“I can’t breathe.”

The last words from George Floyd when he was brutally murdered on the street by a police officer who held his knee down on George Floyd’s neck for NINE MINUTES. The other officers at the scene did nothing. They stood by and did nothing.

They were the same words said by David Dungay, an Aboriginal man, in 2015 when he was pinned down in a cell in jail by 5 NSW prison guards. 

“I can’t breathe.”

 

Photo by @meldcolephotography (George Floyd Protests, Staten Island NYC 2020)

Dear friends,

"May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Saint Teresa of Ávila (16th Century)

Dear friends,

A ship is safe in harbor. But then again that’s not what ships are for.  

Admiral Grace Hopper

Live & Laid Back w/ Liu & Andrew Episode One w/ Rev. Kent Crawford

Dear friends,

Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann

As coronavirus threatens delivery of services to the disadvantaged, Compass follows Rev. Bill Crews, his staff and volunteers as they fight to keep the Exodus Foundation's doors open for their guests in-the-midst of the pandemic.

For five weeks, ABC Compass followed Bill and the team at Ashfield while they adapted to ensure the safety of their guests as the pandemic unfolded.

Dear friends,

I can do what you can’t do; and you can do what I can’t do. Together we can do great things.

Mother Theresa 

During the last week I heard from a colleague that they were feeling unsure of what they had to offer the Church in the current environment. It reminded me of me! Many years ago (in a galaxy (or at least a state) far far away) a group of colleagues with whom I met monthly identified “Imposter’s Syndrome” as a real thing that threatened our sense of value for our own ministries. We would look with awe and wonder at what the others in the group were doing, and recognise that we could not do those things. What we were less able to recognise was that we were all looking at each other and thinking exactly the same thing.

Dear friends, 

The story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree: a little seed is taken, planted, and then watered and fertilised for a whole year. Nothing happens. A second year of watering and fertilising, and still nothing happens. The third year of watering and fertilising, and then a fourth year - still nothing happens.

In the fifth year, the seed is still being watered and fertilised. And then sometime during the fifth year, the Chinese Bamboo Tree sprouts and grows eighty to ninety feet (that’s 24-28 metres) in up to six weeks (which is about the height of a six or seven storey building). In the first four years, when nothing seems to happen, the bamboo is busy developing roots underground so that will be strong enough to support it when it grows so rapidly in the fifth season.

Live & Laid Back is all about unearthing the powerful and uplifting stories of the Church in order to extol, edify and encourage its members. There is a lot of talk of the church in decline, that it's "dying". But the work of our Church, its members, its young people, its congregations & Presbyteries would say otherwise! This series is here to support you and perhaps teach you something new in your walk with Christ and your journey of discipleship.

Dear friends,

Who is it that can make muddy water clear?

But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become clear of itself.

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

I have been intrigued and inspired over the past week or so as I have listened to people share how they are looking after themselves through this season of physical isolation and multiple restrictions. While each person’s way of participating in self-care is unique, there are many similarities that have been emerging.