I'm Offended!!

I'm offended that as a new father I was unable to use a public 'parents room' to change my babies nappies without feeling I was intruding on a mother's only space.

I'm offended that when I was a father of five year old twins I couldn't take either of them into a change room at Kmart without being looked upon as a deviate.

I'm offended that today as a father of a sixteen year old daughter I am subjected to suspicious glances when I take her out to a cafe on a daddy/daughter date.

I'm offended that the designation of leadership roles in our home and ministry between my wife and I, based on our shared values and individual gifts and abilities, are judged by some as chauvinistic.

I'm also offended that men in general are singled out in social and political commentary as child abusers, perpetrators of domestic violence and instigators of sexist behaviour.

BUT...

I am more OFFENDED by the men in our society who do abuse their position of trust and violate the innocence of children.

I am more OFFENDED by the men in our society who do use their physical strength to inflict unthinkable violence against women as a means of exerting control.

I am more OFFENDED by the men in our society who still think that unwanted sexual advances, sexist jokes and sexualisation of women is just 'boys being boys'.

I am more OFFENDED that the inappropriate behaviour of a few men in our society can leave lasting physical, emotional and mental scars for a disproportionate number of women and children whose only vulnerability is that which is imposed upon them by the distorted use of power.

If singling out the role of men in the abuse of power is what it takes to restore a right image of self in the lives of women and children, then I can live with being offended.  My offence pales into insignificance compared to the greater OFFENCES being perpetrated by men who need real manhood role modelled to them by the men in our society who treat their mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and female friends with dignity and respect.

History has proven that the pendulum needs to swing in the opposite direction for a season to correct the imbalance of power in society.  So guys, if you feel offended like I do, don't allow your offence to become self pity but turn your offence into influence so that we can change the attitudes and behaviours of those men who cause the real OFFENCE, which is what really makes us feel OFFENDED in the first place!

Dear Prime Minister...

Dear Prime Minister Tony Abbott, 

I take serious issue with what you presume on my behalf.  You may "think Australians are pretty sick of being lectured to by the United Nations."  However...

As an Australian, I am sick of political manipulation and abuse of vulnerable people!

As an Australian, I am sick of the lack of accountability by your government!

As an Australian, I am sick of your arrogance that dismisses any credible report or review that exposes your blatant disregard of human rights!

As an Australian, I am sick of our national values being violated in the name of national security!

As an Australian, I am sick of hearing about how you have 'stopped the boats' when we continue to perpetuate the conditions that drive people onto them in the first place!

As an Australian, I am sick of our country being misrepresented to the rest of the world!

As an Australian, I am sick of misinformation and missing information dividing our nation about our common humanity!

As an Australian, I uphold the value of a "fair go" and as a Christian I uphold the biblical principles of "justice and mercy."  Neither of which are dependent upon where people come from, how they got here, or your government's political agenda!   

Signed, a very unhappy Australian.

Conflicting Values

There is a deep tension brewing within my spirit over the conflicting values that are evident in Australian politics and an even deeper tension in how I feel and what I think about it!  You may be wondering, "which particular conflicting values are you referring to?"  A question that exposes a whole other level of tension!!

For the sake of this post I'll narrow it down to two current issues:  The execution of two convicted Australian drug dealers in Indonesia and the detention of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Islands.  While these two issues are unrelated, the juxtaposition of our government's response is the source of my tension.

Before I explain my tension, let me be clear what this post is NOT about.  This is not a debate about capital punishment, nor is it a discussion about Indonesian law.  It is not a judgement of two convicted criminals, nor intended to disregard the impact upon their family and friends.  It is not even an expression of my disgust about the government sanctioned abuse of human beings who are exercising their internationally protected right to seek asylum!

The conflicting values that is creating so much tension for me is the politically distorted view of justice and politically motivated expression of mercy by our government!

I am struggling to reconcile the public expression of emotion over the fate of two people who broke the law with the public disregard of human rights of vulnerable people who are legally seeking asylum by our politicians.

I am struggling to reconcile the political pressure being placed on a sovereign nation to show clemency towards two Australian citizens on death row with the political propaganda that is justifying inhumane treatment of hundreds of foreign refugees held in detention by Australia.

