Tag Archive: hospitality


The Common Galaxia

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January 4, 2017

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Local cafe, local community, local coffee, local story… what are the stories of your neighbourhood? Are you listening out for them?
This is a story from mine…

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So, what is the Common Galaxia? 

Around one kilometre north of where the mouth of the Maribyrnong nudges its way into the Yarra on the tip of Port Melbourne, the bends of the river flatten out into a strait of slow water.

This stretch of river is home to the Common Galaxia, an entirely unremarkable and utterly fascinating little fish. Silvery and fantailed, found in half the rivers of the world, the Common Galaxia, as singular fish, live for a year but, as a species, outlast everything built around them.

For thousands of years the Common Galaxias propped up the lifecycle of the Saltwater River, feeding the eel and bigger fish and, in turn, feeding the Wurundjeri people. In 1835, Europeans sailed into the river and cut through the scrub and, over the next century-and-a-half, the steady march of industry – from tanners to candle makers and metal works to acid factories – started crowding the banks of the Maribyrnong. In short time, the little whitebait had a lot more to worry about than Southern Black Bream or Short-finned Eel making a meal of them.

Not only did the Common Galaxias have to adapt to their river home becoming more industrial waste than water, they were forcefully relocated as the join between the Maribyrnong and the Yarra at Footscray was closed to continue the line of wharves along the river. The waterway had become something lived on rather than lived in. But the little fish refused to give up, laying low and holding on among the weeds that clung to the riverbank.

And things have a way of coming back around. The city grew. Industries changed. The river is running a little easier again as homes have replaced factories and parks dot the river bends where the docks once stood. The deep heart of the river still beats strong through a small silvery fish, hardly known but vital to this stretch of land and water. The Common Galaxia is a tiny reminder that nature will survive everything we build, and you can only ever borrow a spot on the bends of a river. A spot like this one…

 

Common Galaxia Cafe in Seddon, Melbourne
– more to it than just good coffee…

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Value 8: Travelling light

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December 7, 2016

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We are running a fortnightly bible study following our community dinner looking at the exegesis (interpretation) of the bible passages that underpin each of our community values. You can read the list of Values here so you know what’s coming up next.

These values can be relevant whatever context you live and work in just make the Word you own.

 

Value 8: Travelling light

We value the difference that can be made when we sacrifice personal gain, pouring out our rich resources in an act of worship.  Through simplicity, good stewardship and a common commitment to sharing our lives with others, we seek to lessen the power imbalance in Footscray.

Biblical basis: Luke 9:23-24

 

Let’s read the value together. What stands out?

Basically the whole thing! Timing of this value feels significant when we are losing what has been our community home base and are working out what we can bring with us and what we can’t.

Giving out itself is worship

Don’t have a lot. Doesn’t matter whether it’s big or small, pouring out of what we have is the act of worship.

“Power imbalance” good to name, not only our power but our desire to share it.

 

Luke 9:23-24

Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

 NRSV

 

Read the bible. What words/ideas stand out? What can we learn from the bible about living the Value of “Doing the hard yards”?

 

“deny themselves” is another way of saying “living simply”

“will not taste death” we experience the privilege of glimpsing the kingdom (heaven) right here, before dying –  we see it at our community dinners, John reading grace, all the different people who come together around that meal, seeing the kids grow up in this environment that includes so much diversity.

No division between people – lovely watching Balal and Alex together…

We all of us have a desire for appreciation. But what comes from your heart, the value of that is more e.g. Kim could buy a cake but instead takes the time to make one and personalise it thoughtfully.  She uses her own money to buy wool – makes things that take time and money to create… we choose to value/appreciate that more.

If you’re not giving something from you heart then you’re not giving for the right reasons.

I think it’s worth contextualising this passage and reading it again – the birth of John is foretold, the birth of Jesus is foretold, John is born, Jesus is born… Jesus speaks out in the temple at 12 years old, he gets baptised by John, he gets tested in the desert, then his ministry kicks off  – healing lepers, paralytics and possessed – he calls his disciples. He teaches and preaches, we’re given parable and beatitudes. The 12 are given their mission and Jesus feeds 5000 when it seems like there is not resource enough to do it… who do you say that I am?  The disciples want to lift him up, want to exalt him, put him on a pedestal and give him titles and Jesus says nah… that’s not what I’m about.

