What a ham!

The youngest SC picked up a ham leg in the supermarket last evening and said "That's disgusting....it even looks like a leg!"
It would have been more believable if she wasn't such a bacon addict.
I want to assure people that no geese were harmed during the celebrations of our Nowell this year...we did actually witness two (aptly named nana and pa) waddling across the road whilst having our St John's Day dinner on the balcony.
A couple of wassails were sacrificed, and we minced a few pies. Unfortunately two turkeys did bite the dust, and some prawns, a dozen oysters (all by me), and some smoked salmon. Many millions of maltesers were crushed to make our particular version of Christmas pudding, along with flakes, mars bars etc.
But no geese were harmed!
(When I typed turkey into the tags below why did Martin Hamilton-Smith come up?)

Not Wholly Innocent

It's not entirely possible to believe that David Hicks is in any way innocent of those crimes for which he has been imprisoned for the last six years. What it is also not possible to believe is that he is other than a foolish young man who got caught up in fanciful romp, which had quite serious consequences.
The young often do that. The idealising of Osama Bin Laden, which he was obviously given to who to him was 'lovely', was obvously misguided. Though I for one acknowledge that I know nothing about bin Laden other than what the press, intent on demonising him to the nth degree, have told me.
Hicks looks to me like many foolish young men I have known. Jaded by the world which (in his eyes) has betrayed the hopes of his childhood; he set off to throw in his lot with something that looked way out, that outlandishness being sufficient attraction to give his life some sense of purpose. Then he found that he was running with the big boys where perhaps he was ill-equipped to go, but being young and a man he no doubt had difficulty admitting any sense of poor judgement!!
And so, the whole sorry saga. It is difficult to believe that he is other than just a foolish man.
He has been the pawn of political players who have cared little for his welfare, and much for the political advantage that could be got out of him.

So when he is released from gaol tomorrow, there will be fluttering and posturing. He will, one hopes, sink into anonymity and get on with trying to be a bit more sensible. All of us who have been foolish young men, must recognise that we are not wholly innocent (pun of the day) either. Nor must we be naive about Hicks, but strewth (as we say in Oz) let's forget about him now!

Bizarre thoughts of Christmas

The great German Christmas carol which we used to sing as children

O du frohliche!

O du selige!

gnadenbringende Weihnachtszeit

.Weltging verloren,

Christ war geboren:

Freue, freue dich, o Christenheit!

was causing me to muse during the early hours of this sleep starved morn.

Do you think the British got it wrong...it would perhaps be translated

O you joyful

O you blessed

grace bringing (gnadebringende) Christmas

(into) A going lost woprld

Christ was born.

Rejoice, rejoice O Christendom

Do you think that they mistranslated "Gnadenbringende" mistaking it for 'gingerbread'.....thus explaining all these curious (yet delightfully tasty) Christmas treats which don't seem to have much to do with Christmas?

Any ways it just shows you how delirious I was by 4 a.m. (ity's now 8.15)...three hours sleep, thumping head and off to say the Holy Mystery...again (6th time in 48 hours)

O Emmanuel

This last of the great antiphons reminds us that God is with us, Emmanuel
It is not rocket science, it is as obvious and like the hope and expectation found in the life of an infant child. We have the right to create and expect a world in which the hope and desires of children can be honoured, respected and fulfilled.
God help us if we ignore or forget this.

aEmmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations, and their Salvation: Come and save us, O Lord our God.

O King of the nations- Rex Gentium

O King of the Nations,

and the one they desired,
keystone,
who makes both peoples one,
come and save mankind,
whom you shaped from the mud.

I think this speaks to us of the longing in the heart of God for all people to be united. To come and save us from what seems our bizarre tendency to fracture rather than to be unified.
It always puzzles me why some groups (usually the strong) want to assert their superiority rather than their shared humanity and dignity. Our ways, are not God's ways!

O Rex Gentium,
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.

