(Thanks John Matheson).ÂÂ
First, the singing of “The Internationale” in Melbourne’s St.Patricks** Catholic Cathedral.
And now fresh from “The Group Hug” in Melbourne’s St.Paul’s Anglican Cathedral.
Can life get any better?
I’m just home from a ‘Service of Memorial & Thanksgiving for the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’ arranged by Melbourne’s African community, with the participation of different faiths, including Christian.(Sunday 15 December 2013)
+ “May there be abundant peace from heaven, & life for us & all people…” Jewish Kaddish
+ “You will not love one another until you promote peace among you…” Sayings from the Prophet Muhammad
+ “Salutations to you, Lord of Death, Sustainer of all…All pervading & present in all…” Sikh Bhujang Prayaat 44-5.61
Bishop Philip Huggins led the reflection based on Ecclesiastes (“For everything there is a season..” 3 1-8) & Lk 4 16-21 with lively, but initially hesitant, participation of “amens” & “hallelujahs”, from an enthusiastic Australian African congregation.
It was appropriate for there to be a church service, for along with trade unions, academics, students,ÂÂ
Addressing the 50th Anniversary Assembly of the World Council of Churches,Mandela said:
“To us in South Africa the WCC has always been known as a champion of the oppressed & the exploited.On the other hand,the name of the WCC struck fear in the hearts of those who ruled our country….to mention your name was to be labelled an enemy of the state”. http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/
As the public tributes flowed, personal memories wandered about:
*sitting down the front was an elderly UCA minister who coordinated much of the Australian campaign against apartheid
*had coffee on Saturday morning with a family who’d participated in the Springbok protests
*an Amsterdam meeting struggling with the attacks on the WCC on its solidarity with Mandela & the ANC
*an Australian denomination getting out of the ACC over its support for the ANC,but later lining up for tickets to see Mandela
*a few of us yarning with Mandela in NZ trying to persuade him to take action against Mugabe
*the Australian end of the international Shell boycott, the constant flow of info from around the world (all before email!)
*a Durban conference addressed by a female ANC Minister, who told of tapping telephone lines, burning them down or blowing them up; all excellent preparation for her current responsibilities for power & communications!
*the violent attacks on Eddie Funde, the ANC Australian rep; the continuing flow of funds out of Australia to the ANC
*going to work one morning at the WCC & discovering that a senior officer of the agency responsible for assisting the education of South African university students in Europe, had disappeared with hundreds of files on these students; an officer of  the SA Security agency, he later appeared before the Truth & Reconciliation Commission
*an overwhelming sadness as I recalled the constant bitter harassment & attack on the Australian Council of Churches & WCC, but tempered with the courage of church leaders who stood up & countered these attacks, and,
*marvelled at the opportunity of being on staff of both the WCC & the ACTU, the only 2 organisations where members greet each other as Sister, Brother or Comrade.
And we prayed:
“Go forth,revolutionary & loving soul,
on your journey out of this world,
in the name of God who created you,
suffered with you & liberated you.
Go home Madiba,you have selflessly done all that is good,
noble & honorable for God’s people……”  http://archbishop.
Part way thru the service we greeted each other – beside me a bearded elderly gentleman, in front an African Australian woman, next to her a couple of Anglo middle-aged & behind a row of Australian Asian young people…….
And we were dismissed following an invitation for all, row by row, to rest your arm on the person next to you……first time I’ve been to a Group Hug in St Paul’s, I said to the gentleman beside me…..I believe so, he politely replied!
Each of you will have your own memories of the impact of the liberation struggle in South Africa, the role Australia played & leaders like Mandela…..sadly we, in the Churches of Christ (in Australia), have no ways of sharing such memories.
As they….. the First Peoples, the asylum seeker, the battered woman…….say, “the struggle continues……”
Alan Matheson
** On the occasion of Timor Leste independence.
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