 “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

We’re not in this for the titles, appreciation or recognition; or using power for our own gain, to gain a position of authority, or to act out of our own power instead of trusting God’s. Jesus says I’m not going to value those things the world values and invites us to make that choice too.

Taking this idea of “travelling light” – we are very directly in a place of needing to let go of some material things that have meant a lot to us: this house, its garden, the soccer pitch… a band called Invisible Boy out of Tasmania have a song “I’m going to hang your picture high” it’s about who and what you value  and hanging them high like photos of our family that are special or posters and pictures of what we like. If you look around the walls of this house you can see everywhere what and who we value in the pictures – who our family are and what we like. Let’s capture some of those ideas of what we want to “hang high”, of what we value that sometimes others don’t and capture it on bunting we make together – something light we can take with us!

 

 

Closing prayer

Dear God, we’re waiting

Let us wait with hope

We’re waiting for things to seem clearer

Let us wait with peace

We’re waiting for the world to feel safer

Let us wait with joy

We’re waiting for the love our hearts cry out for

Let us wait with love

May we be kind to one another.

May we strive to be the answers to some of our own questions.

Amen

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Value 5: Becoming family

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October 12, 2016

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We are running a fortnightly bible study following our community dinner looking at the exegesis (interpretation) of the bible passages that underpin each of our community values. You can read the list of Values here so you know what’s coming up next.

These values can be relevant whatever context you live and work in just make the Word you own.

 

Value 5: Becoming family

We value the intimacy of relationship we can have with Christ, and the belonging found in growing closer to God and therefore to each other.  Our goal is to be family for those facing loneliness and social isolation.

Biblical basis: 1 John 3:16-18, John 13: 34-35

 

Let’s read the value together. What stands out?

There’s a saying ‘You can’t choose your family’… yes we can.

We have family near and far, our actual relations and the people we choose to share our life with.

Family means the entire human race – regardless of colour, race status…

Family see us at our best and at our worst, we can come as we are and still be loved. We seek to be and provide that sort of space for one another.

Read the bible. What words/ideas stand out?

What can we learn from the bible about living the Value: Becoming family?

 

1 John 3: 16-18…

……..It was the example that Jesus set in laying down his life for us that put us in the know about real love. If we would love, then we need to do likewise, and lay our lives on the line for one another. How on earth can people claim that the love of God is at home in their hearts if they turn their backs on their needy brothers and sisters, even though it is quite within their means to help?

……..My dear friends, let us love; really love. Let us make sure we’re not just talking the talk, but walking the walk: being fair dinkum about our love and expressing it in action. This kind of integrity between what we say and what we do is a sure sign that our lives are genuinely grounded in God’s truth. It enables us to hold our heads high when we approach God, even though self-doubts may be trying to make us feel guilty and fearful. Our record of integrity can reassure us at such times, because God knows everything and can overrule our self-accusations. So when we are doing what God tells us to do, and thus living lives that please God, we can rest assured that when we approach God with our requests, we will get a positive response, whether we feel we deserve it or not.

 ©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

 

 John 13: 31-35

……..When Judas left, Jesus said to his disciples, “Now the moment of glory has arrived for the New Human, and it is God’s glory too. If God’s glory is made known in him, then God will pour out his own glory on him. It’s all happening right now.

……..“You are my children, but you’re about to be on your own because our time together is almost up. You’ll keep looking for me, but as I said to the people before, where I am going, there is no way you can come.

……..“I’ve got one new instruction for you — in fact take it as an order — love one another. I want you to love one another in the same way that I have loved you. If you do that — if you really have love for one another — then it will be apparent to everyone that you are following in my footsteps.”

©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

 

Reflection time… followed by sharing time.

Our record of integrity can reassure us… God can overcome our self-accusations – where we are small God is BIG.

