Stop the Boats

So now they cry
‘Stop the boats’
as hundreds die
and sink beneath choppy waves
crowding Italian graves
desperate souls seeking hope
flooding the sea lanes
fearing for their lives.

As blood stained fanatics
spread out their nets
and murder with intent
to incite disorder and terror
and corporate giants
reap rich profits
off the backs of men and women
gleaning a scant living
in their strife torn lands.

We stir the pot
and skim the profits
content to swallow
slave-tended beans
and wear slave-tended fads
consuming cheap luxuries
while slamming the door
on those who dare
transgress our borders.

Let’s open our eyes
and open our hearts
give welcome and aid
but better yet
fair reward for honest labour
so people no longer
feel constrained to flee
their mother lands.

Jeanette O’Hagan 22 April 2015

Let's talk about books and writing

Writing and painting are two passions I’ve dabbled in since I was a young child. In my twenties, I took up both my brush and the pen but soon other pursuits – marriage, career, children, ministry – crowed out my time and led me in a different direction.

Then a couple of years ago a chance conversation with the mother of my son’s best friend inspired me to enrol in a post-graduate writing degree at Swinburne.

What has followed has been an exciting voyage of discovery

– I’ve taken up the pen again. It started with the first unit when I dusted off an old manuscript I’d written in the 80s & 90s – a YA Fantasy novel, Adelphi – and had a go at re-editing the first couple of chapters. Before I knew it, I was re-editing the whole book then writing the prequel – which soon turned into the Akrad’s Legacy Trilogy: Akrad’s Children, Rasel’s Song and Mannok’s Betrayal. In the last 22 months I’ve completed 3 unpublished manuscripts and am halfway through the fourth. It has been so much fun sharing adventures with my characters – their joys, tragedies and triumphs.

- I’ve learnt so much more writing craft. I already had a solid base to work from as an avid reader since Grade 3, majoring in rhetoric in my Arts degree, doing workshops and joining Queensland Writers Centre in the 90s. But the world of fiction-writing is fast moving and a number of things had changed. The last 22 months has been a learning adventure – the niceties of Point of View, Deep third person, speech and action tags and cutting those adverbs and weasel words. Learning the craft has sharpened my prose and given it a more modern twist.

- I’ve faced the publishing Mount Everest and kept on climbing. Getting published has never been easy – but in today’s world of struggling bookshops and publishers inundated with tens of thousands of manuscripts – it sometimes seems like winning the lottery. Moreover, publishers now expect authors not just to write and dream up new novels but to market and build a platform. One thing is for sure though; you can’t achieve a goal unless you actually try. So I’m writing, re-writing, sending manuscripts to publishers, entering competitions and keeping my options open.

- I’ve discovered a group of Aussie authors I knew nothing about. Through my course but also, in one of those God-incidents, when I connected with an about-to-be published author (I went to Bible College with her Dad), I went on a writers camp. Here I met both published and aspiring authors, publishers and editors, linked in with some writing groups through Facebook and began to contribute to some great group blogs. I have received so much encouragement and inspiration from these fantastic writers.

- I have read and enjoyed a whole bunch of books I knew nothing about. And I am sure that there are many, many people who are totally unaware of inspirational Aussie and Kiwi books available through publishing companies such as Even Before Publishing/Wombat Books, Splashdown Press or Daystar Publishing. I’ve found that Aussie authors are often more down to earth and willing to meld genres. If you haven’t already, it’s well worth a look at what is offer.

- I dabbled in some creative non-fiction and poetry. While fiction is my current focus, my course has given me opportunities to explore other areas. I continue to blog, write poems, reviews and social commentary. My current unit is on Writing History.  I have a number of areas that I want to write about including ethics, apologetics and family history – and one day I will .

Next week, on 6^th December, Michelle Dennis Evans will be posting on Jenny’s Thread as part of an Excerpt Tour from her recent YA release – Spiralling Out of Control as well as giving the opportunity of winning $200 Amazon voucher.

Did you say "win"

Some authors I’ve met, read and grown to love their books:

Paula Vince – New Adult (NA) contemporary fiction with suspense, romance and creative take on difficult issues, e.g. Best Forgotten, Picking up the Pieces and her fantasy Quenarden series.

Lynne Stringer –YA Science Fiction Verindon series – The Heir, The Crown (The third book The Reign will be released early next year.)

Skye Elizabeth Wieland – adventure, faith and romance against the magnificent background of the Krueger National Park in Sarah’s Gift and newly released Mark’s Strength.

Amanda Deed – historical romantic fiction set at the time of the Victorian Gold Rushes.

Meredith Resce – long time author of historical inspirational romances set in England and Australia.

Rose Dee – her Resolution series are inspirational contemporary romances set in North Queensland – with elements of intrigue and suspense.

Paula, Rose, Amanda and Meredith collaborated in The Greenfield Legacy, tracing the impact on past decisions on family dynamics.

Michelle Dennis Evans – her hard hitting YA novel Spiralling Out of Control

Jo Wanmer – Though the Bud Be Bruised – gritty yet hopeful fictionalised account of abuse

Lisa Taylor – her YA book Motive Games

Ian Acherson – supernatural thriller Angelguard

Kayleen West – delightful picture books Without Me and Adoptive Father

Michelle Worthington – delightful Yellow Dress Day, Wonderfully Madison and other titles

Katrina Rowe – picture book Marty’s Nut Free Party

Carol Preston – Australian historical series from convict days – based on her own family history.

Paul Clark – modern day parables with the Car Park Parables

David Malcolm Bennett – Biographies and historical non-fiction (though I already knew David & had read his books back in Bible college Days )

Sheridan Voysey – Resurrection Year (Again, I knew Sheridan & Merryn from Bible college days.)

Other authors I’ve met online and/or in person whose books are on my to-read list:

Annie Hamilton – especially her fantasy books

Andrea Grigg – an Australian romance – A Simple Mistake

Elaine Fraser – A Perfect Mercy

Lisbeth Klein – children’s fantasy series

Penny Reeve – children’s books

Jo-Anne Berthelsen – novels and non-fiction Soul Friend

Ray Hawkins devotional books

Mary Hawkins inspirational romances

Jennifer Ann – Broken Pottery the life of an African girl

Andrew Lansdown – award winning poetry

Graham Aitchison – No Way But Through a personal journey from mental illness to health

Melissa Gijsbers – Teapot Tales and other anthologies.

And then there are the up and coming authors (watch this space):

Alison Steggert – writing YA adventure stories

Nicole Nugent – contemporary fiction about a nurse’s adventures in remote indigenous communities

Kristine Barrett – epic fantasy

Amanda – Australian historical fiction

Virginia Moncrieff – journalist & contemporary fiction

Dorothy Raymond

Charis Joy Jackson – fantasy

Vicki Stevens – contemporary mystery set in Australia

Trina Denner -  middle grade children’s book (for boys)

Adele Jones – about to be published Integrate

Nola Passamore – published poet, working on a novel

Julie-Anne O’Hagan – journalist, editor and writer

And (cough, cough) Jeanette O’Hagan – YA/NA fantasy

(My apologies if I’ve missed anyone.)

