Chaplain

The students have settled back into On-Campus Learning with a delightful buzz in the School on Monday. Yr 9 took some time in Christian Studies to reflect on the themes we have been studying. They were asked to reflect on how they practically experienced these in lockdown and devise lessons moving forward that are important for life generally. This active reflection brought some wonderful gems we could all benefit from.

These are the classes’ conclusions:

Compassion is not just about doing but being there for people. It is about perspective-taking and listening so appreciating others’ suffering.

Gratitude boosts motivation and happiness. It is good to appreciate what people do for you.

Forgiveness helps me move past hard situations. Not forgiving can hurt me.

Hope is deeply connected to Gratitude as it requires a new lens for life. Hope is faith.

Resilience is when you do poorly in an assessment then you try harder in class. Resilience is to believe that difficult situations will pass.

I was inspired by my students’ openness and keen insights. It is true that difficult situations crystalise our thoughts, beliefs and grit. They often work like a microscope focussing our attention on the often overlooked. They are like a sieve that strains out the important things in life.

A survey, ‘The Australian Spirit during COVID-19’, August 2020 run by Mainstreet Insights examined the areas that Australians realised that they were focusing on as a result of the pandemic. It found that 47% of Australians were thinking more about the meaning of life and their own mortality. Further that 33% were thinking more about God and 28% were praying more. I wonder what the people were thinking about God. Were they wondering if it was intellectually sound to believe in God? Some may have wondered what God is like and how could we know. Perhaps they were considering how they can connect with God and what it would mean to be a follower of Jesus. Perhaps they were just trying to work out what they really did believe. All good things to consider.

It seems in our busy world that when we slow down, our minds turn to the matters of the Spirit. I wonder if you are one of these people who going forward have better clarity or more curiosity about beliefs, purpose and other gritty issues of life? Perhaps as churches return to in-person gatherings, now is the time to examine and explore faith in the face of the realities of life. Church communities are a great place to find warmth and welcome and a safe space to explore faith.

This reminds me of Paul who had a crisis experience and was blind for three days. This gave him time to re-examine his belief system and his zeal. This experience profoundly changed him from a Jesus-hater to a Jesus-follower. You may know him as St Paul the one who wrote about one third of the New Testament, but originally, he rounded up Christians and put them in jail. (Acts 8)

So let me encourage you, as you resume non-lockdown life, to continue to take time and space to reflect and consider your belief system and seek the truth. Jesus said, ‘Seek and you will find.’ 

God bless you and your families,

Ms Bronwyn Lihou
Senior Campus Chaplain
blihou@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Ms Fiona McKenzie
Junior Campus Chaplain
fmckenzie@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022