A new dawn for my plant might be the last day for these caterpillars! Hope is a strange creature. We sit in this paradox, some of us like the familiar holey system, something must die for something new to grow in its place. It’s painful. We grieve it. Especially when we don’t personally have anything against cute little green caterpillars. #dawn #atapūao
What parts of you feel like they’re dying? Yes. It’s hard, I know. It is for me too. Now, what parts of you are coming alive? #release #wewete
It’s getting darker in the mornings. It feels portentous. We are at the beginning of Iuk (Eel) Season, when the hot winds stop and the temperatures cool. The days are getting shorter – equal length with the night – but we know that will shift towards darkness.
This is the time to savour the harvest fruit, enjoy the last blooms, and store up what we can against colder and leaner times to come. The word Lent comes from the Old English lencten (lengthen) because it’s observed in spring, when the days begin to get longer but that is not so for us here. Time is running out. Can you feel it? Share the joy of a common table now… Share pancakes.
The tradition of Shrove Tuesday arises out of using up fat and yummy things before the fasting of Lent, using up anything that might go off in the 40 days that you’re not allowed to have them. On this day, we are meant to confess and be forgiven (or shriven), starting Lent with a clean slate and I wonder…
I have sometimes been flippant about what we give up for Lent. As if the idea is to make us think more about God in the sense of: “Oh God, I’d kill for some chocolate right now”. But what if it can be a chance to re-set, a chance to work for that balance of day and night in equal parts in other areas of our life. I find looking at ‘What to give up for Lent’ lists a daunting read. From chocolate or social media to negative thinking or laziness.
The previous season to this was Biderap, the time of year when the rivers are most likely to run dry and the risk of bushfires was highest. What does it look like to drink your fill now the river runs again? What does it look like to think about investing in what safe space look like? Or rebuilding? The leaf litter and undergrowth have been cleared, the air is clear of smoke, maybe this the furthest you have been able to see in a long time. Maybe this season has clarified something about what matters most to you and invites you to commit to that. What will we let go of and what will grow anew in this season?
Our garden isn’t in good shape, but in one particular corner the soil is full of rubbish – broken plastic, tin, glass… it’s kind of not that safe to work in. I’m trying to get time in our outdoor space regularly figuring every little bit helps, and at some point it will tip to beautiful. The other day I felt a glimpse of that when, in addition to all the rubbish above, I started pulling out whole bottles. After about an hour I had a bunch of them lined up.
I think that it might have been easy to think, “I’m just going to dig out this whole section and get clean fill in here”, but there was something to taking a slower approach, picking through and being more careful with my spade. Someone was careless putting all the rubbish out here but I will be care-full in trying to restore it. When we’re looking for ‘good soil’, maybe it’s important to know there may be things in the bad that are worth keeping as a promise of things to come.
We have watched Australia burn for weeks. We thought to head out east for our hike but a thunderstorm is due and we’re not sure we can risk being in an “extreme fire risk” park with a threat of lightning. The You Yangs are in the traditional Country of the Wadawurrung People in the west, granite peaks arising in the plains offer panoramic views of the rain coming in, and to the east, the city. We had feared the weather would be “too much” but it was not enough – barely wetting the ground and not cooling the air. We are waiting yet on the Change to come through. We are waiting for change.
The green becomes gold, the new becomes old… then new again by turns. When will it be your turn? WIll you turn up? Who will you turn out to be?#turn #huri #adventwords2019
Mary confesses she believes in God. I am a believer in God too. It’s becoming a more difficult confession to make. I may join Mary, but I join Trump, Scott Morrison and Israel Folau too. It’s Eden’s bittersweet fruit. I can’t pray for other people to be different, only that I might change myself. “God, please God, keep me from apathy”… To know God is to be changed but we’re all still human. To know the light is to also know the dark. #confess #whāki #adventwords2019
This year I have started 2 new jobs, moved house and in with my partner, done a reno/fitout, helped start up a vape shop we now live behind. That’s a lot of change. I’ve never been very good at a 5-year plan… I feel like the house that comes my way, that is where I will make home. Those with whom I live and work, with them I’ll share life. An angel bears news. Is it good? Is it bad? No one can know when they answer: Let it be with me as you have said. #humble #māhaki #adventwords2019
The Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 “to encourage and recognise the commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research” In 2015 the scheme was extended to arts, humanities, social science, business and law (AHSSBL) subjects. Dr Alana Harris and Professor Abigail Woods participated in the bronze accreditation being rolled out at King’s College, London but also headed the project to analyse and assess across an audit of the framework which institutional contexts, working practices and interventions are most conducive to advancing gender equality… for more information read the report or play a round of Gender Equity Snakes and Ladders.
You are named in the Strategic Plan “To be a centre of excellence in feminist theological scholarship and in mentoring academics so as to challenge and transform patriarchal structures and assumptions in the academy, church, and wider world.” You need to have impact beyond being UD strategic aim 3. What impact into other areas of work, institution and structure can be implemented?
Hold events during the day, not evenings. Our event are not held in a pub, moving away from the ‘old boy club’ feel. We host an academics book party once a year at 3pm in the afternoon and cross-read our texts eg. modern history lecturer trades their book with the medieval history teacher.
It seems senior male academics support younger counterparts but senior women don’t? External support scaffolding, if it’s not available within the institution, can be really useful. Ref. Facebook group: ‘Women in Academia Support Network’ or Australian Collaborators page.
What are the vision and mission statements of the UD? These set the culture of the institution and its frameworks – if these have inclusive language then then culture will be inclusive and staff attracted to that culture be drawn to work for that organisation. If your work sits outside the scope of these statements you may not be fighting only students to accept new ideas and thinking but other staff.
You’ll always get people who will say: “There aren’t women to cite. They aren’t there”, if you were taught to a reading list that was all male, the conference speakers you here are male, the professors you look up to are male… we need to be able to interrogate our own networks of influence.
Activist fatigue is real. You need allianceships. Rather than being one strident voice… ask someone else to raise it in a meeting and lend your voice to theirs. Need mix gender mentoring and people who will back you up in meetings… and at conferences introduce you to the right people.
If you are looking for increased balance in curriculum and representation… crowd source knowledge from within the network. Aim for 25% female.
Our Vision
Together we empower our learning community to address the issues of the contemporary world through critical engagement with Christian theological traditions.
Our Mission
We fulfil our vision through:
- excellence in learning, teaching, and research;
- growth of our resources and capacity; and
- engagement with the churches and community in Australia and internationally.
https://divinity.edu.au/university-of-divinity/about-us/our-vision-and-mission/
Winter exposure…
The secret now in sunlight,
Some measure of growth
And the seasons moving
Inexorably forward.
Vacate that home too small for you
And fly.
Talitha Fraser
itellyouarise 