We have a lot of local talent – so let’s celebrate, enjoy and support our local home-grown authors.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Mother Teresa

Photos by Jeanette O’Hagan (All rights reserved)

Nestled in the curve of the Brisbane River, a sleeping beauty is beginning to wake from its summer slumber. Now quietly somnolent, the almost empty expanses of green manicured lawns,  stately sandstone buildings and car parks will soon be a bursting with white canvas information booths, crowds of excited students and cars of every make and model.

The scene will be replicated downstream of the flood swollen river at the Queensland University of Technology Garden Point Campus huddled between the historic Botanic Gardens and Houses of Parliament, at Griffiths University Nathan campus set amidst Australian bushland to the south and indeed in multiple TAFEs and Universities campuses throughout Brisbane and the far reaches of Queensland.

With the start of orientation programs during February 2013, a new generation of tertiary students will arrive from city suburbs, regional towns and remote rural areas to slay educational dragons and secure a bright future. And like the heroes of old, first year students face many challenges as they negotiate the transition from secondary to tertiary education. Fronting up to University can be a daunting task.

“First year university students have historically faced a wide range of stressors and challenges whilst embracing new direction in their lives. The complexity of these stressors, however, appears to be ballooning as we enter a new millennium,” say Ms Libbie Douglass and Dr Mir Rabiul Islam from the Psychology Department, Charles Sturt University in a 2009 report on the emotional wellbeing of first year students. These stressors can result in increases in rates of depression and anxiety and student drop out.

Former engineering student, Chris travelled from Mt Isa to attend James Cook University in Townsville. In the first few weeks, Chris found the initial lectures boring. “They covered the material we had studied at school.” Thinking he wasn’t learning anything new, he stopped attending lectures and by the time he had realised his mistake, he was too far behind to easily catch up. Not surprisingly, he failed his mid-term exams. The work load had become overwhelming. Quiet and retiring, he had made a few friends in the residential college where he stayed but he struggled with literacy and didn’t know where to go for help. By second semester he had withdrawn from his course.

Studies have consistently shown that as much as one third to one fifth of students defer, transfer their course or drop out of study all together by the end of first year. The First Year Experience in Australian Universities, a 1994-2009 longitudinal study by Richard James, Kerri-Lee Krause and Claire Jennings found that in 2009 23% of students were considering deferring or discontinuing. A 2011 HERDSA study on First Years Transition into University reports, “High numbers (e.g. up to 40% at some institutions) discontinue studies prematurely, often due to the difference between the expectations of university life and the actual experience.”

Mrs Kate Hillenberg who worked for years in TESOL and TAFE says, “I think a lot of students feel that they are in a sink or swim situation. It’s a big learning curve and those who manage to keep it together survive but for some students the challenges cause them to walk away.”

Yet with realistic expectations, hard work and a willingness to ask for help when needed, it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Challenges

New students commonly underestimate the work load and the degree of self-motivated study required at University. The 1994-2009 longitudinal study found that a third of First Years found the study work load was too heavy.

Rosie, a quiet, softly spoken pharmacy student at University of Queensland, St Lucia, says, “I was not quite as prepared as I thought for the increased workload.”

In today’s financially tight educational climate, students can have unrealistic expectation of the amount of supervision their lecturers can give.

Kathleen, a science honours graduate, relates how one of her Chemistry lecturers informed the class of nervous first years,

“About a third of you will fail this course and it’s not my problem – your teachers in school cared but I don’t care – it’s all up to you.”

Many lecturers, such as lslam and Douglass, do care. Nevertheless there is a significant change in student-teacher dynamics between secondary school and tertiary education. The 1994-2009 longitudinal study found that lecturers were troubled by the widespread expectations that they would regularly look at student’s draft essays and would mark essays within a week. These things are just not possible with the way Universities are currently funded.

Smaller or more specialist tertiary institutions can provide more opportunity for teacher-student interaction.

Morgan (21) is a vibrant and talented singer, now in her final year of the Bachelor of Music (Classical Voice) at the Griffith Queensland Conservatorium of Music. “I really love my lecturers – they’re incredibly knowledgeable about their subject areas and are a constant source of inspiration. That said, I’m at a very close-knit uni, with much fewer students in classes than a normal uni,” she says. While she didn’t warm to the competitive push of one mentor, she says “my current teacher is a real pillar of strength for me.”

On a positive note, the findings of the 1994-2009 longitudinal study “suggest that good progress has been made in improving the transition to university and the quality of the educational experience for first year students. The investment in high quality transition programs and in monitoring and responding to the needs and experiences of first year students is yielding dividends.” “Half the school-leavers now say that school was a good preparation for university study. This is significantly above the 2004 findings.”

Students may struggle with motivation, procrastination and poor study habits, especially if there is a mismatch between the course and the student’s interests and natural abilities. According to the longitudinal study, 36% find it difficult to get motivated to study.

Caitlin (19), in her final year of Diploma of Justice Studies at South Brisbane Institute of Technology (SBIT) says, “I find it very hard to concentrate and get motivated and get my work done.”

Another challenge can be balancing work, social and family commitments. With rising costs and less government contributions, many students experience financial pressures.

More than half of students have some part-time work to help finance their time at university. While work can enhance studies, it can more often be detrimental to them. According to the 1994-2009 longitudinal study, 61% of students are working. The study concludes, “Longer hours of work are associated with a lower grade average and an increased likelihood of considering deferral … The high number of hours worked each week by a large proportion of first year students, often to provide for basic necessities, suggests educational outcomes are at risk of being diminished.” “The typical full-time student is also a working student who is sandwiching study and work”

Not having work may put other pressures on students with minimal incomes. The Longitudinal study reported that 33% of students found that money worries made it difficult to study.

SBIT student Caitlin said, “Another problem is the lack of funds. Not many people are willing to hire a full time student, and being jobless while studying is harsh.”

Many students experience isolation and loneliness, especially if they have had to relocate to study.

James, Krause and Jennings report an a decrease in sense of community and involvement in extracurricular activities related to an increase of online content of courses, less teacher involvement, bigger classes and increase in the need to work to support one’s studies. “Only one half of first year students report they feel like they belong on their university campus, despite the vast majority of respondents being full-time, campus-based students.”

Second year Pharmacy student Rosie (18), who lives with her family in the northern suburbs, says, “Possibly the greatest challenge for me was switching from an environment where I was familiar with everyone around me, to one where I didn’t know anyone at all.”

For 21 year old Morgan, enrolling in the Conservatorium of Music situated at Brisbane’s Southbank “meant moving away from everyone I knew in Mackay, where I grew up. For me, that was daunting, because I’m quite a social person. But that turned out to be just fine.”

For other students the social side of University or TAFE can dominate. They may be away from parental supervision for the first time. This can result in risky behaviours with drug/alcohol use and abuse and unpleasant sexual experiences.

Former TAFE lecturer, TESOL teacher Hillenberg says students “may use alcohol or drugs to relieve feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression.” Some, she adds, become involved in the “drinking culture.”

Douglass and Islam in their survey of 181 students at an Australian regional university found ‘30% “experiencing drugs on campus,” 27% “taking illicit drugs” and 24% “smoking marijuana.” Twenty five percent had problems “controlling their alcohol intake” and 10% reported having an “extremely negative sexual experience.”’