A life in the day...and a day in the life

Well it all hots up! People often say to me .."I suppose this is your busy time!" (when is it not?). And my customary response (once everything is done...and we are not quite there yet, still a Church Christmas Tree to put in place) is "Ah well it's all downhill from here!" And there is a sense in which things just roll on down and gather momentum, and then Whoops! It's Christmas Eve.
And it truly is all downhill from there.
So yesterday was really a roller coaster.I tried to have a day off and had one of those funny days when I didn't quite do anything completely, and ended up feeling I would have been better to have worked. But I was a bit too fed up with it all.
Then the roller coaster started.
My brother in law is inconsiderate enough to have been born on that day 44 years ago, and so we duly have a birthday party. I always think it is a most ridiculous thing to do so close to Christmas, but it usually turns out to be good to have had an enforced break. And it was so.
So I was to pick my good lady wife up at 6.45. And I duly started to organise the youngest S Clark (who had been at a "sleep" over the night before...so little sleep was had that in the warmth of the night they were swimming at 2 a.m. in the pool.) She was pretty tired and I offered to let her stay at home, but no she wanted to come. So we set off 30 mins late and didn't pick up Mrs S Clark until 7.10. Didn't matter, but there you go.
We had a nice relaxed dinner. Though it was obvious we weren't actually going to get home to make shortbread and clean up.
In rolls Dr Professor (another brother in law) who suggested he had been "winding up" all week at various functions. In a rather loud mouthed way (which is quite uncharacteristic as he is usually very controlled in family environments.... I on the other hand many years ago was once very rude to him at a family party when I had had too much to drink and he was spouting off his Thatcherite politics, suggesting the unemployed had only themselves to blame!!) Any way I think he had had enough, as I had had enough on that previous occasion, and guards were dropped.
He promptly, loudly and persistently began to mock the arrangements for Christmas feasting saying "They will never work.!" As his good lady was the principal coordinatrix, I thought it was pretty uncalled for. And he went on and on.
Finally Mrs S C reeled him in and bet him a dinner for the whole family at the Port Eliott pub, a contract was duly signed!! (Lest in our sober state we duly forget!) And thus everyone was galvanised. I think he will lose his bet and dinner will be served on time!
My question? Was this a ploy? I don't think so, but it was clever if it was.
My wife turned over in bed as dawn broke and reflecting on the unpleasantness and bizarritude....Thank goodness you are not an ********! At last I am appreciated.

-o00o-

In the predawn light K crept in after late night dancing. Middle S snuck off to work, (and D too I think!). Young S...still asleep...had a great night with the cousins, tired though she was. Mrs S...still asleep...has shortbread to make and stuff to do.
And I am blogging, I suspect procrastinating erecting the stupid Tannenbaum!

O Oriens!

The poetic idea of today is that Christ is bringing a new dawn

O dawn! splendour of eternal light,
and sun of justice,
come, and shine on those ,
seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death

I have realised that many of these metaphors that we use ...like dawn and light in darkness
do have a direct application to our inner life
which can be lived in darkness
unless we open a few windows
and allow the Sun to shine in.
Advent offers us Jesus to be that Sun

the Latin words are particularly good!

O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae,
et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.

O Carol!

I don't look forward, by and large,to sitting through carol concerts. One of the hazards of the job I suppose.
So I was pleasantly surprised by our local offering tonight. We had opted for low key carols with our resident choir who have struggled over a number of years to 'get their act together'.
At times in the past I have thought it was OK (I used to be a tenor member),but we had a long way to go.
Tonight there was a sense of together!!
I have witnessed this with music groups before, after a while they actually begin to hear each other and start to sing together. This choir hast started to do that. Particularly pleasing is the way the men have come together, with one new addition to their number ...a younger male, T, who has had some rigorous choir training, now he has become a baritone he has provided (I think) a focal point for the wavering group of fellahs.
I was sharing this with J the director and she was saying the same thing at the same time that I was saying, and then again with B (one of the disparate basses) who was attesting that T had really brought them together . Any way it is true. T has unknowingly united his fellow male singers.
Great stuff and the Berlioz Christmas Carol was something special!!
Oh! and one reader reminds me that a very good thing was the way in which the Sops stood up to own the singing of the descants. They used to be too frightened to do that!!
What a good night!

O key of David

Now this is real DaVinci Code don't you think



O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;
qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel,
that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth,
come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

If you can get over the cryptic stuff then it is about allowing the Key of David (Jesus) to open the very depth of your life. And to free yourself from the prisons of your own making.
Sounds good to me!