Simple and powerful message: LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Love someone and they will love someone, and they will love someone, and they will love someone… the ripples go on and on.

Let’s get into groups of 2-3 and catch up with each other about life through the week…

…highlights, lowlights, needs, dreams

We do things we don’t like sometimes because it’s family. Belonging & interconnectedness. 

What’s your role in your family?  What are things you need from family?  What are things you have to give?

 

* trying to keep everyone together * practical support * there in ups and downs * advice * generosity * steadfast * conflict resolution * friend * peacemaker * LOVE * welcome * imperfect * support * conflict * time * making cakes * acts of service * taking care of each other * being friendly to everyone (even if they hate you) *

 

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A Paradoxical Hospitality – Robert Hoskin & Naomi Wolfe

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September 25, 2016

On the weekend of 24-25 September Whitley College hosted a conference called Constitutions and Treaties: Law, Justice, Spirituality – these are notes from session 7 of 9. We acknowledge that this gathering, listening and learning occurred of the land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nations and offer our respects to their elders past and present, and all visiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island visitors present.

Provide space for another person to find their own lifestyle (not adapt to that of the host) – this might be called a fearful emptiness.

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Moved – relocated – dislocated – dispossessed… went from hosts to guests.

Mamaa – places where the Creator Spirit brings Christ and Wanjina together.

Our first learning: How to wait.

There’s a time to move.  Can’t go at our speed but the speed the people decide.

Leaves crackle when you burn them, this announces that guests are coming.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples need to be affirmed and respected as hosts of their own country.

 

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TOWARD A NEW TABLE FELLOWSHIP

Proud of my aboriginal heritage and being a part of the church.

Chasm (barriers to hospitality):

  • difference
  • misunderstanding
  • racism
  • sex
  • past
  • fear
  • …

Bringing people together:

  • similarities
  • past
  • hope
  • food
  • conversation
  • …

Join in moments of sorrow and celebration. Spent all our budget on food. Need to create spaces that bring people together and give them a chance to say, “Well, actually, I’ve been wondering about this…”

Hospitality across all cultures and all faiths.

Let us learn from you, instead you come and learn from us.

People started demanding and expecting hospitality… anxiety, misguided enthusiasm, on own terms/time, urgency, desire to ‘fix’… our elders are fragile and tired… who cares for the carers?

It’s not that we don’t want to talk/engage but we need time. Reconciliation can’t work by a drive-through approach.

Indigenous Unit is told ‘this is your job’ – it can often be overwhelming. People aren’t aware of what else is going on for our community.

These are the realities of our lived situation.

Trauma caused and trauma received.

Churches (and institutions) need to learn their own story – people go on experiential trips to the outback/red centre. Important to understand that you are on country here, now and always.

We need good and sustainable gatherings.

A time for everything – Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Need to meet and share – get hospitality right.

Why binaries not working/helpful? Why working on Strong Spirit? Losing heart and tired.

Don’t understand the grace of Aboriginal people offering hospitality on a crime scene.

“You don’t look Aboriginal, what kind of food is this? why aren’t there more chairs? you aren’t dressed very aboriginally…”

People bound up in their own needs, expectations and demands.

 

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Nauru Files Vigil – Love Makes A Way

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August 17, 2016

N.B. This post may be a negative trigger for survivors of physical and sexual abuse.

This morning we held a peaceful Love Makes a Way vigil outside Tim Watts office in Footscray as part of a bigger movement in response to the heart-wrenching incident reports leaked last week to The Guardian known as the Nauru Files. LMAW members and friends from a wide range of asylum seeker advocacy groups converged on over 45 MP offices and Immigration Dept offices across Australia in proIMG_0648test.

Armed with paper dolls to symbolise the men, women and children
who have been abused and traumatised by offshore detention, these small groups read from the incident reports, heard poetry from former refugees and demanded the Government ‪#‎CloseTheCamps‬ and ‪#‎BringThemHere‬

Welcome. We acknowledge that we gather today, to sing and pray, on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.  