The variety of stresses can be greater for rural and remote students who often have to relocate bringing additional burdens of financial pressure and isolation.

In a 2010 study of 32 students at regional University by Vicki Bitsika, Christopher F. Sharpley and Vira Rubenstein, students found “dislocation, to family, friend and partner relationships most stressful.” In a study of rural and remote students attending Swinburne University of Technology, Ms Meaghan Walsh, Ms Jennifer Crawford & Dr Ian Macdonald, students reported “social issues associated with dislocation from family and established social networks … and accommodation issues” as well as financial pressures and academic difficulties.”

Students from rural, minority or lower socioeconomic backgrounds may also be the first one in their families enrolled in tertiary studies. In many cases, their families may not value tertiary education or not fully understand the level of commitment such study entails.

The 1994-2009 Longitudinal Study found “Students from rural areas and low socioeconomic backgrounds are less inclined to say that their final year was a good preparation for university. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds feel significant pressure from the financial commitment their parents have made, while at the same time are less likely to believe their parents have an understanding of what university is all about.” Nola Alloway and Meaghan Dalley in a study of rural students says “the value of education is not necessarily obvious to many rural people. … young people report that  they have no relevant role models in their communities who would empathise with the importance, benefits and values of education and learning – and no voice that would or could challenge family traditions and understanding.”

International students face the added pressure of adjusting to a foreign culture.

Hillenberg, who still maintains links with her former international students says, “Students from other countries may be dealing with language issues and cultural challenges. However in my experience a lot of overseas students form firm networks of friends in a similar situation and provide support for each other.”

For some students the academic, financial or social pressures become more than they can handle. They may struggle with anxiety or depression or, like Chris, drop out of study. Islam and Douglass state in their 2007 Roundtable discussion paper, “A number of studies suggest that higher rates of psychological morbidity [than among the general population] are being recorded among first year university students throughout the world.” “Many of these issues are extremely serious in nature, such as mental health problems, sexual assault and drug and alcohol crises.”

“Predisposition to depression, anxiety or character challenges such as perfectionism can manifest due to the increasing challenges that the students face. One student I know was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder during his university studies but he continued to attempt to complete his course,” says Hillenberg.

Overcoming the challenges

Despite the difficulties, the majority of students survive and indeed thrive in the transition from secondary school to tertiary studies. There are many strategies and resources available to students to overcome the challenges they face.

Universities and TAFEs are becoming more aware of the issues though there is still more that could be done.

James, Krause and Jennings suggest “strengthening the interactions between students and academic staff. … The student-teaching interaction appears impersonal and distant for many students. … [while] teacher empathy, demonstrated interest in students as individuals and respect for students are important factors in students’ academic and social engagement.”

The large 2011 HERDSA study found that Universities can assist student transition through providing “orientation, web-based course assistance, computer and study facilities, and university sponsored social events.” It concludes, “The research suggests that the university should focus on developing its web-based resources further, these being highly valued by students making the transition to higher education.”

“The TAFE and the University of Queensland have quite extensive student counselling and support available,” says Hillenberg. “These services are open to all students and can involve help with study skills or personal issues including accommodation. … Other general support services like Lifeline, Beyond Blue and Headspace can be accessed by students and need to be promoted so students know these services are available.”

Research shows that support of family and friends is an important factor in helping school leavers adjust to tertiary study.

Even though hundreds of kilometres from home, Morgan says, “My mother was a huge support system for me, re-coaching me in the holidays and monitoring my progress (she was my previous singing teacher before moving to the Conservatorium).”

For Rosie the support of her pre-Uni friends helped: “One thing that helped me keep confident in an unfamiliar environment was catching up with friends I had known from school. It allowed me to keep a connection to the familiar which made dealing with the unfamiliar less stressful.” It was similar for Caitlin: “I got a lot of help from friends and my boyfriend. Without them I would have been a lot more stressed I think.”

Hillenberg suggests families can “actively prepare students for the university environment and talk over the experiences that may be involved.” She adds, “I would suggest that family and friends stay in touch with the students and pay attention to the mood and demeanour of the students over time.”

Students can do a number of things to survive and indeed enhance their tertiary experience.

The 2011 HERDSA study concluded students can help their transition into tertiary study through a “willingness to seek academic support, effort and commitment towards study and embracing university culture.” They say, “Students adapt better to their university environment when they feel supported by their peers and when they are part of a social network and overall culture.”

Hillenberg agrees that “firm friendships can be made with other classmates and these can encourage each other as they are all in the same boat. …There are a variety of social groups on campus which give students an opportunity to reach out. However the onus is on the student to seek out and find these groups.”

Professor Marcia Devlin of Deakin University dropped from full time to part time study in her first year yet went on to earn five academic qualifications. In an article in the Age, she recommends six strategies for first year students:

1) Manage your expectations;

2) Find help early and often;

3) Connect with other students;

4) Minimize part-time work;

5) Be prepared for the crunch time often about the week six of the first semester; and

6) If the crunch comes, consider all options.

Devlin says “Dropping out is an option, of course. It solves your immediate problems. But there are other options. If you need support while you consider your options, talk to your family and friends or make an appointment to speak to a student counsellor.”

An Exciting Time

Despite the potential difficulties, for the majority of students, tertiary study is an exciting time that opens the doors to opportunities and growth.

Morgan (21), in her final year of music studies: “I love the independence of it. I enjoy being able to complete what I need to complete and choose what I want to do in my own time, when it suits me, which can sometimes be a bit of juggle with work.”

Rosie (18), in second year of pharmacy: “so far I am satisfied with my course. While difficult, I find it interesting … while there is more work involved, there is still a much more evident feeling of being relaxed compared to school life.”

Bachelor of Science Graduate, John (28) liked “The freedom to express opinions, discover yourself and others, be yourself, learn, lots of spare time, lots of activities to consider involvement in.” He says, “My experience as a university student was mostly positive. I grew a lot emotionally, spiritually and physically (a little bit, not too much physically). Got involved in a Christian group and that helped me a lot, especially in terms of finding life’s purpose.”

Caitlin (19): “I enjoy my course, and it has taught me a lot.” “It is a lot of fun and I have met so many new people. It has made me come out of my shell a bit, and grow up quite a lot.” “I think it was a big shock for me, studying justice. I studied law and crimes and it hit me hard. I think it finally impacted me how harsh the world can be. I really hit a low for a while, and wondered why I was doing it, but I think I’ve finally started to figure out that yes, it does happen, but that’s why I decided to study this… to help people and to try to prevent it in the future.”

Confronting tertiary studies for the first time can be daunting. Students often experience stress related to the changed study styles and expectations, adjusting to a new environment, making new friends, balancing study with social life, family and work commitments, and financial pressures. It can also be a time of greater independence and personal growth.