O Radix Jesse!

O Root of Jesse, you stand as a signal for the nations; kings fall silent before you whom the people's acclaim. O come to deliver us and do not delay

I always feel deeply about the terror that is Bethlehem at Christmas time.
Today reminds us that Christmas is as much about ancient politics as anything else. Jesse (the father of David) was a man of a clan of Bethlehem.
What ever God is doing in Christ goes not only to the heart of personal struggle, but also to political reconciliation. He is a victim and creature of politics, like all humanity. Today's prayer is thus that we may all address the root (radix) of the woes that beset us. It is the desire to be radical, to go to the root. To make a difference.

An affair of the heart

The occasional speaker at one of the two graduations (here and here), said a useful thing (I thought) about leadership.

Leadership is not so much about technique and methods

as it is about opening the heart.

Leadership is about inspiration – of oneself and of others.

Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes.

Leadership is not a formula or a program,

it is a human activity that comes from the heart

and considers the hearts of others.

It is an attitude, not a routine.

More than anything else today,

followers believe that they are part of a system,

a process that lacks heart.

If there is one thing a leader can do

to connect with followers at a human,

or better still a spiritual level,

it is to become engaged with them fully,

to share experiences and emotions,

and to set aside the processes of leadership

we have learned by rote

He was quoting latest leadership guru Lance Secretan, but that is by the by and just because someone charges you $1900 for their homespun wisdom doesn't mean that everything they say is suspect. It does seem to me to be worth saying!

O Adonai!

I guess some are dying to discover that today's O! name (here) is O Adonai!
Adonai is a sort of polyglot (mixed up!) Word meaning Lord as in LORD God.
It has linguistic roots in hebrew-Aramaic and also in Greek.
Those of you who know such things will know that orthodox Jews do not pronounce the sacred name. That which is rendered in the Hebrew by the consonants YHWH. (Pictured Hebraically from Right to Left above)
We have called God Jehovah, but this is incorrect for a whole variety of reasons.
However, liturgically Jews would say ADONAI instead of YHWH.

So the opening words of the prayer Shema are
Shema Israel (Hear Israel) Adonai (The Lord) Elohenu (Our God), Adonai (The Lord) ehud (is one)
Our old Boss used to tell us that he was once sitting next to a rabbi at a function and making conversation he asked "Do you still use Adonai as the name for God in common parlance?"
The rabbi nearly jumped through the roof as Adonai even though it is a replacement has also been restricted to only liturgical use.
When referring to the LORD (YHWH) it is common custom to say Ha Shem...meaning the name.
Oh the things those Jews get up to!
Christians believe that God is close and inclusive, rather than exclusive and far, as this sort of ritualism promotes.

Latin:

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,

qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,

et ei in Sina legem dedisti:

veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

English:

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,

who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush

and gave him the law on Sinai:

Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

Arty farty

Today, another graduation. In the way that it never rains, but it pours (would that were so) Kate will graduate today. This time with a politics degree from Flinders.
Well done Kate, and hopefully more photos later in the day.

Kate Clark B. A.

There is a sense of completion (yes still one more to go but some years away). This seesm to be one of the points where parents should get their children educationally. They could reasonably be expected to work the rest of it out for themselves!

Facebook link here

O Sapientia!---O Wisdom!

As I often say to my girls, "Sing it if you know it!". Today is the beginning of the ultimate run-down to Christmas. It is marked by special singing. Each day at Evening Prayers before and after the singing of Mary's song, Magnificat, a verse is song called the antiphon. And beginning today 17 December special "O" antiphons are sung lauding the attributes of the Word of God.
The first (today's) is O Wisdom of the Most High...or O Sapientia.
I have thought a bit about wisdom in the last few years, some of my thoughts sad and light are:

• It has been a cause of some sadness to realise that age does not necessarily bring wisdom. A number of older people I have observed (particularly men rather than women) far from becoming wiser, seem to grow more truculent, resistent to change, fail to capitalise on experience and decidedly lack insight. My prayer? That I may not do this as I grow older. I requires in particular a capacity to not confuse wisdom with a sense of infallibility, which many old men seem to think they possess.

• And it is just really sad to look at someone as they die and realise that they have resisted even common sense, let alone wisdom, and become more intransigent, difficult and just plain nasty to know.

