Descendant Of An Asylum Seeker

For anybody who observes my ministry, follows me on social media or engages with my blog, you would know how passionate I am about asylum seekers and refugees.  There is something that stirs deep within me when I see vulnerable people being treated unjustly regardless of their culture or circumstances.  I resonate strongly with Jesus' prophetic declaration recorded in Luke 4:18-19:  "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."  This is not surprising given that God has called me to be a part of The Salvation Army whose primary mission is to the poor and marginalised.

In my current ministry appointment I have been given the privilege of connecting with a number of asylum seeker families for whom we continue to provide practical and spiritual support.  Through this personal interaction I have been deeply impacted by stories of unimaginable desperation that has driven families to seek no more than what I want for my family.

However, through a recent discovery in my own family history, this has become way more personal and real for me!  It turns out that I am the great-grandson of an asylum seeker who jumped ship and entered Australia "illegally" during the 1920's.  My great-grandfather was a German who fled his homeland between two world wars and whose siblings were a part of the Nazi resistance, resulting in their imprisonment and the gassing of one brother at a notorious concentration camp in Germany during WW2.  His daughter, my grandmother, suffered cruel taunts when she was a young girl growing up in Australia during wartime from kids in her neighbourhood who would raise their hand and shout "Heil Hitler" every time she walked down the street, because of her nationality.  After the war my grandmother married an Italian man when she was only sixteen years old, so you can just imagine the cultural and social challenges my grandparents faced in post-war Australia.

My national identity is owed to my great-grandfather who risked everything to escape a life of persecution and pursue a life of freedom in this country!  

My diverse cultural heritage emerged out of the struggle and perseverance of my grandparents who overcame racial prejudice and social stigma.

My values and passion were instilled by my parents who taught me to seek after the God of justice and mercy and live according to His Word.

Everything I am is a sum of my family's culture, circumstances and choices that laid a foundation for me choose the sort of life I will live and legacy I will leave for my children and future generations.  I choose to fight for the same privilege for asylum seekers and refugees today!  I choose to honour my great-grandfather's courage by emulating God's character.  I choose "to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God" (Micah 6:8).  

Therefore, I fully embrace my cultural heritage and will continue to passionately engage with the cultural diversity of our nation in a way that advocates the same opportunities for others that were afforded to my family.

The Paradox Of Care

Over the past five days I have found myself dealing with an unexpected time of incapacitation caused by a random medical situation.  While dining out with a group of people from our church, a piece of steak got lodged in my oesophagus, resulting in extreme pain and vomiting a lot of blood.  After a number of non intrusive attempts to dislodge the steak in the Emergency Department at Berwick Hospital, I was transferred to Dandenong Hospital where I required a gastroscopy to remove the blockage, which also revealed a couple of significant tears along my oesophagus.  Four days in hospital, excellent care from medical staff, the love and support of family and friends, and faith fueled prayers for healing have led to a full recovery.  Praise the Lord!!

During my stay at the Dandenong Hospital it was interesting to observe the ethnic mix of medical staff, reflecting the cultural diversity of the greater city of Dandenong.  I was cared for by doctors, nurses and orderlies from a variety of Asian, Middle Eastern, Islander and African nations.  Beyond the obvious differences in appearances and accents was a universal professionalism and level of care that transcended these cultural differences.

As a sick and vulnerable white Australian laying in a hospital bed in an Australian public hospital, I couldn't avoid noticing the paradox between the care I received from culturally diverse health professionals and the care that is given by Australian political leaders to vulnerable people seeking asylum in Australia.

While our circumstances are very different the contrast in care cannot and should not go unnoticed.  Vulnerable and desperate human beings who cannot help themselves should be treated with dignity and compassion by those who can, regardless of their nationality and circumstances.  It was humbling to be cared for in my time of vulnerability by people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who experience racial discrimination and may well have family or friends being rejected by a government they are serving through their medical expertise.

In transit between Casey Hospital in Berwick and Dandenong Hospital I met an Indian taxi driver who is studying a Degree in Commerce and drives taxis part time because he is not entitled to the same study concessions as other Australians.  In the ward at Dandenong Hospital I met an Islander male nurse who showed a particular interest in my case because of his training as a doctor back home but who is not qualified to practice medicine in Australia.  Yet, in the bed next to me in the Day Treatment Centre at Dandenong I overheard the phone conversation of a young drug affected Australian making racially critical comments about the staff and service of the hospital.

The experience of being hospitalized this week, while unwelcomed on many levels, gave me a deeper respect for people from culturally diverse backgrounds and a stronger resolve to bridge the growing gap of misunderstanding between Australians and those who seek to call Australia home!