The Uni/TAFE experience is an exciting one that opens the doors to opportunity as thorny obstacles and entangling distractions are overcome and the sleeping beauty awakes. Just remember, be prepared, plan ahead, work hard, make connections, seek help early and whenever necessary and don’t despair•

People, programs or groups to contact that can help:

Utilize transition programs – orientation week activities, introductory sessions, study skills workshops etc

University handbooks and information manuals

Fellow students, family and friends

Lecturers, course co-ordinators and advisors

University counselling centres and chaplaincy services

Local doctors, counsellors or psychologists

Headspace

Lifeline

Beyond Blue

Red Frogs

Student groups and societies such as Student Life, AFES, different clubs and societies

—

References

Alloway, N., & Dalley, L., (2009) “High and Dry” in Rural Australia: obstacles to student aspirations and expectations” in Journal of Research Into Rural Social Issues Vol 19 N 1 April 2009, p 45-55

Aston, J. & Elliot, R. (2007), “Study, Work, Rest and Play: Juggling priorities of student’s lives” in AJEC Australian Journal of Early Childhood, Vol 32 No 2 June 2007, 15 ff

Bowles, A. Et al (2011). An Exploratory Investigation into First Year Student Transition to University. In Krause, K., Buckridge, M., Grimmer, C. and Purbrick-Illek, S. (Eds.) Research and Development in Higher Education: Reshaping Higher Education, 34 (pp. 61 – 71). 34th HERDSA Annual International Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, 4 – 7 July 2011.

Bitsika, V., Sharpley C. F., & Rubenstein, V., (2010) “What Stresses University Students: An Interview Investigation of the Demands of Tertiary Students” in Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, Vol 20 No 1 July 2010, pp 41-54, http://www.herdsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/conference/2011/papers/HERDSA_2011_Bowles.PDF, acc 2 February 2013

Devlin, M., (January 16, 2012) First year: a survival guide in The Age, http://www.theage.com.au/national/tertiary-education/first-year-a-survival-guide-20120116-1q267.html#ixzz2JbgtCMk9 , acc 20 January 2013

Douglass, L., & Islam, M. R. (2009) Emotional wellbeing of first year university students: Critical for determining future academic success. School Social Sciences & Liberal Studies – Charles Sturt University, pdf, http://fyhe.com.au/past_papers/papers09/content/pdf/8A.pdf, acc 20 Jan 2013

Islam, M. R. & Douglass, L., (2007) Emotional wellbeing of first year students: The challenge of engaging the “whole person” Roundtable Discussion Paper, Psychology Department of Charles Sturt University, http://fyhe.com.au/past_papers/2006/Round%20Table/Islam.pdf , acc 20 Jan 2013

James, R., Krause, K-L., & Jennings, C., (2010) The First Year Experience in Australian Universities: Findings from 1994 to 2009,The University of Melbourne, March 2010, pdf, http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ctlc/assets/downloads/dfl/FYE-Report-1994-2009.pdf , acc 20 January 2013

Lewis, C., Dickson-Swift, V., Talbot, L., & Snow, P. (2007) “Regional Tertiary Students and Living Away from Home: A priceless experience that costs too much?” in AJSI Australian Journal of Social Issues, Vol 42 No 42 Summer 2007, pp 531ff.

Walsh, M., Crawford, J., & Macdonald, I., () Rural and Remote Students: Transition Issues in Accessing Tertiary Education, IMAC Education Pty Ltd.,  http://www.imac-education.com.au/publications/Pub12.htm, acc 20 January 2013

Interviews:

Hillenberg, K., (2013) Personal interview conducted 26 January & 2 February, 2013 via email and chat.

Also additional personal interviews with current and past students conducted between 19 January – 2 February, 2013.

I love waking up to Classic Breakfast each morning.  A couple of mornings ago, (the morning before International Women’s Day), I was abruptly roused (in more ways than one) by the informational byte:

“What could we finally do [on this day in 1992]?  Women were finally admitted to the priesthood in Australia with the ordination of ten women by Dr Peter Carney.”

What the presenter (the delightful Emma Ayres) was referring to was the first ordinations of women by the Anglican Church in Australia.  However, what struck me was the implication that this was the first time women had been ordained in any church in Australia.  I realize that this segment (so often intriguing) gives just snippets in time yet 666 ABC Canberra also proclaimed “20 years of Women’s Ordination in Australia” and “It’s been 20 years since Australia’s first women priests were ordained in a ceremony in Perth”.   I would like to gently point out that there are more churches in Australia than the Anglican Church and other denominations have been ordaining woman for many decades previous to 7 March 1992.

In fact, women have held positions of leadership in the church from its inception in the 1^st century. There were prominent women among Jesus’ followers as significant financial supporters, disciples (Luke 8:1-3) and the important first witnesses of his resurrection (John 20:1, 11-18).  Women continued to contribute in the early church: from Phillip’s four prophesying daughters (Acts 21:9), to Priscilla (who, along with her husband instructed the prominent evangelist and apologist Apollo, held a house church in her home and who Paul considered as a fellow worker Romans 16:3-5), to Junias noted among the apostles (Rom 16:7), to Phoebe the deacon (Romans 16:1), to Euodia and Syntyche, Paul’s fellow workers in the gospel (Philippians 4:2-3) and many other women such as Mary, mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12), Lydia of Thyatira (Acts 16:15), Chloe of Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:11), Nympha of Laodicea (Colossians 4:15) and Apphia (Philemon 2) who held house churches in their homes. Other women exercised leadership in first couple of centuries, such as Thelca of Iconium.   Historian Dr. Karen J. Torjesen concludes that up until the third century “Women were evangelizing, baptizing, teaching, interpreting Scripture, doing visitation, functioning as leaders of groups within the church and speaking out in the assembly. The Statutes of the Apostles show that women also shared in the eucharistic ministry.”    However, as the church became more public, organized, stratified and institutionalized, women’s leadership roles came under dispute in 3^rd – 5^th centuries.

In the increasing restrictions on women’s public participation and leadership in the church over the next millennia or so did not mean that women were no longer involved or even influential in the church’s life and ministry. They continued to make an impact as faithful grandmothers, mothers, sisters and wives, as patrons, and in the spiritual, charitable and educational work of female religious orders, as social and religious reformers, as contributors to the parish life and as intrepid missionaries.  Moreover, throughout church history dynamic new groups have often encouraged women as preachers, ministers and leaders – for instance the Waldensians (12^th century), the early Anabaptists (16^th century), the Quakers (17^th century), the early Moravians (18^th century), the early Methodists (18^th century), the Salvation Army (19^th century), the Holiness movement (19^th century) and the early Assemblies of God (20^th century: first women ordained in AOG USA in 1914). In the middle 18^th century to the middle of the 20^th century a number of the more established denominational groups began ordaining women (e.g. branches of the Congregationalists, the Presbyterians, the Wesleyan Methodists, the Nazarenes, the Mennonites, the Baptists, Lutherans etc, particularly in though not confined to the USA). However, the momentum towards women’s ordination slowed and even lost ground in the middle of the 20^th century (following the two world wars) – as in fact did the women’s movement as a whole – until it gained new impetus from the 1960s onwards among many denominations worldwide.

What about Australia? Did women indeed have to wait until 1992 for the possibility of ordination?  This depends entirely on which branch of the church you belong to!

• February 1881, the first woman Salvation Army officer (minister) Mrs Adelaide Sutherland was appointed to Australia (a year after the arrival of the first officer in 1880).  By 1884 32 new officers were commissioned (in all likelihood including women) as the Salvation Army has routinely ordained both married and single women alongside men from its inception by William and Catherine Booth in 1865 in Britain.  (In fact, by 1878 there were nearly an equal number of women officers (41) as there were men officers (49).)

