Opening a window and letting the air in

By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

Last week I was talking with a priest from the South Coast about the place of the arts in exploring spiritual ideas. He said to me, “it’s like opening a window and letting the air in”. I thought it was a great image that could apply to a range of contexts.

I wonder what activity we might engage in intentionally this week that can metaphorically open a window and bring an element of surprise, fun, meaning, purpose, or connection? For each person it will be different. It might be playing Taylor Swift loudly in the car, going to the Emily Kam Kngwarray exhibition at the NGA, kicking a football, drinking some tea on a balcony or going for a morning walk. The possibilities are endless.

This semester Year 9 students are studying a unit on Spirituality and the Arts in Religious and Values Education (RaVE). The Year 9 cohort recently had the opportunity to be immersed in their learning through an excursion to Goulburn. Students moved through three rotations as they explored the local art scene through public art, engaged with the Archibald Prize regional tour and visited St Saviour’s Anglican Cathedral.

St Saviour’s Cathedral was a chance to engage with the story of Radford College as we saw plaques dedicated to our namesake Bishop Lewis Radstock Radford as well as his pectoral cross and robes (which are over 100 years old). Students also commented on the sense of awe they felt on entering such a historic place of worship as their senses were engaged by the art and architecture.

The Public Art tour was a highlight for students, in particular Radford Collegian Luke Chiswell’s Hold Your Head Up, Jason Wing’s Tree Spirits and Bill Doorman’s Ma baby gone and left me. I find Will Coles’ Burden and Memories at Goulburn Railway Station a great piece for reflecting on the way the location of public art making a difference to interpretation. There was much discussion amongst students as to what these two suitcases represented in their location.

You can repeat our excursion by visiting St Saviour’s Cathedral (which is open daily) and the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery. The gallery has free guides for the Public Art around Goulburn. A guaranteed good day out.

Upon our return to the College, we had some time for reflection in the Radford chapel. Staff and students shared the things that they noticed. Year 9 student Olivia Christian recalls, “the cathedral was a peaceful place that was beautiful to look at. It was bigger than many churches I have been to and had a strong sense of history about it. My favourite activity of the day was visiting the Art Gallery. The highlight was that each piece of art in the Archibald exhibition was unique and had a story behind it.”

As we continue our Lenten journey, we participate in the dual movements of tending to our inner lives through connection with God and ourselves and our outer lives lived in the world. Violence and suffering in Gaza, Israel, Myanmar, Ukraine and other places calls us to lament and take action. The Anglicans in Development Lent Appeal is one practical way to contribute to a more just and peaceful world.

A prayer by Michael Leunig:

Dear God,

We pray for another way of being:
another way of knowing.

Across the difficult terrain of our existence
we have attempted to build a highway
and in so doing have lost our footpath.
God lead us to our footpath:
Lead us there where in simplicity
we may move at the speed of natural creatures
and feel the earth's love beneath our feet.
Lead us there where step-by-step we may feel
the movement of creation in our hearts.
And lead us there where side-by-side
we may feel the embrace of the common soul.
Nothing can be loved at speed.

God lead us to the slow path; to the joyous insights
of the pilgrim; another way of knowing: another way of being.

Amen.