On being a zealot
Stories of Hope
Peter Garret was a zealot for environmentalism, especially his stance against uranium mining. However as he got older and more involved in politics he came understand some more of the complexity involved and changed his views. Many of us start out passionate and sure of ourselves but we do need to eat humble pie sometimes and sit with paradox, complexity and nuance. Building this chicken in my workshop is a good example, looks simple, but its actually a very sophisticated work of art!
info_outline
Rich Tapestries. Episode 1. Frank Wang
Stories of Hope
Rich Tapestries is a new series within Stories Of Hope Podcast, celebrating the lives and contributions of Culturally and Linguisticly Diverse (CaLD) folks within the Salvos in Australia. My co host in this series is Nuria Gonsalves who is the Cald Community Engagement National Lead and our first guest is Frank Wang who heads up the Salvos work in Bankstown in Sydney. Frank originates from China and his journey to Australia exudes courage and strength of character. The way he and his wife Belinda found their way into the Salvos and eventually into leadership is both inspiring and...
info_outline
Injustice and privilege
Stories of Hope
Despite hundreds of years of democracy and education, people are still suffering discrimination and injustice depending on what colour their skin is or where they are from. Riots and wars abound and even in the suburbs where I live there are sometimes cruel and unfair judgments made on people based on very superficial data. Lets open our eyes and notice what biases we have in our own heart and what we see around us and lets be brave enough to make a stand sooner rather than later.
info_outline
Rod Parsons
Stories of Hope
Rod is the Salvo leader in a Town in New South Wales called Young and he also looks after the surrounding area as a rural Chaplian visiting farms and remote communities. He loves his big 1100CC Yamaha motorcycle, his cut throat Razors and is an earthy bloke who loves a chat and cares deeply about people and what the Salvos stand for. I know Rod well, because we have worked shoulder to shoulder together providing financial aid to folks affected by floodwaters in Kempsey. Rod is married to Deb and I reckon he is the salt of the earth!
info_outline
We all have a story
Stories of Hope
It is an absolute delight and honour to share on this podcast about how people have navigated thier lives. The stories are very often rich and full of courage meaning and inspiration. The lovely Sue has a great story too and finding love is a powerful part of this. I am in the mix a little, but Maggie the Toy Cavoodle has also won her heart!
info_outline
Bindy Lupis
Stories of Hope
Bindy had a really tough childhood but has found a way to be mindful of the ways this impacts her life today. She works for the salvos in our emergency services department and helps people who have been devastated by things like floods and fires. She is married to Marco and has three children. She is a proud Novacastrian and her story will inspire and delight you.
info_outline
Measuring Spiritual success
Stories of Hope
Some Christians feel guilty because they do not measure up to what they believe the church is wanting from them. Making new converts, deep commitment to spiritual practices like prayer and scripture and consistent service to the poor seem to be the goal posts. However doing what God has placed in our path does not always align with church agendas, so we need to measure by that, more than things like bums on seats on a Sunday morning.
info_outline
Amanda Hart
Stories of Hope
Amanda has a rich heritage within the Salvos and yet it took time for her to find her true self, both within the organisation and personally. I met her on deployment in Townsville and Ingham delivering flood relief - and we got on like a house on fire. She is great fun and a powerhouse of genuine honesty and warmth. Her story resonates with me and I'm sure many listeners will relate and learn from her story.
info_outline
Lifting elephants
Stories of Hope
The lovely Sue works out at a gym and has a program that measures how much weight she lifts in animals. Sometimes she lifts elephants. Doing hard things is not always to be avoided. We sometimes need to ditch our fears and head directly into the suffering if we are to live life to the full.
info_outline
Brad Potter
Stories of Hope
Brad trained with me and the lovely Sue at the Salvos college for officers in Melbourne 30 odd years ago and he and his wife Katrina have always been the sort of friends we don't see much of but are close to when we do catch up. Brad is now based in Perth and has two adult children. He is a keen cyclist and we have an authentic sort of chat about life, faith and leadership.
info_outlineHaving significant conversations is really important. The church has often done this well with regular gatherings like bible study groups and opportunities to listen to challenging speakers. But it is not the only place this happens. Often important conversations happen in universities or cafes or even on bush walks. In todays reading in Acts 19, Paul leaves the Synagogue and goes to the lecture halll of Tyrannus, where people of all persuasions chatted about deep things.