An Obadiah Slope Column
Lefty Christians: Clive Hamilton founder of the left think tank The Australia Institute only realised that several of its early board members were Christians, “it was only writing the memoir that II looked back and thought ‘ahh, that is right, quite a few of those early board members were Christians, left-wing Christians, the quiet kind whom you would not really know unless you asked them.“ He told Phillip Adams on the ABC’s late Night live.“Turbo-charged by Muscular Christianity” interviewer Phillip Adams summed it up. A warm endorsement of the role of Christianity in this slice of Australian history by two non-believers.
Obadiah finds it salutary to be reminded of incidents like this. Too often we are inclined to think that Christian influence has only been, or mostly been on the right-hand side of the political road in this country. Not so.
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The morning after: At a family breakfast, Mrs Slope and daughter 1, recounted her Australian Opera treat birthday present. Words like “grooming” and “coercive control” were used. They were discussing the plot of Phantom of the Opera (appropriately playing at the Sydney Opera House). These days the sexual exploitation in the Phantom plot, an older musical genius’ relationship with a young soprano Christine is much more obvious. This production, daughter 1 observed, showed off the darkness in a sombre stage set (pictured).
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The working class: We posted the talk by researcher/minister Coz Crosscombe on why the church does not attract the working class (TL:DR was we are too focussed on the uni grad audience.) “A truck driver at Newcastle City Mission where I was Superintendent said he would talk to me about Christianity if we discussed it over a drink at the pub,” Pastor Doug Clements wrote in the comments. “This was difficult for me as a reformed alcoholic. I had lemon squash which he was fine with. We had a very good time. He said he liked me as I did not use “two dollars words.” I asked, “what are they?” He said, “big long words that don’t make any sense.”
“Another time at Long Bay Jail I was doing a Christian seminar with inmates, Aids Drug users in the early days of Aids with no cures. They invited me to have lunch with them which they were cooking so we could talk it over. I accepted. I asked them during the meal they cooked, why did they invite me? They said, “to see whether you and your words were genuine or not”. We had a very honest discussion about Christians and their attitudes and values. A humble and honest time.”
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The perils of Christian reporting: As this column goes live, Obadiah will be at an event put on by the University of Technology Sydney Christian group Credo, on reporting religion. Writing about one’s own faith while attempting objective journalism is a special journey.
It has challenges, such as being seen to be a traitor, when you cover a distasteful story.
Or the more subtle and sinister temptation to become cynical yourself.
The tropes of standard journalism “conflict’ and “celebrity” do not fit well. To be a Christian journalist is to go on a peculiar journey. Please pray for anyone you know in media-land.
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Quote of the week: “Our soul is weak in itself. It needs something to rely upon as a weak plant that needs a support. David was in temptation, afflictions, and discouragements. Satan was tempting, and his corruptions boiling. God had withdrawn his sense of love, leaving David for a while to himself. At length, however, he broke through it all and expostulates the matter with himself. So God’s children, when they are in trouble, can recover and comfort themselves by trusting and relying on God in their extremities. The true child, in his greatest troubles, has the Spirit of God to strengthen him. He rests upon his God. In the greatest troubles, the Spirit helps our weakness. This Spirit enables us to send out strong prayers and cries, which cry loud in God’s ear.”
Richer Sibbes from Voices From the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings, Banner of Truth