I’m sure most of you here are already across the Love Makes A Way movement and what it’s about, we don’t really have words to respond to these leaked Nauru Files. These dolls that you see here, we will be leaving them up and the reason for that is that it will mean someone here at Tim Watts office will have to physically engage in the act of taking them down. The lives of these children, or these people are in their hands. Written on some of these images are the words of case workers and people in detention centres – stories of sexual and physical abuse. We put these images here as a symbol of these people that are entrusted to our care, to our politicians care, and we don’t think they’re doing a very good job with the responsibility that has been entrusted to them.  In the tradition of the civil rights movement we want to sing some songs that inspire and speak to the world we want to live in and welcome these people to join us in.

 

There is room

There is room at the table (x3)
Bring them here, let them stay.

There is room at the border (x3)
Bring them here, let them stay.

There is room in our hearts (x3)
Bring them here, let them stay.

There is hope for a new tomorrow (x3)
Bring them here, let them stay.

We say love makes a way (x3)
Bring them here, let them stay.

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Hold on (Love Makes A Way)
(tune: Keep your hand to the plough/Keep your eyes on the prize)

They are coming across the sea,
From their homes they have had to flee,
We say, love will bring them here, hold on.

We are here to sing and shout,
Why you keeping God’s children out?
We say love will let them stay, hold on.

Chorus
Hold on, hold on,
We say, love makes a way, hold on.

We say welcome the refugee
We say set all the people free
We say, love will bring them here, hold on.

We have room in our hearts to care
We have plenty enough to share
We say, love will let them stay, hold on.

 

We shall bring them here
(words adapted from ‘We shall overcome’)

We shall bring them here, we shall bring them here
We shall bring them here some day
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall bring them here some day

We will not keep silent, we will not keep silent
We will not keep silent today
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe
We will not keep silent today

The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free
The truth shall make us free some day
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe
The truth shall make us free some day

We are not afraid, we are not afraid
We are not afraid today
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe
We are not afraid today

We shall let them stay, we shall let them stay
We shall let them stay some day
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall let them stay some day

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As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
(words adapted from ‘As I went down to the river to pray’)

1) As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
Welcome the refugee, let them stay
And who shall help us bring them here?
Good Lord show me the way!

O sisters let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
O sisters let’s go down
Down to Tim’s office to pray

2) As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
Welcome the refugee, let them stay
And who shall call for a change of heart?
Good Lord show me the way!

O brothers let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
O brothers, let’s go down
Down to Tim’s office to pray

3) As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
Welcome the refugee, let them stay
And who shall raise their voices here?
Good Lord show me the way

O mothers let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
O mothers let’s go down
Down to Tim’s office to pray

4) As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
Welcome the refugee, let them stay
And who shall work for a better plan?
Good Lord show me the way

O fathers let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
O fathers, let’s go down
Down to Tim’s office to pray

5) As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
Welcome the refugee, let them stay
And who shall share these boundless plains?
Good Lord show me the way

O people, let’s go down
Let’s go down, come on down
O people, let’s go down
Down to Tim’s office to pray

6) As I went down to Tim’s office to pray
Welcome the refugee, let them stay
And who shall help us bring them here?
Good Lord show me the way

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READING — ‘HOME’ (Warsan Shire)

no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as
well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin
factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.

no one leaves home unless home chases
you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of
doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem
under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport
toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going
back.

you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the
stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles
travelled
means something more than journey.

no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough

the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they
want
to mess ours up
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.

i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important

no one leaves home until home is a
sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i don’t know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here.

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Were you there?

Were you there when they turned the boats away?
Were you there when they turned the boats away?
Ohhh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble,
Were you there when they turned the boats away?

Were you there when our nation turned its face?….

Were you there when the child was locked away?….

Were you there when the abuses came to light?…..

We will pray until love can make a way…..

 

Our hearts’ song is to close the camps and bring them here and we’ll keep singing, praying and turning up until love makes a way…

 

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Credo Lord’s Prayer

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June 28, 2016

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God our creator, provider, and carer,

You are the best and fairest;

We are committed to searching out and living the way that you want us to.

