Last Wednesday Stephen Said came to ‘guest speak’ for young adults. We – as I somewhat expected, explored the wider implications of living out our theology – to pin a cliche theme on it: social justice.
As small as my ‘practical application’ for this is, my challenge, my red button of the evening was pushed good and hard. Something I’d been thinking about for a while really.
About 6 months to a year ago I stopped watching the news. Too much, too depressing, too little time. Through the course of the evening’s discussions, I lighted on a curious parallel (but a static one, because in my mind parallels just keep on going forever). I talked to God about compassion a while back. How I wasn’t/aren’t that compassionate a person, which being one of those regretable (but beautiful) asks, hit me a bit hard. Soon thereafter ceased my exploration of current affairs and what’s going on in the world. I didn’t recognise it as anything other than just reclaiming some more time. I’m wondering now if it was ‘other’.
So. It was my intention this week, to get back into watching the news. Downgrade the bifocalisation (there I used it!). My small thing. Watch it, allow myself to recognise, and dare I suggest feel it.
Intentions are good things. Not so good if you don’t follow through on them. I think I’ve watched the news once. I tried to read the paper – but felt really out of it and didn’t have any background to get back into the what was going on. It shouldn’t be hard, but it is. Time is a ridiculous commodity that’s forever getting in the way.
So, engaging with the issues that we should care about in the world – how do you do it?
I don’t watch the news either, and only read the A2 and Good Weekend. I find it hard to get stirred up about stuff presented in the media – so much of it seems so biased. However, nothing stimulates compassion and desire for justice more than hanging out where those who need it are. Eg, a walk down the streets of St Kilda (the back streets)… I find the pain there hits me like a sledgehammer. It is hard to be touched if we live in our comfortable western enclaves. Ash Barker has written a book called “Make Poverty Personal” which is a good starting place for thinking about this stuff further.
You would really like reading “Amusing Ourselves to Death” about now.