One hundred and five years later, in 1986 Eva Burrows, an Australian woman (born in Newcastle in 1929) was elected as International leader of the Salvation Army. She was second woman to be appointed as General (or the world head).  The first woman elected in this position was Evangeline Booth in 1934.   On 31 January 2011, the Salvation Army announced that Canadian Linda Bond would be the next world leader.

• 1909 Janet Lancaster founded the very first Pentecostal church in Australia at the Good News Hall which started numerous satellite congregations in Victoria and other parts of Australia during her lifetime.
• Tuesday 14 June, 1927 Mrs.Winifred Kiek was ordained as a congregational minister in South Australia.
• 8th October 1951 Rev Dr Hilda Abba was ordained at Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney to a Placement in a Theological College.
• In 1969 Revd Margaret Sanders, was ordained by the Methodist Church of Australia (though ordination of women had been acknowledged in principle since 1929).
• In October 1972 The Revd M.J. Thalheimer was the first woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church in Australia.
• In 1973 Pam Bowers and Robin Haskell were ordained in Melbourne as first women ministers in the Churches of Christ in Australia.
• In 1977 Lynn Holland was the first woman ordained in the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia.
• In 1978 Marita Munro was the first woman ordained as a Baptist minister in Victoria.
• In 1977 (at the time of Union between Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalists), the Uniting Church of Australia had 36 ordained women in ministry.
• In March 1992, (10) women ordained to the Anglican priesthood for the first time in Australia.  By the end of 1992, 90 women were ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia and 2 others who had been ordained overseas were recognised – “92 in ‘92″. 

As you can see, the Anglicans were by no means the first church in Australia to ordain women to the ministry (minister/priest/pastor).  It would be more accurate to say that they were one of the last (though they do seem to have made up for lost time).  Whatever the theological and biblical issues might be about ordaining women, there is no denying the woman have had, and continue to have, a prominent, pivotal and influential role in the life and ministry of the church.

Jenny

Relevant Links:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/femclrg13.htm

http://www.australianbiography.gov.au/subjects/burrows/

http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper158.html

http://theflamingheretic.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/women-leadership-in-the-moravian-church/

http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/W645ME.html#1989

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=EFI7tr9XK6EC&pg=RA1-PA449&lpg=RA1-PA449&dq=waldensians+early+women+leadership&source=bl&ots=oYeNM5itjP&sig=u6y5Gl8gqzBN2c-37F9MdabOiFE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CqhWT8b8Lae5iQeJtLjJCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=waldensians%20early%20women%20leadership&f=false

http://www.anglicanbrisbane.org.au/www/node/513

http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/about-us_65047/history-and-heritage/1880-1900.html?s=1024054748

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ind/www_ind.nsf/80256e520050a2e280256b3b0048eb4b/80256e520050a2e280256c18005cdb07!OpenDocument

Dr. Roy B. Blizzard, “THE ROLE OF WOMEN in First-Century Judaism and the Church”  http://webbpage.bravehost.com/Yavo/1_4_Bliz_WomensRole.html

Mimi Haddad Women Leaders in the Early Church in Sojourners 16-02-2009  http://sojo.net/blogs/2009/02/16/women-leaders-early-church

Jone Johnson Lewis, “Abbesses in Women’s Religious History” in About.com – Woman’s History  http://womenshistory.about.com/od/medievalchristianity/a/abbess.htm

Rev. Kathryn Riss, “Women in Church History WOMEN PASTORS IN THE EARLY CHURCH” in God’s Word to Women http://godswordtowomen.org/pastors.htm

Dr. Karen J. Torjesen, “Early Controversies Over Female Leadership” Issue 17 in Christian History Magazine http://www.christianhistorymagazine.org/index.php/past-pages/17womens-leadership/

Ruth A Tucker, Daughters of Eve, http://daughtereve.blogspot.com.au/

David Woodbury, Foundation of the Salvation Army in Sydney 1882-83 in Dictionary of Sydney,  2011  http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/item/56096

Just a few days ago I attended the funeral of a valued friend. The tears flowed freely and hearts were moved as her husband, sister, friends and past colleagues gave tributes to a cherished woman’s unquenchable spirit, generous love, and strong faith. She was a loving daughter and sister, a creative and inspirational teacher, a caring friend, a devoted wife, and a dedicated,generous mother with a great heart. At a couple of months short of 47, her life was cut off far too soon. She will be greatly missed not least by her husband of 20 years and three precious children (12, 9 and 5 years of age).

My first memories of Anne Maree – almost a decade ago – was of a smiling, gracious woman who made me and my family feel welcome. Petite, vibrant, with infectious smile and keen blue eyes, she was full of life.  Yet it is over the last two years that her indomitable spirit and unshakable faith really blazed bright. Almost exactly two years ago she was diagnosed with liver cancer.  The medical team only expected her to live six months.  Time and time again she surprised them – enduring chemotherapy with panache and flair, bouncing back from operations with a rapidity that totally astonished her doctors, remaining active and vibrant to the end, insisting on being involved in the day to day care of her children even as her body wasted away to a shadow.  Rallying again and again and again. When most would have given up long ago, she clung to life with an unquenchable spirit not least to snatch a few more precious moments with her family. She had her down times but her faith in the love and power of God remained strong to the very end.  Now,  she is at peace, her battle over – as we who remain come to terms with her death.

Death – it is such a stark word, it does not roll smoothly over the tongue, it jars and shocks us. Yet the longer we live, the less we can avoid it’s dark reality.  I’ve been to more than a few funerals over the years – of friends, family and colleagues – and I have mourned the death of many more.

I think my first funeral was of the father of a close friend.  It was a muted affair in a simple crematorium chapel.  His life was marred by the break down of relationships and a losing battle with the bottle, yet his children gave heartfelt appreciation of his love for them over the years.  Some time after this was the funeral of a fellow bible college student, a beautiful young Maori woman in the middle of her studies.  I can still vividly recall her bubbly personality, her glossy curtain of black hair, dark lively eyes and warm smile.  She had a dynamic faith and a strong calling to missionary work. I remember the evening over coffee when she told me she felt unusually, bone sapping tired, should she be worried? She looked pale. I suggested she see her doctor for tests. A few days later she was diagnosed with Leukaemia – a type that at that time had over 90% chance of cure.  Yet a couple of months later, following chemotherapy, she developed a rampant infection and died. She was just 30 years old. Her grieving family flew over from New Zealand and the church was crowded with fellow students, teachers, friends and family wondering over a promising life cut short.

Lives cut short. Yet even when lives are long, death jars us.  For me, the year that brought this home the most was 2002.  I sometimes joked that this was my year of “five funerals and a wedding” – though it was no joke.  In all, eight people I knew and had significant connections died  (including four family members)- while one close friend married a quiet, gentle man (in January 2003) – a rare joyful celebration in the midst of the bitter sweet and the sad.

