Blessed to be a Blessing

By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb

On the weekend two examples of community jumped out at me.

The first was the Radford Fete. Thank you to all the volunteers and organisers for your hard work. It was wonderful to see so many people of different ages gathering for a great event.

The second example was members of the Hindu community in Florey and Mawson who worked together to clean up after their temples were vandalised and robbed. Amid shock and distress, the community was determined to get their temples cleaned up so that people could gather and worship in these spaces. To members of the Radford community who worship in these places, we send our best wishes.

Year 8 students who have been studying world religions and places of worship in Canberra, as part of Religious and Values Education (RaVE), have written to the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre of the ACT in Florey and Sri Vishnu Shiva Mandir in Mawson to express their solidarity.

One of the images in the Bible of Christian community is that of a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Each part of the body has a role to play and one part is not more important than the other. There is a sense of interdependence and acknowledgement of the gifts each part has to offer.

I wonder which communities have nurtured you at different stages of your life? I wonder who has enriched your life through their presence? Where have you been blessed and where have you blessed others?

A big thank you to all who have responded to the Giving Tree Appeal in the Junior School for Capital Region Community Services and to ‘Pay it Forward’ Day in the Secondary School for St John’s Care and Roundabout.

During National Reconciliation Week in May, Wiradjuri singer and songwriter Uncle Johnny Huckle performed alongside Radford College band Three-Sided Die, comprising of Reuben Gillman-Wells, Lilla Gillman-Wells and Louis Thai. You can watch the performance here. Uncle Johnny’s original song Two Fires is a beautiful piece that encourages us to see the world through the perspective of each other.

A prayer for the week ahead:

God of grace and love,
God who is three-in-one,
God who is unity and diversity.
We thank you for the
gift of community.
Help us to be there
for one another in
good times
and hard times.
We pray for an outpouring
of your grace for all
who need it.
We pray in the name
of Jesus the Christ,

Amen