Dear friends, 

“By the rivers of Babylon — there we sat down

and there we wept when we remembered Zion.”

(Psalm 137:1)

(I wonder if you’re singing the song in your head as you read it too?)

Several conversations recently have focused on the theme of exile. Right from the outset, I want to declare that I have not experienced the devastation of exile — I have not been forcibly removed from my home or country, nor have I been forced to separate from people and places that give me a sense belonging and identity. On a small scale, although it felt large enough to me at the time, I have experienced being rejected by my childhood peers, and recall the loss of identity and “place” that accompanied the hurtful things my fellow schoolmates inflicted. And I have an active imagination.

Live & Laid Back w/ Liu & Andrew Episode Two featured an extremely powerful conversation with Chantelle Ogilvie-Ellis

Dear friends, 

“If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader. Sell ice cream.”

(Eric Geiger)

 Amongst a growing excitement and thankfulness, I’ve been hearing from others and experiencing myself as restrictions have started to lift, and with a greater sense of emerging freedom to engage in activities we have been missing over the past several months, we are also encountering a rising concern as COVID-19 ‘hotspots’ have been growing in Victoria. It has very much felt like a reminder of what we might face across our nation if we are not mindful about following the guidance we are given through the Health Department and Government.

Dear friends,

“The bird sings in the morning to celebrate that it survived another night.” 

(Unknown author)

 I have a sense that there are many leaders and members of our congregations who are breathing a sigh of relief that the Government is beginning to lift restrictions on gathering. It feels like the early morning bird-song, even before it is light. A song of hope and trust that the night is almost over.

“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.