My Political Passion Awakens

By the time most people reach the ripe old age of sixty, it would be fair to say that the way one sees the world would be pretty much set in concrete....especially when it comes to sex, religion and politics! Three topics that were rarely discussed in my family of origin.  It wasn't really until I had started my own family that my views and beliefs on sex and religion were challenged and changed....and they continue to be refined as I  experience life from an older and hopefully wiser perspective. However, politics has held little interest for me. Politically I am very much of the same persuasion as that of my parents. I was not raised to be overly concerned for the welfare of others. I am a product of the 50s.... secure job, secure family, secure home....these were seen as the hallmarks of a successful life!

Apart from a minor burst of questioning regarding the morality of the Vietnam War, there has been very little to ignite any political passion within. I have never been one to sign petitions or jump on the political bandwagon for any cause......until now!

I have been transformed.

The awakening of my political passion  began with the reading of a book and it is currently being fuelled by the heartless proposals being put forward by our 'new' Prime Minister.

The book, 'The People Smuggler' by Robin De Crespigny opened my eyes to the plight of asylum seekers in Australia. It is the true story of an Iraqi man and his desperate efforts to save his family from cruelty and incomprehensible torture. In the process of saving his family he becomes a people smuggler and is responsible for the safe relocation of hundreds of  refugees all of whom were eventually granted asylum. He is described as the Oskar Schindler of Asia.

Regarding this issue, I have gained some new understandings...

In my ignorance of political affairs I did not know that 'seeking asylum' in another country is not illegal. It is a basic Human Right. I did not know that asylum seekers should not be detained for more than one month while they are being processed. I did not know that countries much poorer than ours are being far more generous in welcoming refugees into their country. But I do know that neither side of politics is willing to exercise compassion for fear of losing votes. I wonder how History will remember us in years to come.

It is somewhat of an anomaly that both our Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition would describe themselves as Christians yet in the New Testament we read....' Real religion, the kind that God accepts is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight and guard against corruption from the godless world.' James 1:27

The persecution and torture that many families face is not dissimilar to the suffering of the Jews at the hands of the Hitler. Will we be remembered as a compassionate and kind people or as a nation that is crippled by fear, greed and self absorption?

Living Loved

I was a child of the 1950's. I was brought up with the goal of achieving the Australian Dream....work hard, purchase your own home, and get a good career. Along came the Pill and Women's Liberation Movement of the late 60's and it seemed that at last women were in control of their own destinies – able to limit the size of their families and simultaneously pursue a career. 

It was therefore not unusual to be greeted with astonishment when I became pregnant with my fourth child in 1982.  I found many people were totally perplexed as to why I would even consider having such a 'large' family, especially as the oldest one was just six years old. Of course the optimum number of kids was two, maybe three.... but definitely no more! And so we embarked on a journey that was different in many respects to that of our peers. It has been, without a doubt, the most challenging, satisfying and rewarding experience of my life.  

Fast forward thirty years....My four children have also embraced parenthood to the extent that I now have 11 grandchildren with 2 more due this year. Again I am the subject of curiosity as my acquaintances discover that our family now numbers more than 20. My children themselves have gone against the 'norm.' They have mostly married young, have begun their own journey into parenthood reasonably early and have only one partner earning most of the income. In the 21st Century it seems that 35+ is the most popular age to start a family once careers are well and truly established and mortgages secured. However, this does I believe, come with a down side - particularly for my generation. Many of my peers declare their eagerness to become grandparents while they are still young enough to actively enjoy their grandchildren. 

I have to say that I feel very blessed to have such a large, growing family. On a recent family holiday, I was reminded of the uniqueness of each person in our tribe. The grandchildren now are aged between 1-8 and each family has developed its own particular characteristics and personalities. Variations in discipline, routine, styles of play, interaction, expression, manners, possessions, schooling and interests ...all work together to create a particular culture in each one. How fascinating - that from our own family of six, we now have four different families, each with their own unique flavour. This could be a source of tension as each culture can clash with another, especially when time is spent together. I am so grateful for the tolerant and accepting attitude of each member of our family, enabling us to have such enjoyable times together. There are differences... but there is also mutual love and respect. This is a snapshot, I believe, of how we are to live in the world with the people God brings into our lives. He wants us to accept others, just as He has accepted us, despite our faults and failings. When we know this, we are then able to freely live loved.

There is one indisputable fact of life  - death comes upon us all. A fact that is usually avoided by most of us until we are forced reluctantly to take a good hard look at it. It is more often the case that we distract ourselves with the pleasures and problems of everyday living; carefully avoiding the idea that one day it will all be over. Our lives will eventually become just a distant memory to those left behind. Without the gift of foresight, it is impossible to predict how death will come or how we will face it. In my experience, death has been visited upon members of my family in a variety of unexpected and usually unpleasant ways. The most difficult ones to bear are always those who die whilst still young. Such an awful tragedy to see life drain out of someone who has so much ahead of them. But mostly death creeps up on us as our bodies gradually age and wither. My mother's death was a long, drawn out process where we grieved for the woman she once was as dementia insidiously took hold of her person and finally her body. My dad and my father-in-law, however, both suffered little as the suddenness of their heart attacks quickly whisked them from this life to the next.

For the last twenty years my wonderfully capable and independent mother-in-law has lived alone in a two storey house on 5 acres in the country. She has maintained her home diligently and she has managed a full and busy social life revolving around her church and her community. But now, it seems, her time has arrived. She was diagnosed with multiple secondary cancers recently and her life is now slowly ebbing away. I guess everyone reacts differently to such news but the way she has responded has been nothing short of inspiring. Acceptance and peace!

Acceptance... What a wonderful blessing to be able to say as she did when she first found out... " I am satisfied with my life. I have done everything I have wanted to do." That is not to say, she has not had difficulties and tragedies but she has known contentment in it all. She has not traveled the world extensively but has deep roots in the community where she was born - having always lived in sight of South Brother Mountain. She and her husband worked together on the farm, raised a family and enjoyed being part of an extended family, community and Church. A simple life really by today's standards.

Peace ... because she is not afraid of death. She knows Jesus Christ has conquered death and He is waiting for her on the other side. I used to wonder about her faith - it seemed to be just a traditional social ritual. But now I see how her trust in God has been there all the time. It has been the backbone of her life, the place from which her values have been derived and the source of love, strength, endurance and patience throughout the years.

So as she prepares to leave us, we have the opportunity to say goodbye to her before her final departure and to thank her for the legacy she has passed on, especially to her grandchildren and great grandchildren who will hopefully carry some of her values with them into the future.