It has been wonderful to see the outpouring of support for those whose lives have been turned upside down with loss of lives, homes and precious possessions. It demonstrates the Australian acceptance of the essential Christian heritage of loving ones neighbour as oneself. Mateship demonstrated no less.
There has always been a concern in my mind as to how the enormous sums that have been collected are to be distributed. It is reported that $50 million has been donated from the USA celebrities alone. It will be interesting to see if one home is built from this fund. It will be put into the hands of a manager and how is he /she to decide whose bank account to put it in? There were massive public funds raised after the terrible fires in Victoria some years ago, does anyone know how many new homes (if any) were built with that money?
Once upon a time the notion of Christendom was widely understood. The application of Christ's teachings to the day to day lives of people so committed. It has waxed and waned over the centuries but always with hard learned lessons along the way.
In his Christmas message which was part of my last post, Arnis Luks ended by stating "and this really is the policy of the League. (Australian League of Rights) TO TAKE CIVILIZATION FORWARD. Not as I referred to in the last post, wherein some actively seek to bring war and destruction on the earth purportedly to hasten Christ's return, but to actively be that light and salt in our communities that Christ taught. Today's post I hope, shows a practical application of that desire to take civilization forward.
In the epilogue to his bestselling book Small is Beautiful by E.F.Schumacher (a study of economics as if people mattered) he states: "There has never been a time, in any society in any part of the world, without its sages and teachers to challenge materialism and plead for a different order of priorities. The languages have differed, the symbols have varied, yet the message has always been the same: "seek ye first the Kingdom of God, (and His Righteousness (or rightness in all we do. DBS) and these things shall be added unto you". (Matt. 6:33) They shall be added we understand here on earth where we need them, not simply in an after-life beyond our imagination. Today, however this message reaches us not solely from the sages and saints but from the actual course of physical events.. It speaks to us in the language of terrorism, genocide, breakdown, pollution, exhaustion. We live, it seems, in a unique period of convergence. It is becoming apparent that there is not only a promise but also a threat in those astonishing words about the Kingdom of God - the threat that "unless you seek first the Kingdom, (and Rightness DBS) these other things, which you also need , will cease to be available to you". end Quote.
Add to this the statement That the Kingdom of God is within you, (Luke 17:21) (ie you and you and you DBS) and we see that the seed, the starting point, is always with ourselves opening the door, or the opportunity to that insight and seeking rightness in all we do.Trying to work with God's creation instead of trying to control it in our deluded vanity. T.S.Elliot as quoted in Dorothy Sayers, Creed Or Chaos, says "A wrong attitude towards nature implies somewhere, a wrong attitude towards God, and the consequence is inevitable doom." And from Dorothy Sayers, "Theologically, this country is at present in a state of utter chaos, established in the name of religious toleration, and rapidly degenerating into the flight from reason and the death of hope."
In adherence to the League policy the following attachment is written by a long term stalwart of the League, Mr Louis Cook. It demonstrates the essence of Christianity, Grace, or undeserved favour in the practical rebuilding of shattered lives. It is also a practical application of the statement, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath"
Regards and Best wishes for a happy new year. DBS.