The funeral that hit me the hardest that year was that of my youngest brother. He was 35 years old. A life cut short after a losing the battle with depression and despair.  I can remember as a seven year old carrying him on my hip with great love and pride. His baby-blond curls, bight blue eyes and trusting smile won our hearts. My brothers and I doted on him. Always a little eccentric as a child, he grew into a gentle, troubled man – brilliant at maths, a great love for fantasy and science fiction but struggling with the intricacies of social interactions and a hidden past of bullying. He found a mixed haven in the Air Force but left it in the middle of a recession and then struggled to find steady employment. Always gentle, he turned his anger inward spiralling to a place where the love of his family and God seemed cut off from to him. Yet even in the midst of despair God’s love reached out.  I can still vividly remember the piercing, paralyzing sadness that descended like a pall as I listened to my mother voice on the phone, telling me that they had found his body in his newly rented flat. Over the days and months afterwards I remembered the word of the wise woman of Tekoa to King David of Israel “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.” (2 Samuel 14:14a NIV)  Once the jar of water hits the hard ground and shatters, the water can not be gathered up or put back.  It spreads out in silver flood seeping into the cracks and crevices and evaporating into thin air.  In real life, there is a finality about death.  It disrupts and jars us.

When faced with the starkness and disruption of the death of his close friend Lazarus of Bethany – Jesus wept. His sisters had sent him a message several days ago that their brother was seriously ill but Jesus had delayed his journey from Galilee to Bethany.  The hostility of the religious leaders was at boiling point, so it was dangerous for him to be near Jerusalem (and indeed in a few weeks Jesus would be arrested, tried and killed.) Yet that is not why he delayed. By the time Jesus arrived at the house, his friend had been dead and buried 4 days.  First Lazarus’ sister Martha, then Mary and then the crowd reproached him.  If Jesus had come sooner he surely would have been able to heal Lazarus.  Now he was dead.  The jar of water had smashed to the ground, the point of no return had been reached.  Jesus looked at the tear streaked faces of his dear friends, capable Martha and gentle Mary, he saw the weeping mourners, he thought of his friend’s body decaying in the tomb and he wept at the reality, starkness, the stink of death. Jesus was often moved to compassion by the crowds that milled around him, by the poor, the sick, the outcasts that looked to him for healing and acceptance.  Yet it is  recorded that he wept on only two occasions – when he looked at Jerusalem and foresaw its bloody destruction (which eventuated in AD 70), and when he came to the close friends and family sitting shiva for his friend Lazarus. Death is a stark reality which in the end we all face.  Yet, in the Story of God (the Bible), the sadness and disruption of death is not how things were meant to be, not how things will always be.

As final as death seems, it is part of the Christian faith that it is not the end.  Death will not intimidate and bully us forever.  Even as the tears streamed down his face, Jesus already knew – had known in Galilee – what he was now about to do. “Take away the stone (from the entrance to the grave)” he commands.  Martha, ever practical protests, “He’s been dead four days, Teacher. The smell …!”  But because he insists they do what he directs, pushing the heavy stone from the dark opening of the tomb. “Lazarus come forth” he commands. The incredible happens, a dead decomposing body stands up, is restored to life and personality and walks out of the tomb.  Lazarus has been brought back from the dead to the amazement and disbelief of those who see it with their own eyes and those who hear about it.

Yet, as amazing as this was, it was just an appetizer of what God, in Jesus, has planned. For Lazarus, how many years he may have lived after this event, would eventually die and his body would once more be laid in the grave, a temporary reprieve from the disruption of death.  However, the biblical witnesses claims that though Jesus was brutally murdered on the cross and laid in the tomb for three days – he was raised by the power of God to a new kind of life, a life in which death and decay no longer has a place. A resurrection life which he offers to us, if we but accept it.  As he says to Martha “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Do you believe this? Of course many, many people are sceptical of these reports and claims.  Possibly you are too.  You might not believe in miracles or a God who intervenes in the course of ordinary life, into nature and history. You may not believe in an after-life. You may be sceptical of the gospel reports of Jesus being raised from the dead or his divine nature. You might doubt the veracity and accuracy of the biblical accounts. I can understand this – though after much investigation, thought and experience, I am convinced that of these things are indeed true.  And not just I, but many others as well.  So I entreat you not to dismiss such things out of hand.

Some five years before the year of funerals and a wedding, we had participated in the funeral of one of our pastors.  Stephanie was a mother of two preteens, a devoted wife and a caring pastor. Even as she underwent cancer treatment, her undying faith, positive spirit, listening ear and empathetic concern for others impacted strongly on her doctors, nurses and fellow patients.  Perhaps what was most moving of all was the audiovisual recording played during her funeral of her sermon on the reality of the resurrection and anticipation of the joy of being in God’s loving presence, which she had given a year previously, just months before the discovery of cancer.

Others too have, in the severest tests of faith, have held on to these things as true. Another friend struck down by cancer in her forties insisted on purple balloons to festively adorn the church  and asked that her strong affirmation of Jesus was the crucial centre point of history be read out at her funeral.  I think of my Aunt Kath who lived to the age of 89. As a young woman she chose singleness so that she could serve Jesus with greater dedication.  To me she was like a second mother and a definitely a strong mentor, the living hub of our extended family, still writing regularly and sending birthday cards not only to siblings and their spouses, not only to numerous nieces and nephews, but to their children and grandchildren. Just a year before her death she sent a small baby doll clothed in a hand knitted pink outfit from my (then) two year old daughter.  She was a quiet friend in need to the people of her church and neighbourhood, a faithful and sacrificial supporter of missions, a knitter of garments and blankets, a great cook of old fashioned goodies with a pantry full of delicious home made jams and preserves and the unstinting provider of a welcoming cup of tea for any and all who would drop in for a visit and a chat. I think of another fellow Bible College student who drowned saving the life of his and another family’s children caught in a treacherous rip in a lake in faraway Pakistan.  In the midst of tragedy, like Anne Marie, theirs was a triumphant living faith not dimmed by the abruptness and disruption of death. I can think of more examples of people all personally known to me with this rugged, tempered faith – men and women; old, middle aged and young; formally educated and/or educated in the school of hard knocks; some having completed the course of this life and many others still running the race.

One of the most famous followers of Jesus, Paul of Tarsus went through incredible hardship following his risen master – beatings, stonings, ship wreck, snake bite, ridicule and slander, sleepless nights, poverty, hunger, imprisonments and finally execution. He writes to the church at Rome toward the end of his life,

“Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? …   I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love — not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us — nothing in the whole created world — will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:34, 35, 38, 39 ERV)

Nothing can separate us from the love of God – not even death because in his resurrection, Jesus defeated death.  Earlier Paul had said to the rather fractious bunch of Jesus followers at Corinth, “Love is eternal … Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:8,13 GNT)

Just a couple of days after Valentine’s Day – a brave husband gave a inspiring tribute to the love, courage and faith of his cherished wife – and to God’s unfailingly love.  Among those who listened, tears flowed freely, raining down in grief and loss.  Yet as his words resounded in the packed auditorium, as other voices were lifted in meaning-packed songs and tribute, as luminous photos flashed across the screens our hearts were stirred.  Faith, hope and love took form and began to soar through the rain.

Love – not death – is eternal.

Jenny

The rain was relentless.  For a couple of weeks it had poured out of the sky with only intermittent breaks. Every few days the sun half-heartedly peeked through the clouds for an hour or so.  It was no surprise when on Monday flood warnings for the Bremer and Brisbane River were issued for Wednesday and Thursday.  Over the period of a couple of days and despite previous releases Wivenhoe dam had filled to almost double its capacity.