I am struggling to reconcile the use of tax funded resources to advocate for drug dealers with the same source of funding being used to abuse asylum seekers.

I am struggling to reconcile the Prime Minister's threat of consequences towards Indonesia if the executions proceed with the Prime Minister's disregard for the consequences of a damning Human Rights Commission report on Australia.

I am struggling to reconcile the media attention surrounding Chan and Sukumaran who, according to Indonesian law deserve to die, with the forgotten name of Reza Barati who, according to International law did not deserve to die.

I am struggling to reconcile our government's defence of the indefencible in both cases.

I am stuggling to reconcile our government's contradictory application of justice and mercy.

While I am unable to reconcile these conflicting values, I do know that I need to guard against allowing my inner tension to perpetuate the same conflict of values in my own attitude towards justice and mercy in these challenging times!  

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly 

with your God." (Micah 6:8)

Postscript:  At the beginning of this post I clearly stated what it was NOT about.  However, at the conclusion of this post I want to make it clear what I'm about by declaring that I do NOT support capital punishment.

Charter Of Justice

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." - Psalm 82:3

Defending the weak does not exploit a position of power but journeys alongside in a spirit of humility.
Defending the fatherless does not patronise but displays empathy.
Upholding the cause of the poor not only provides welfare but addresses the issues behind poverty.
Upholding the cause of the oppressed not only alleviates distress but addresses the issues of injustice.


"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

Doing right is not conditional upon popular opinion or political advantage but a moral alignment with a holy God.
Seeking justice is not determined by social, ethnic or religious status but a shared humanity with a just God.


"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk Humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8

To Act Justly...

Lord God, stir in our hearts a holy indignation for injustice. May your righteousness so burn within our spirits that we are compelled to stand up for the vulnerable, defenceless and voiceless of our society. Open our eyes and hearts to the injustices of our world. Challenge our own attitudes and actions that may inadvertently contribute to injustice.*

To Love Mercy...

Lord God, may we not only be a people who speak up for truth, but be a people of grace that displays your mercy and kindness to a lost and hurting world. Give us a deep compassion that sees people the way you see them, so that we may serve them as you would. Soften our hearts and quicken our hands so that we may “do for the least of these” as though they were Christ.*

To Walk Humbly with your God...

Lord God, give us “the same attitude as that of Jesus Christ” who humbled himself “taking the very nature of a servant”. Remove any pride that would cause us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Restore within us a right image of ourselves so that we may see what our Creator sees. May everything we think, say or do bring glory and honour to you, O Lord!*

* Prayers taken from my book 'Divine Conversations - A Journal of Prayer" - https://divineconversationsbook.blogspot.com.au

- See more at: http://ephesiansfour12.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/divine-conversations-1.html#sthash.qdpiGMMq.dpuf

Liberating The Oppressed

Over the past fortnight I watched two very powerful movies depicting unthinkable violence and oppression from opposite sides of the globe, evoking two opposing responses from leaders in the church to end the conflict.

The first film, Machine Gun Preacher (2011), tells the story of Sam Childers, a transformed ex-biker gang member and former drug dealer who responded to a calling to rescue kidnapped and orphaned children in war-torn Sudan.  Outraged by the horrors of Sudan where children are forced to become child soldiers, Sam Childers took up arms to join the fight against the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) militia group and opened an orphanage to care for the children he helped to liberate.

The second film, Romero (1989), tells the story of Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador who could no longer look upon the suffering of the Salvadoran people who were being oppressed by the aristocracy and murdered by the government.  He spoke out against the violence and started a revolution without guns to fight for peace and justice in his country.  He called for love not violence, freedom not repression, pleading with both church and state to end the blood shed and free his people.

Two confronting stories about two men who fought in the name of Jesus Christ to liberate vulnerable people from tyranny.  One man resorting to violence, the other raising his voice.  Both refusing to turn their backs on people who could not defend themselves.

These films, based on true stories, raise challenging questions about the ethics and application of liberation theology which has been described as "an interpretation of Christian faith through the poor's suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society...and Christianity through the eyes of the poor."  Is it right to fight for justice through any means?  Does the ends justify the means?

While these questions are complex and challenging, I default to the example set by the One whose name is often used to justify the struggle - Jesus Christ!