Help us not to worry about the future,

and to share what we have with others.

Forgive us when we destroy life

and teach us to create life instead.

Give us courage to choose to

forgive those who hurt us.

Be with us in our time of need

and help us not to give up.

Our safety and life is in you.

Amen

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The Great (or… not?) Kaffir Lime Marmalade Experiment of 2016

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June 19, 2016
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Day at the Library: That Holy Anarchist

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May 19, 2016

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Taste the joy of being awake

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April 23, 2016

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Inspiration takes time I think.  Being present to what IS.  Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting what is already there as if with new eyes, new ears, new hands, new lips – appreciating with reverence and joy or delight the sacredness of ordinary things.  In this way: rocket from a friends garden, dived potatoes and tomatoes, eggs picked up by a housemate who also brings back that first coffee of the day. The meal is symbolic of more than the sum of its parts, overtones of love and life, aromas of sharing and community, flavour and savour more than mere fuel.  I wish everyone’s life could be made up of recognising these things that make life worth living… we get busy and we get blind.
I will taste the joy of being awake.

 

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Surrender Panel: Loving Welcome or Fear and Hate?

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March 18, 2016

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Some notes from the Surrender panel session:

Loving Welcome or Fear and Hate?
The displacement of people and rapid rise of refugees is a global challenge. How can we as ordinary everyday people in local communities be part of Christ’s alternative of loving welcome rather than feel overwhelmed by the voices of fear and hate?

 

In what way you are currently involved with asylum seekers or refugees?

I live at the Salvos Community House in Footscray with Bron – House Manager, Maria and her son who are asylum seekers from East Timor, and Hawo and Omar and their family – refugees from Somalia.  There’s ten of us who live in and many others who work, visit or are part of the community coming and going.

