their light shine out. I wonder (continuing on from last weeks sermon) are we plugged in and switched on? And does our light shine beyond the confines of our timber doors?

Blessings

Reverend Shan