This morning on Aussie TV on the 9 TODAY Show they have been showing snippets of the footage from Paris where overnight Cadel Evans from Barwon Heads in Victoria (of 'Seachange' and tourist fame.... great bridge) won the Tour de France cycling event!!
Cut then to 'behind the news commentator' Mia Freedman who is underwhelmed by the standing ovation for Tina Arena's national anthem rendition on the Champs Eleysee.... Her point... being concerned that we laud such personal sporting achievements ahead of and at the expense of volunteers, doctors, firefighters and those 'changing the world' in other ways. I don't disagree with that observation but find it fascinating that a fashion magazine editor doesn't see the negativity of her own timing and opinion. She doesn't 'get' sport so she engages in the other great Aussie obsession of pulling one thing down to raise others, not the reverse....
Here's my TODAY Show email...
This'd be my second email ever to TODAY since the invention of the idea!!
Mia couldn't be more wrong!!!
It 's true that we don't always celebrate science and service in the same way as our elite sports people's achievements BUT she 's doing the other great Aussie thing of pulling one thing down to the level of others rather than elevating her point. Now is not the time to project your own lack of understanding of sport onto such a great achievement.
To call it 'being paid well' is petty... This from a fashion magazine editor who uses a 'shoe analogy' about things we do and don't relate to 'takes the prize'.
Today is not the day to do what we each can to celebrate firefighters, social workers etc... It's the day to recognize a great achievement of someone who works hard for their reward, who will inspire and who deserves success... As do so many other people.
Separate your comment from your own bias Mia!
Nobody need pretend they love this or understand... Perhaps do the fashion segment or a feature on cycling footwear instead!!
Then let us know what you're doing in your weekend column to foster recognition of medical experts, peacekeepers and inventors....
Well done Cadel!!
Our call should be to change the world... recreation is a vital part of that, as is drawing hope and energy from others, wherever you can get it... My high school assembly used to celebrate scientists, maths geeks and our fledgling soccer team and it's 0-7 defeats alongside our all conquering rugby league side so maybe I've learnt to agitate for both rather than drag the popular one down thinking I was doing the right thing!!
Showing posts with label thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thinking. Show all posts
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
"We weren't tough enough upstairs"
There's a great article by former Australian Rugby Captain John Eales in this weeks edition online of Rugby Heaven! I think his observations offer a great insight into sporting team mentality but in certain situations in life as well!!
Check it out here
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Does the debate over Islamic Schools point the Way?
Once again the discussion about Islamic Schools expansion in and around Sydney took place on the local radio this morning on my way into Sydney. There's a school at Hoxton Park on Sydney's exploding western fringe which is looking to expand it's campus. This follows up the Land and Environment Court refusal of a development at rural [also south western fringe] Camden on traffic and other grounds.
The discussion took the form of a question about the growing middle class of immigrants in Australia and whether this represents the same desire for their children as Anglican of Catholic families anywhere else in the city and using that comparison to shine a light on the fact local communities are raising traffic, development and congestion or historic value as a smokescreen for cultural and racial concerns [fears, hysteria].
It reminded me of several readings of David Bosch' "Transforming Mission" and the early work of Kennon Callahan and the difficulty of describing the current setting of our call and mission in our contexts and cultures. Bosch' descriptions of the various 'paradigms' [systems, ways of seeing and being, major descriptors of a period in history characterised by shifts and changes from the previous. Indeed much to many Christians disbelief I'm talking about major societal and historical shifts which have then driven demanded or caused a response on the part of communities of faith to live up to their call and sense of purpose.
Is the emerging paradigm going to infuture be clearly described as the globalisation or mutli-faith paradigm. Swamped by the waves of social change in the west since the late 60s and early 70s are we now awash from all sides with the fact that whhatever that meany we are now experiencing the crumbling of all foundations through the power and energy of cultural shift.
Here we sit describing even our Christian churches [with few exceptions] as generally being in decline while Tongan and Korean groups in particular are our fastest growing groups.
Those groups are still struggling in life and death ways with culture shock and the challenges of being 1.5, 2nd and 3rd generations.
Beyond that our suburbs, food & culture, demographic and 'values and ethics> cultural DNA' are being altered radically by the rich and varied cultures joining our indigenous and anglo mix with it's asian and european flavour.