How did you come to be doing this work?
I’ve been a member of several intentional communities, Urban Seed working with the homeless community in Melbourne CBD, Seeds City then Seeds Footscray… participation required asking of myself “who is my neighbour?” and seeking to live a life more engaged with those around me.  I remember intentionally working as an admin at Urban Seed – looking at the residents there and saying “I could never do that”.  It was only two weeks after I moved into the house at Droop St September last year that the opportunity to invite Hawo and her family to join us arose… you could say I fluked it!
I’ll be honest, I had ideas about what living there would be like – I had just moved in and was unpacking things and setting things up.  I felt both grief and incovenience when I had to re-pack things so recently unpacked to make room for these guys moving in.  I remember going for a walk with stuff running through my head, “How is this going to work? How can I make them feel welcome or at home here, when I hardly feel at home here myself? How can I teach them where things go when I don’t know where they go?” I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going and a street I thought cut through turned out to be a dead-end so I had to backtrack on myself the way I had come. As I turned back, I crossed to walk on the other side of the street and found a basket of clean clothing sitting out in hardwaste.  And I picked it up and I carried it home with me.  It feel like a symbol of Providence.  God saying, “I will give you what you need, when you need it and send no more than you can carry” and really understanding that not to be just practical needs but spiritual and emotional needs as well.
How has this work changed you and your community? What have you learnt?
The house has been a hub for lots of projects and having a lot more people living-in is a big shift in focus for the community, there are less spaces available for projects as more people need the kitchen, the lounge, the bathroom… these areas on the ground floor of the main house used to be common space and kept really tidy for external groups coming in, we just can’t maintain that when its lived in and used by so many.  This is a valuable factor in the community therapy model that sees us learn from one another by sharing life together. That main floor bathroom is used by Hawo and her family who are Muslim and wash several times a day prior to praying – water is splashed over the sinks and floor and then we walk in and out… it’s hard not to look at the “muddy” footprints on the floor and think it’s dirty.  Do they make my bathroom dirty or do I profane the place the prepare to pray?  Living together gives us the opportunity to confront our ideas of what we might consider is the ‘normal’ or the ‘right’ way of doing things. It’s a privilege, and a discipline, to lean into that learning curve. 
When Hawo and her family first came to move in we wanted to make them feel welcome so we put up a sign that said “Welcome” in Somalian and English, laminated a Somalian proverb about hearth fires burning indicating which cupboards in the kitchen would be theirs, made a noticeboard that had magnets with all our names, photos, days of the week, house activities… you know what? They weren’t literate in Somalian let alone English.  You set out with these good intentions and more often than not you get it wrong.  We all of us try to say and do the right thing and can often end up saying and doing the wrong thing – that is true of ANY family.
What is the best thing about it?
Moments of synergy in our multicultural and interfaith mix are pretty special… one morning I woke early and couldn’t get back to sleep so I wandered out into the garden and read 7 Sacred Pauses by the light of my phone, that’s a poetic, monastic rhythm of prayer, and as I came back in I passed Hawo coming out of washing in the bathroom to go to her prayer mat in the lounge. By the time Hawo has prayed, Maria and her son will rise to say their morning Catholic prayers together… we don’t all pray together, at the same time or in the same way but we do all pray.  The food is pretty amazing too!
What is one of the greatest challenges?
One of the greatest challenges for me is being an introvert and finding a balance of time by myself that’s fairly quiet, noise generally can be issue – for instance Bron does shift work as an emergency vet nurse and might need to sleep during the day – but as you hear the prayer ululations on someones phone as they move from room to room, the sounds of cooking and being able to tell who it is by what time of day it is, there is music, TV  and conversation (continuously!) that represents the rapid language and cultural assimilation  of our newest housemates, the soccer pitch is almost as likely to have a Somalian singing clap-dance as a kick-round happening… there is a rhythm, or a life-beat, to these sounds that shapes our sense of home…and I can always go out!
Have you got involved in any of the political dimensions of the asylum seeker ‘issue’? If so, how has that connected with the loving welcome you are extending in your context?
We engage in a few different ways, we’d attend rally’s and vigils, write letters of support, accompany housemates to appointments as needed.  Recently we hosted a picnic outside the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre on the first Sunday of Lent as a demonstration of the act of welcome we’d like to see extended to refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Australia. We invited our housemates to write the word “welcome” in their languages of origin on a plate and set that at a place at the table, creating space for the ‘other’ a symbol of hospitality and what we have to share… there is room at the table. We sang some songs from the Love Makes a Way movement and linked the event to the #LetThemStay initiative.
For people who are wondering how they might engage with refugees and asylum seekers, do you have any words of advice?
Well, personally, I’ve needed the intentional community model – to move in where the connections and relationships already exist.  I can’t make a case for connecting with refugees and asylum seekers over any other calling but I would encourage everyone to consider for themselves the question “Who is my neighbour?”.   Know yourself – do what comes naturally for you. If your feeling reckless, you might pray: “Here I am, send me”.  God is already at work in your neighbourhood and in the lives of those you know… don’t take the approach that you have to start up something new, ask instead to see where God is already working and how to get alongside.
What we do isn’t that “special”.  A sacred, ordinary day for me might look like going to a local cafe for a Vietnamese roll with Maria and hearing the latest on her VISA uncertainty, she currently re-applies every 3 months.  I can’t do anything about that, but I can listen and hold some of the fear of that uncertainty with her.  I get back to the house and work with Mohammed on some Newstart job applications, it takes us 2 hours to do four applications – it might be faster if I did it myself but that doesn’t develop his independence to be able to do it on his own. The apricot tree in our backyard is fruiting so I collect it all and start to make jam not thinking through the sheer volume of sugar required to see the project through – everyone raids their supplies to get me over the line and it takes finishing off 8 packets of five different kinds of sugar to get  the jam over the line.  We are all in this together, meeting one anothers needs and everyone has something to give. 
Is there anything else you would like to say today?
I think there is an epidemic of loneliness – not just for refugees and asylum seekers making a new start but all of us – despite our advances in technology and communication – maybe because of them.  What I think everyone is looking for is home, belonging and family.  How can we share our home? How can we invite people to feel belonging? How can we be family to one another?
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