• The wisdom I want to pass on to my kids? Be very selective who you are rude to because you will invariably find yourself sitting next to them at a wedding.

• My contribution to the wit and wisdom and of the 20th Century. Anglicans like to be told what to do so they can go ahead and not do it!

Media Blackout

A recent email sent to me (no reason to disbelieve it) told of an event in Adelaide on Sunday 25th November, the day after the Federal election.

Approximately 75 people attended an Aboriginal smoking ceremony in Hindmarsh Square to observe John Howard’s “political funeral”.

John Howard’s coffin was bathed in smoke as Aboriginal Kaurna elder Uncle Lewis O’Brien performed a funeral rite in the Kaurna language.
Niwili White Forrest held the bowl of smoking leaves as they circled the coffin together.

Members of the audience placed “detention centre” barbed wire wreaths, WMDs, and flowers for those who have suffered under his regime, on the coffin.
MC Tauto Sansbury addressed the crowd, explaining how John Howard’s evil spirit was being cleansed from the country after 11 bad years.

BUT NOTE THIS
Channel 7, 9, and 10 cameras filmed the ceremony, but did not carry it in their TV news that night – Costello’s “resignation” took pride of place…

Klynton Wanganeen from the local community addressed the crowd.

Professor Peter Buckskin gave a powerful speech that outlined Howard’s impact on Aboriginal communities.

Pilawuk White, from the Ngangiwumerri people of the NT, said, “We now consider the country to be finally rid of John Howard’s evil spirit, and are celebrating the birth of a new era.”


She took the audience through a water cleansing ceremony from her country in which water is placed on the forehead and then on the navel

The mainstream media ignored this important event that symbolises the burying of the Howard era and the subsequent moving on.

No one belonging to a sectional group like a church or minor political interest group will be surprised about the neglect of the media. We can all lament that such a symbolic event was not given the media exposure it should have been. Hopefully, though, we can move on.
Surely the much awaited apology must not be far off.

Be Musing, Be Very Amusing

Sarah's graduation today as a Bachelor of Music. One down!
Another one next week! It never rains...but looks overcast this morning!

SARAH CLARK. B. Mus.

Gestures of Power

I well remember as a callow youth our Bible Class teacher, (and saint) Laurie Crosby, agonising with us about Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence. It is now a long time ago (1965).
Laurie was wanting us 12 and 13 year olds to think about whether it was better to have seriously stable but white government with associated white privilege, or to have genuine democratic government which at that time the Commonwealth was trying to foist on its former colonies, often with disastrous economic and violent consequence.
Ian Smith and his government resented what was being foisted upon them and declared themselves Independent.
This dilemma continues today, with the inheritance of Robert Mugabe being a current world focus. His leftist government in Zimbabwe ( formerly Southern Rhodesia of course) has wreaked havoc in trying to bring about "democracy".
One person's democracy is another person's tyranny! And Mugabe's particular version doesn't need me to outline it here.
This week Archbishop John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, himself a native Ugandan but now England's second senior Church leader...cut up his clerical (not dog...pleaaasse!) collar on BBC Television saying he would never wear it again until Mugabe had been dealt with.
His major thrust that the world is tentative about critiquing black African leaders is worth noting, and Sentamu as a black man is uniquely placed to make that comment.
Will it be a meaningless gesture? Certainly he has got lots of air play out of it, and that is part of the purpose...to bring it to the front of consciousness.
Hopefully the world will listen.

Sentamu on You tube here

Coming into their own

What ever you may think about the Acting Prime Minister (yes that's right, for 60 hours until Kev gets back from Bali .....half his luck) isn't it good when you see people coming into their own?
Despite her and my good fortune of having red hair (you brownies, blondies and blackies just don't get it!), and her nasal voice. Don't you like the way she just ploughs on?
In yesterday's paper the Vox Pops asked the question of whether a woman would be a good PM...the resounding response was yes. And the reason? Because they see things differently.
This is (for those who could care less) one of the reasons why we need women bishop's too. Most bishops I have known (all men) have a side of them which is blinded by their own glory; some cope with this better than others. For the rest it can be disastrous.
Women don't seem to be so easily deceived. (I don't imagine a woman Pope would have dreamt up the doctrine of papal infallibility). So often women are some what more confident of themselves and don't need to be constantly worshipped and adored, like we frail creatures who need our Mummy!
So I am finding Ms Gillard's growth in stature, character and stateswomanly behaviour wonderful to observe.