At 1:30pm Monday 11 January, a freak flash flood swept through  the centre of  Toowoomba (population 128,600) perched on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, roaring through the main street, sweeping cars, trucks, debris and people away.  Some managed to cling to poles, car roofs, and trees; most were rescued but a mother and her young son were not. The wall of water continued eastward, descending down the range and devastating many small hamlets and farms in Lockyer Valley over the next few hours.  The small town of Grantham (population 360) was particularly hard hit when – with no or minimal warning – cars, trucks, houses, boats, small planes and people swept helplessly away leaving only one street of houses standing, many dead and with many still missing.  Overall, the “insland tsunami” took 21 lives and over 100 families were significantly affected by flood waters in Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley and the Condamine region.

The combined waters from the Lockyer Valley, necessary flow releases from the Wivenhoe dam and Bremer river and had swollen the Brisbane river into red, muddy, raging torrent.  By Wednesday night a third of Ipswich (population 155,000) was under water as the Bremer overflowed its banks with homes and business flooded and many more cut off by flood water and/or without electricity.  Brisbane (population 2,000,000) was next.  While the waters did not reach the worst case scenario(4.46 m rather than 5.5m),  low lying areas close to the Brisbane River, Breakfast Creek and the Pine river were engulfed in the steady rise of flood waters including much of the Central Business District.  Homes, businesses, the Rocklea markets, the iconic Suncorp Stadium (Lang Park), schools, parks, pools and recreation areas were swamped.  Upstream the Moggil Ferry broke one of its two tow lines threatening to torpedo down the river.  A picturesque floating Restaurant, the River walkway (stretching along the vibrant bank of the river), most of the city’s Ferry cat terminals and platoons as well as many private platoons and boats were submerged, damaged and in many cases swept away. In total over 20,000 thousand homes were inundated,  80,000 homes lost power (and another 30,000 in Ipswich), 35 suburbs affected and at least four suburbs totally cut off for three days.  The Central Business District CBD (or City) was virtually deserted with many skyscrapers flooded, power turned off to a large area and all buses and most trains into the city cancelled.   Startling images of flooded streets, a raging debris choked river, freeways turned into rivers, families and even cows stranded on roofs, individuals navigating in tinnies, canoes and even spas through once quiet leafy suburbs, a frog perched on a swimming snake’s back and a fox on a floating tyre in the midst of swirling waters flooded the TV and computer screens of a stunned nation.

It is 37 years since Brisbane has experienced rainfall and flooding of this magnitude.  And while the flood peaked lower in most areas, many more homes, businesses and infrastructure were affected than in 1974.  However this disaster was not confined to the southeast of Queensland.  During the 2010/2011 Queensland Floods  over three quarters of the State was declared a diaster area.  Even before Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley, Ipswich and flooded over half the area of Queensland  ( or about  1,000,000 square kilometres – the size of France and Germany combined) had been been flooded with many hamlets and towns completely cut off and with others having only just finished cleaning up the thick mud and debris from homes and businesses when they were flooded again and then again.  Over 80 towns were significantly affected by flooding across Queensland. To the south, in northern NSW the Grafton and the Clarence River valley was also experiencing major floods and in a few short days after the flood in Brisbane and Ipswich, large areas of Victoria were inundated (many like the area around Rochester for the second time in months).  Within weeks the North of Queensland was hit by two cyclones, including the devastating Yasi.  Ironically, on the other side of Australia, Perth in Western Australia was experiencing a dry, burning heat with fierce home destroying bushfires lit deliberately.  Overall, in the summer floods of December 2010/January 2011 35 people died, countless livestock and wild life perished or displaced, with a massive economic impact (estimated at over a billion dollars).  Nor has the flooding and its inpact ended with many people dislocated and/or living in temporary accomodation, roads and infrastructure still being repaired or replaced and many Queensland coal mines remaining closed due to flooding.  The scale of the devastation is hard to imagine yet despite its extent loss of life was relatively minimal (compared to the 1,836 deaths with Katrina in 2005 which affected 90,000 square miles or 233,000 square kilometers or over 1,800 deaths in the 2010 Pakistan Floods affecting approximately 796,095 square kilometres).

Yet this is not just a tale of disaster, devastation, grief and horror.  It is also a story of rescue, bravery, resilience, mateship, compassion and practical help. There are in fact too many of these stories to relate though some stick strongly in my memory.   In Toowoomba, a brave young boy clinging on the roof of the car urged the rescuers to rescue his younger brother first.  His brother was saved but minutes later a wave of water swept him and his mother away.  At Murphy’s Creek a brother helpls saves his sister by pushing her into into the roof space of their house though he doesn’t have enough time to save his parents.  In Grantham, seeing a wall of water bearing down on them two brothers evacuated both their families and  neighbours, transferring from 4WD to boat to get them to high ground before going back in the boat to pluck people from the raging waters.  At Moggil the captain of the ferry spent a turbulent night on board his stricken vessel to ensure it did not careen down the river causing more damage in its wake.  Down the river a tug boat captain risked his life to steer sections of the broken River Walkway away from the threatened pylons of the bridge.

On Tuesday and Wednesday as the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers began rising rapidly, many volunteers  turned up to help sandbag homes and business, to move people’s belongings and furniture and to help evacuate areas in the hours before the flood waters arrived.  On Wednesday evening, Kevin Rudd, Australia’s Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister, waded through knee deep, brown murky water blocks away from his own house, warning people it was time to go and helping carry suitcases of belongings out of the flooded area.  During the crisis Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman and Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale worked tirelessly to keep people informed and the flood response coordinated.  In the days immediately following the flood, as the waters slowly receded, so many people turned up to help with the clean up that roads were gridlocked.  Christened the Mud Army over 55,000 volunteers (neighbours, community groups, churches, family, friends, strangers), army and emergency services (SES and fire brigade) all pitched in to help clear the mass of muddy debris, once valued possessions, and metres deep thick, smelly, sticky mud that covered everything.  Our local church sent out a number of teams to help, our thrift shop donating clothes and other necessities to and taking up special offering for flood affected people, a church from the Gold Coast turned up with a sausage sizzle to help feed the army of volunteers in Graceville, a group of Muslims arrived to help feed the volunteers in the West End.  Family, friends and concerned strangers have opened homes to flood displaced people.  Family Radio 96.5 had to offer of temporary accommodation accepted gratefully by another flood-affected FM Radio station.  So many stories of people caring about their neighbour (of good Samaritans seeing the need and doing something about it) that outweigh by far the more dismal stories of opportunists (a few looters, people making bogus charity collections, or trying to take advantage of flood affected people’s disorientation and shock to sell exorbitant insurance or buy houses for a faction of their cost, others taking the government’s emergency handouts under the pretence of being flood affected).