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Jesus mission was clear, but His methods defied the expectations of those wanting to overthrow an oppressive government.  He preached to the crowd, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44); He taught the religious, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17); He rebuked His followers and accusers, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?" (Mark 14:48); He referred to a higher authority when questioned by the officials, "But I say to all of you:  In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:64); He sought forgiveness for those who executed Him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34).

Jesus chose to serve not to be served - "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

Jesus did not find power in position - "...Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus brought salvation through sacrifice - "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." (Galatians 1:3-4)

In a world where the struggle for justice and liberation continues, only by submitting to the message, mission and methods of Jesus Christ can real salvation be found from and for those who would oppress God's children. 


Published in June/July 2014 edition of JAC:  Journal of Aggressive Christianity

- See more at: http://ephesiansfour12.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/an-untameable-god.html#sthash.3IUEpsgs.dpuf

Advance Australia Where?

While singing our national anthem at a recent commemorative event, I was deeply grieved by another reminder of the incongruence between the words we sing and the behaviour we display as a nation towards asylum seekers and refugees:

Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free;

It is ironic that a country settled on the backs of convict labour by people transported to this land on boats can be so judgmental of people who seek the same freedom that we rejoice.  It is hypocritical for us to label new boat arrivals exercising their rights as global citizens as illegal when the first boat arrivals who were granted citizenship in this country were convicted criminals.  And there is a disturbing consistency in how we as a nation treated the aborigines when we forced our way in, robbing them of their freedom, compared to how we now treat the asylum seekers whom we are forcing out, denying them of their freedom!

We've golden soil and wealth for toil; our home is girt by sea; our land abounds in nature's gifts; of beauty rich and rare;

The richness and beauty of this land is a gift that comes from the Creator God to be enjoyed by all His creation.  Our abundance is not a blessing to be selfishly hoarded when many in the two thirds world are subjected to extreme poverty and injustice.  Whose land is it?  It is God's land!  The waters surrounding His land do not absolve us from our humanitarian responsibility to be generous stewards of what has been entrusted to us.

In history's page, let every stage Advance Australia Fair.

History will judge this nation by the values we advance to the most vulnerable people in our world!  Our perception of what is fair and just in our society ought to be proportional to the prosperity and peace we experience as the 7th most prosperous country in the world.  This would certainly change the conversation about fair treatment of asylum seekers.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross we'll toil with hearts and hands; to make this Commonwealth of ours renowned of all the lands;

The reputation of Australia is being seriously damaged by our current policies on asylum seekers which are denying basic human rights to some of the most vulnerable people on earth.  Denying people "the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution" despite their passage, "the right to work" and "the right to freedom of movement and residence" is a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Our Commonwealth is becoming renowned for all the wrong reasons.

For those who've come across the seas we've boundless plains to share;

One doesn't have to travel too far beyond our shores to right size the perception that we are being overrun by refugees.  The vastness of our country and our comparative population density to the rest of the world debunks this myth.  It is obscene that Australia is pursuing offshore processing of asylum seekers and resettlement of refugees in neighbouring countries that have way less to share than the boundless plains of Australia.

With courage let us all combine to Advance Australia Fair.

We need courageous leaders to put aside party politics and fight for a fair and just Australia.

We need courageous citizens to change the conversation to soften the hearts of Australians.

We need courageous churches to stand in the gap between the two and reestablish kingdom values to really Advance Australia Fair!

If we are not willing to change the conversation about asylum seekers in this country, maybe we need to change our national anthem, which confronts every Australian with a significant gap between our stated values and actual values.  Advance Australia where?  We have certainly wandered far from being "Fair"!

Divine Conversations #4

Lord God, may a “holy discontent” burn deep within the hearts of your children as we are confronted with poverty and injustice in this broken world.  Let us no longer look upon the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters with a passive indifference.  Let us no longer accept a future for your children that is less than your redemptive plan for all of humankind.  May this “holy discontent” lead to a call to action within the Body of Christ to incarnate your transforming power, as we “offer ourselves as living sacrifices”.  May the presence of your church be a living representation of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, shining light in the darkest places bringing…

“Good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour.”  (Luke 4:18-19)

To read more of Divine Conversations visit http://divineconversationsbook.blogspot.com.au/