Bizarro

In the way of those things I had a phone call this afternoon from the ABC in Broken Hill wanting to contact Sandra (here). She wasn't in! So they rang me here in Adelaide 400 kms away to try and get her mobile.. even though their studio was just over the road from her house. I was able to tell them that she also worked for the Flying Doctor so hopefully they caught up with her!

Up the Hill

Very good to see our friend Sandra ordained as a deacon in Broken Hill on Sunday last. Looking forward to her ordination to the priesthood in June

Very

Political Legacy

I suppose that one of the mercies of politics is that history tends to remember people for what they have done and not for what they have NOT DONE.
This is no doubt a huge relief to Mr Howard, though no doubt it will take him a wee while to note it.
What exactly did he do?
We know what he did not do. He did not say sorry! He did not capitalise on the opportunity the Keating Government left him to advance the cause of aboriginal people through Mabo and Wik, it was only in the death throes that he discovered aboriginal issues and 'invaded' the Northern Territory. God save us all from paternalistic politics. Very interesting analysis on ABC today (here) of the significance of Keating's Redfern speech the 10th anniversary of which falls on Monday. It reminds us that it heralded a change. No longer could aboriginal people just be ignored, but rather when they were engaged with it was discovered they were mighty powerful folk.
Don Watson, amongst others, argues that this empowering deeply threatened Tory politics. Chief amongst these was the former PM.
The very fact that aboriginal people could and should be heeded was deeply threatening to those whose view of "history" was that European settlement brought nothing to apologise for. It was as recalled by various noteworthies in the broadcast a mythical view of history not based on the facts.
Key amongst these proponents was one JW Howard, whose constant declamation of "black arm band history" was roundly dealt with as being an unsophisticated approach which fails to allow the real facts to be dealt with.
This is logical if you think about it, if all you can do is say that any criticism is "black arm band" then it sets up a scenario in which no genuine critique can be offered. Watson and others note that this is exactly what JWH and others wanted; any suggestion of anything else threatened their (mythical) view of themselves. Only the passage of the years will, I suggest, properly expose how fully pathetic little politicians were.
So what did he do...well I suppose he introduced the GST, probably good.
He tagged along behind Dubbya into Iraq. No doubt catastrophic.
He failed to sign Kyoto...well Kev will be remembered for the ratification being first thing he did.
Can't remember much else he did....ohh yes there was Workchoices...and that cost him the election.
Ohh and he wouldn't resign because people would think he was a coward...and that also cost him the election.
It's a pity I suppose....but what was his name again?

Teddy comes home

I guess most of us are relieved that a naive schoolteacher has not been executed for allowing a Teddy Bear to be called Mohammed in a Sudan classroom.
As I understand it she didn't actually do it. The kids suggested names and then they voted on it. And they chose.
Now if she had been smart she wouldn't have allowed that name to go forward...but she did and the rest is history.
What is silly about her is that teaching in such a culturally sensitive environment you would have hoped she would have thought a little more carefully. I was very conscious of how two SA locals Barry and Ann Lock , CMS missionaries in Pakistan, were always deeply respectful of Islam. And were always careful to promote cultural respect and to err on the side of caution when it came to possibly affecting other people's sensibilities.
WE may think from an Australian or British point of view that this is hysterical behaviour, and maybe it is. But other people's houses are always funny places to be...and we should be respectful.
It's interesting that York Minster has sold out of one item of its special Christmas gifts. A teddy bear dressed up like Archbishop Sentamu!
We live in a very mixed worl

Christmas Crap

Amidst everything else that goes on at this time of year today December 6th is Saint Nicholas Day, known to us of more Germanic Origin as Santa Claus...I looked around our house the other day and saw that there were more statues of him than of the stable at Bethlehem!
None of them looked like the venerable icon pictured here most like the joke at the foot of the page.
What we miss of course is that Saint Nicholas is quite a good sort of role model. A Bishop known for secret charity...dropping gold coins down the chimney of a house so that the three daughters would not be sold into slavery...yes that's what those chocolate coins are all about.
Most of the "crap" (and I use this term advisedly!) of Christmas is like this, there is good and challenging insight in what is being proposed. Like isn't it good that we live in a world where children are not sold into slavery..or do we? (here if you can bear to put down your mince pie)
And maybe we should be trying to think of just one thing we can do this Christmas that might not be me-focussed!
Otherwise it is just a whole lot of crap isn't it?