Life had begun to get back to some semblance of normality when in the north of the State, Cyclone Yasi hit the coast at Mission Beach, between the cities of Cairns and Townsville. As a category 5 cyclone (hurricane), Yasi had winds of up to 300 km an hour at its epicentre.  With a diameter of 1000 kms it affected towns from Cairns to Mackay and only petered out as a tropical rain depression by the time it had reached Mt Isa some 500 kms from the coast, continuing on in the next couple of weeks to bring rain and wind to Darwin and the west coast of Australia.   Providentially, Yasi’s eye did not cross the coast at a major population centre like Townsville or Cairns and fatalities and serious injuries were surprisingly minimal.  Nevertheless, one man died, the small communities of Mission Beach, Cardwell, Silkwood, Tully, Ingham and Innisfail were devastated with up to a third of houses unroofed or smashed to pieces;  with many businesses, community buildings and infrastructure damaged and hectares of banana and other crops flattened in areas that had just begun to recover from the devastation of Cyclone Larry in 2006.   The major power grid along the coast was shattered with at one point close to/over 300,000 homes without power (many of them for days or even weeks), water treatment plants damaged in Townsville and Magnetic Island and flooding from storm surges submerging roads, businesses and buildings and hampered access of emergency personnel to communities devastated by the cyclone.  While the morning after the cyclone hit there was a huge sense of relief with minimal loss of life and with the major population areas largely spared, a sense of “dodging a bullet”, the devastated communities that took the brunt of the monster cyclone are still reeling, still coming to grips with the scale of the disaster and the long, slow process of recovery which was hampered by more heavy rain in the days following the Cyclone.

It will  take many months, even years before those most badly affected by the floods and cyclone will recover. In Brisbane,  many homes and businesses still need to be declared safe before electricity and services can be turned on and people are allowed to return home.  It will take years for damaged infrastructure like most of the Citycat (ferry system) along the Brisbane River, damaged roads etc, to be fully restored across Brisbane and the State affected by floods and those areas affected by the Yasi’s fury.  Stagnant and debris filled flood waters, mould, the arduous task of cleaning up has its own toll of illness, injury and even deaths. More pervasive and in some ways more damaging though less visible will be the mental toll as people grieve the loss of loved ones, deal with the loss of possessions, homes, livelihoods and the suffer anxiety and depression in response to such a capricious, sudden, overpowering, fearsome series of epic natural disasters which have buffeted this state and nation in the course of a few short weeks.  Queenslanders are a resilient lot – in the midst of the crisis thankful for what they had not lost.  And it has been heart warming to see the community banding together, neighbours who may never have spoken to each other in the years they lived side by side, suddenly working together to help each other; friends, family, community groups, churches and strangers pitching in to help.  As the disaster fades from the headlines, many families and individuals will still need a helping hand as they come to terms with what they have lost.  And while the Government is still struggling to respond to those in personal need, for many the church have been on the ground, in their communities, with effective and pratical help.

In the aftermath, questions begin to surface – could we have done anything better, what can we do to prevent this from happening again, will climate change mean that floods like these (as well as droughts) will become much more frequent (a once in a decade rather than a twice in a century events), is anyone to blame and what lessons can we learn?  Certainly a combination of providence (the raining stopping on Tuesday with a lower than predicted flood peak in Ipswich and Brisbane, Cyclone Yasi crossing the Queensland coast in a less populated area) as well as an ordered and timely response by Government at all levels, the hard work and courage of emergency personnel (many volunteers), building codes and the common sense and preparedness of general population has meant minimal loss of life and serious injury though property and infrastructure damage will cost billions of dollars.  An inquiry into the government response to the Flood and the management of Wivenhoe has already delivered interim findings – probing the flaws and breakdowns and exploring better ways of responding to such an overwhelming diaster.  Houses in less flood prone areas and the traditional Queensland highset houses will be probably become more popular again in Brisbane.  Cardwell picturesquely perched next to the ocean may be rebuilt differently.  Larger questions about the human contribution to climate change and global warning are being asked.   At least a few lonely voices have claimed that these disasters as God’s punishment for certain societal trends though there are other more considered views.

As a Brisbane-ite , I experienced the relentless rain, the slippery driveways, the falls and empty supermarket shelves, but in our homes in the hilly northern suburbs we were only indirectly affected by the floods only a few kilometres away.  We like many have watched and listened to the desolation and heartache, the heroism and stoicism, the uplifting community spirit in so many of the devastated areas.  We saw familiar landmarks inundated or blown away, worried about friends and family living in more directly affected areas  and listened to their stories by phone, email or facebook.  We, (family, friends and local church community), like so many others have commiserated with our friends on facebook, prayed fervently, contributed materially to those affected by floods and cyclone, helped with the clean-up and continue to keep those whose lives have been devastated in our hearts.  And in the mist of all the post mortems, the assessments and reviews, the questions asked, I find a strange uncanny silence.  Unlike with the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina – I heard virtually no one in the media  asking “where is God in this?” Does it matter?

Does this silence of the public media reflects a major trend in 21st century Australia – a decided move away from our traditional theistic worldview?   While there is no doubt that this reflects the mind-set and experiences of a growing number of people in our society, perhaps even the majority, for many in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Innisfail, Townsville and the other towns across our State and nation, God was NOT conspicuous by his absence in the midst of the rain and wind. For those who listened, he was present in answered prayers -  in the sunshine on Tuesday morning before the flood when the rain finally stopped; in the sense of relief on the morning after Yasi struck that no deaths had been reported; in the hearts and hands of the volunteers who turned up to help strangers begin to rebuild their lives and as a source of help, strength and protection in the midst of uncertainity and in the days and months ahead as Queenslanders reflect, grieve and rebuild.

Jenny

Looking deeper:
“In 2011, a great many Australians have faced the full force of nature’s fury and many are still picking up the pieces.  …” http://jennysthread.com/building-on-bedrock/

Experiencing God in the everyday from CPX on Vimeo.

References:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/11/3110095.htm

http://kiwiatheart-leonie.blogspot.com/2011/01/queensland-floods-big-wet.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Queensland_floods

http://www.smh.com.au/business/queensland-flood-insurance-losses-modest-industry-20110110-19kts.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/grantham-fury-over-warning-loss-20110219-1b0dj.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/grantham-first-flood-hit-town-to-be-rebuilt-says-queensland-premier-anna-bligh/story-fn3dxity-1226027487044

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/properties-to-be-affected-by-brisbane-floods/story-e6freon6-1225986010728

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/towns-isolated-as-airports-railways-and-ports-are-submerged-20110101-19cbb.html

“Its Showtime in the Bush” in Courier Mail, 5 March 2011, p4

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/brisbane-ipswich-prepare-for-major-floods/story-fn7kabp3-1225985950662

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/floods/8197202/army-of-volunteers-ready-for-action-in-qld

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/army-of-volunteers-begin-cleaning-up-from-the-queensland-floods/story-e6frf7l6-1225988427419

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/charities-eclipse-state-in-disaster-aid/story-e6freomx-1226078762608

http://www.floodcommission.qld.gov.au/

http://bybrisbanewaters.blogspot.com/2011/01/under-brisbane-waters.html

http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/01/12/qld-floods-highlight-cost-of-climate-extremes/

http://www.ea.org.au/Ethos/Engage-Mail/Is-God-to-Blame-for-Floods.aspxw

http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/01/25/3121101.htm

http://catchthefire.com.au/blog/2011/01/08/are-the-qld-floods-the-result-of-kevin-rudd-speaking-against-israel/