SERVICE LEARNING So, we can only truly find security in the present moment, and we can only do that by being present in that moment rather than living either in the regrets of the past or the hopes for what the future might bring. What our Christian faith offers us in this most mixed-up and paradoxical of times is radical peace. In John’s Gospel, Chapter 14, we hear Jesus speaking at length to his disciples about the time of great paradox in which they are about to find themselves, on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus says to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” When we trust in Christ, we also find this peace that passes all our understanding. When we give up regret about the past and we give up worry about the future, all that remains is the blessing of the present moment and our response to it. American author Sarah Ban Breathnach said this: “Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present – love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure – the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.” As we approach Christmas and make time to remember once again the birth of Christ, may we give thanks for the simplicity of Jesus’ birth and life, for his focus on love, inclusion and justice during his ministry. May we commit ourselves to playing our part in the ushering in of the Kingdom of God where all are loved and valued, where we care for earth and strive for peace and justice. May we find a place of peace within ourselves in which to sit and look at the true reality of our blessed lives, counting not what is lacking, but the richest gift we have each been given – the gift of loving and being loved, for in the end, that is all that truly matters. Reverend Sandy Robertson, Chaplain 44
DIO TODAY
me... you... us....
SERVING OTHERS
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he Year 10 Service Learning is centred around the Cancer Society and raising funds to help support the Cancer Society’s services, health promotion programmes and cancer research. We were touched when we discovered that everyone in our year level had known of either a loved one or a close family friend whose lives had been affected by cancer; everyone had a connection to someone who had
been through cancer or was going through cancer and they wanted to make a difference to help reduce cancer in our community. Sadly, the annual Relay for Life event that the Year 10s had been looking forward to organising this year had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. This did not stop the Year 10s from coming together as tutor groups and a year level to put their own personal touch on ‘their event’ to raise funds in creative ways that circumvented the restrictions in place at the time.
