One of the most urgent issues facing Australian society at this time in our history is the question, what sort of Australia or Australian society are we going to create for our children, grand children and future generations? We are not alone in endeavouring to answer the question. The British riots in England last August raised the same question and the current level of violence civil unrest and unease in a number of Middle Eastern countries are signs of anxiety and deep seated resentment and frustration with political leadership and living standards of many of their citizens.
The advent of mass travel, once only the prerogative of the intrepid traveller and explorer, is now available to many people across the globe, enabling more of us to visit many places once closed to the rest of the world. Their culture, beliefs and lifestyles holding mystique and knowledge previously only available and accessible to a few is now within reach of growing numbers of Australians. Today the life styles and cultures of more than two thirds of the world’s 6.5 Billion people are now accessible via air travel the Internet, television and now the mobile phone. We are able to see the diversity of human life across the globe including their religious and faith practices. As a result the world has become smaller as witnessed with the challenges facing the global financial markets. We are all more closely connected than at any other time in history and the fallouts and troubles in one part of the world can affect others 12000 kilometres away. This was recently shown by the decision of Heinz to close their Shepparton tomato sauce company. The decision affecting the lives of over 100 workers and their families was made not in the best interests of the workers or their community but the company. As a friend recently commented to me, the idea of public or community service once embedded in the objectives or goals of a company are now absent in the minds of many corporations in favour of maximising profits and remaining internationally competitive. When we add access to the Internet, the global movement of people both freely and as refuges and other forms of mass communication, the closed nature and isolation of Australia still present till the early 1960’s is now greatly influenced by a range of religious and cultural experiences. These new influences barely touched my parent’s generation, to a lesser extent the baby boomers, but are now common experiences for their children, grandchildren and contemporaries. Multi culturalism has increasingly become apart of the Australian way of life as second and third generations of earlier migrants, in expressing their Australian identity, bring with them their culture and religious beliefs and practices. Of course this is not new. The European settlers in the 18th century brought to this country their values and beliefs from their country of origin. They sought to establish themselves free of the limitations of an established ruling class and open to creating a life for themselves and families full of hope and optimism. The new life was not without its struggles. Droughts and flooding rains played havoc with expectations and dreams. Perseverance was necessary and the bond of mateship and supports for one another a key element in the new country.
Joan Chittister in a recent article in the Sojourners magazine suggests that in this world of anxiety and topsy turvey behaviour we are also in danger of surrendering values, if we have not already done so, that have served us well giving them up for selfish and pragmatic reasons allowing the media and others to set the pace. The danger she says is that the very fabric of our society may be at risk and the likelihood of further breakdowns in social cohesion and a growth in anti social behaviour. This is not a call to a romantic view of the past but rather a call to examine our way of life with fresh insights, learning from past mistakes, challenging religious bigotry and abuse of power. Instead opening us up to the liberating spirit of Jesus and the generous nature of God’s compassion and justice should be shaping the way Christians can contribute to making Australia a fairer and more just society. To examine and view the values of justice and compassion as life giving experiences. In the same article she writes "We can discuss the pro’s and cons of torture in the public arena and never have the grace to blush. We can plan to slice food stamps for the children of the poor and, in the same breath, refuse to tax the rich. We can simply refuse to negotiate politically and still call ourselves virtuous".
While Joan Chittister is writing for an American audience her comments seem relevant to Australia. Political pragmatism has replaced risk taking and visionary leadership. As a result increasing numbers of Australians are finding themselves uneasy with the direction of this country. The current political agenda leaves much to be desired. "Going with the flow" seems less than satisfactory. Political point scoring with a lack of informed debate and discussion is no subject for reasoned social and economic policy decisions. A renewed vision is urgently needed which acknowledges the failures of our history, values what has been achieved in a range of industries and public service and sets priorities which sees all Australian’s benefit from the resources and wealth the country has available. The growing disparity between rich and poor needs to be addressed urgently, the attitudes to asylum seekers and refuges must be more generous and less judgemental and key issues like climate change given their proper consideration. This strategic form of leadership appears unlikely to come from the political process in the near future unless there are greater demands from the community for more transparent, honest and open debates on the life and death issues facing our nation. These discussions should reflect the belief that all Australians should be able to share in the bounty of this land with respect and justice and acknowledge our global responsibilities to others. Christians have a responsibility to participate in these debates and a healthy democracy demands this engagement. Australia Day provides an opportunity for this reflection and to address the challenges before us.
Canon Dr Ray Cleary
Trinity Theological School
Parkville, Melbourne
25th January 2012
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