Are we so far behind the changes that the second wave is over our heads. Do we by and large remain rusted on to the institutional models of the 1950s? Some reading tells me the challenge to our 50s+ generation is that in many cases they feel they've 'only just' been handed some power in their communities of faith [churches]. Their great gift and challenge is to flick it straight on and the bigger challenge I find is that my under 50s generation probably needs to do exactly the same.
Where am I heading... we must urgently address the shape of faith communities, the making of disciples, the resourcing and carrying out of mission to empower, give permission and make space for those under 30...
The challenge including the realities of the shifts so clear in our society:
institution to movement
commitment to compassion
this planet to the stars
solid marathon runner culture to excellent sprinter culture
top down maintenance to grassroots mission
controlling and directing to creativity and objectives
focus on the parts to focus on the whole
Hmmm, well good theory, what does that mean...
My head hurts now and I have to go... but it has implications for my own 'Dungeon' congregation on Sunday night reflecting on the missional challenge of a new property development BUT also for a paper I'd like to write as a scenario for the future shape of resourcing our ministry and missionas a Uniting Church in Australia here across NSW/ACT... more to follow!!
In short, these schools should be built where the planning and traffic are genuinely dealt with and then we can get on with the task of expressing our unique faith and life perspectives in a rich and dynamic society fuelled by faith communities seeking the explore and share the best of who we are... in God's Spirit seeking to answer the question of how we can live out our lives and faith in a way that transforms the world according to the values of God!
The discussion took the form of a question about the growing middle class of immigrants in Australia and whether this represents the same desire for their children as Anglican of Catholic families anywhere else in the city and using that comparison to shine a light on the fact local communities are raising traffic, development and congestion or historic value as a smokescreen for cultural and racial concerns [fears, hysteria].
It reminded me of several readings of David Bosch' "Transforming Mission" and the early work of Kennon Callahan and the difficulty of describing the current setting of our call and mission in our contexts and cultures. Bosch' descriptions of the various 'paradigms' [systems, ways of seeing and being, major descriptors of a period in history characterised by shifts and changes from the previous. Indeed much to many Christians disbelief I'm talking about major societal and historical shifts which have then driven demanded or caused a response on the part of communities of faith to live up to their call and sense of purpose.
Is the emerging paradigm going to infuture be clearly described as the globalisation or mutli-faith paradigm. Swamped by the waves of social change in the west since the late 60s and early 70s are we now awash from all sides with the fact that whhatever that meany we are now experiencing the crumbling of all foundations through the power and energy of cultural shift.
Here we sit describing even our Christian churches [with few exceptions] as generally being in decline while Tongan and Korean groups in particular are our fastest growing groups.
Those groups are still struggling in life and death ways with culture shock and the challenges of being 1.5, 2nd and 3rd generations.
Beyond that our suburbs, food & culture, demographic and 'values and ethics> cultural DNA' are being altered radically by the rich and varied cultures joining our indigenous and anglo mix with it's asian and european flavour.
Are we so far behind the changes that the second wave is over our heads. Do we by and large remain rusted on to the institutional models of the 1950s? Some reading tells me the challenge to our 50s+ generation is that in many cases they feel they've 'only just' been handed some power in their communities of faith [churches]. Their great gift and challenge is to flick it straight on and the bigger challenge I find is that my under 50s generation probably needs to do exactly the same.
Where am I heading... we must urgently address the shape of faith communities, the making of disciples, the resourcing and carrying out of mission to empower, give permission and make space for those under 30...
The challenge including the realities of the shifts so clear in our society:
institution to movement
commitment to compassion
this planet to the stars
solid marathon runner culture to excellent sprinter culture
top down maintenance to grassroots mission
controlling and directing to creativity and objectives
focus on the parts to focus on the whole
Hmmm, well good theory, what does that mean...
My head hurts now and I have to go... but it has implications for my own 'Dungeon' congregation on Sunday night reflecting on the missional challenge of a new property development BUT also for a paper I'd like to write as a scenario for the future shape of resourcing our ministry and missionas a Uniting Church in Australia here across NSW/ACT... more to follow!!
In short, these schools should be built where the planning and traffic are genuinely dealt with and then we can get on with the task of expressing our unique faith and life perspectives in a rich and dynamic society fuelled by faith communities seeking the explore and share the best of who we are... in God's Spirit seeking to answer the question of how we can live out our lives and faith in a way that transforms the world according to the values of God!
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