Reading the signs

from one of those curious spams offering to give you $50,000,000

before I will be given access to the money, I will either
have to be 30 years old or I will be given access to the money, if I
get married before the age of 30 , in which case, my husband will be
legible to collect the money on my behalf by standing in as my late
fathers next of kin to claim the deposited funds on my behalf

Sadly anyone who has ever seen my handwriting will know I am not legible!

Strange idea

A well meaning man rang yesterday to tell me about someone who was sick, but that was not really why he rang (so he said)...he was inviting me to go and pray silently on the steps of the SA Parliament this evening.
As he painstakingly explained the rationale he told me this was about praying for rain. This is not an easy idea at the best of times, but his rationale was that today was the 38th anniversary of liberalising abortion laws in South Australia, and such and such a person had developed a belief that the current drought might be connected with that.
This is a difficult view of God, don't you think? A God who visits drought upon a nation because of political policy...to be sure it has a certain Old Testament quality but it seems difficult to sustain.
I think the real problem with this sort of thing is not that God is not capable of this or that, but that we want extraordinarily simple solutions to what are obviously complex situations.
Drought is much more complex (it seems to me) than God just being a bit ticked off at how wayward this or that government is, and we are being invited to much more profound repentance than just turning round the abortion laws...as unsatisfactory as they might be.
To be fair to this humble sort of chap he was struggling about how to give this some sort of rationale, and he did touch me when he said that the problem with abortion was that "This was all we had to offer people in deep distress." which seems to me a fairly important reflection on a lot of social policy....."This was all we had to offer...."

Well done

Previous post (here) about Sarah's final recital gave one cause to rejoice. The results came in and she appears to have finished top of that group! She with (formerly 'un' but increasingly now) characteristic modesty, naturally felt her friend Liana did as well if not better. The singers of course are all over the place and can't essentially be compared with each other, they are competing (if that is the right word) with themselves. So she has done well.
It was (to my doting mind) the Schumann that did it. I look forward to when she really has the emotional capacity to destroy people with the emotion of the Frauenliebe cycle...I will be the first to topple. But I am an easy target for my children!!

Politcs and religion

On another blog ( here & here) a commentator writes:

I'm rather uncomfortable with the idea that religion influences politics full stop. From my point of view when the RU486 debate was on it seemed that Tony Abbott was not able to see any reasonable argument but his own.

So I replied:
Isn't it a bit naive to think that religion might not 'influence' politics?
As though politics exists in some sort of vacuum. By definition (I would have thought) that those things which engage the populace at large are going to influence politics...clearly religion does engage a large sector of the population.
I am not suggesting that the religious viewpoint should be given any more of a standing than any other viewpoint, and should be open to the usual democratic scrutinies but its nonsense to say that any legitimate group in our society should be barred from exercising its democratic rights!
Quite frankly if the gun lobby can be allowed to speak its mind, I don't see why organisations that have decidedly more benevolent goals shouldn't. If BHP or Santos or Gunn's can be allowed to have their say then why shouldn't a church, or a temple or a synagogue.
They don't have to prevail, but they do have the right

More to bear

This morning's local paper carries a story about a local Roman Catholic priest..he is in Afghanistan, carrying an AK47 (or the like...what would I know) and it's also revealed that he is under investigation for child sexual abuse.
I don't really know the priest. He was in their system a decade or so before I was trained. I don't begin to make head nor tail of this story. That he is 'highly regarded' as one who has cared for aboriginal people and worked with Afghan refugees is without doubt.
But what the chaos of this story represents I don't begin to comprehend...for victims and for the accused!

Ordination

Well, things are going relatively well, and I have just received a phone call from a colleague who wants to drive with me so I am going to the ordination! Hopefully some photos later in the day!