My Community Values…

When I was very young my parents decided to move from war-torn Europe to New Zealand. This meant tearing ourselves away from our large extended family. They thought that in New Zealand we would have a better chance of making good in life. My parents have since died and did give my brothers and I a far better opportunity at life.

While we did not see ourselves as refugees, in a sense that is what we were – escaping the trauma of war-torn Europe. We were welcomed into New Zealand society. My father had a job. We were sent to school without having a single word of English. This was a significant challenge! It would not be the last!

Now having moved to Australia and brought up my own family, do I regret any of this? – No, not at all. I value every one of those challenges. They made me what I am, who I am today.

Now, I look at my adopted community and see that there are many opportunities to repay what I was given. However, my adopted community appears not to value those needy ones who arrive on our shores, or who are less fortunate. The lucky country does not want to share!

The very thing that this lucky country needs most, is people of working age, so that the country is able to support the young who are learning life’s lessons, the aged who have given so much, and the disadvantaged who are always with us. Yet why are we not welcoming those who arrive on our shores, those who have run into difficulties in life, those who are disadvantaged?

This reminds me of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke’s Gospel [1]. Do we too want the reward that the rich man received?

I think it is time that we seriously questioned what values we should treasure. Are we prepared to assist the Lazaruses in our lives? Are we prepared to choose community leaders/politicians who will deliver what will allow us to live and enhance our chosen values?

Also, will He say to us on the final day “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, … in so far as you did it to one of these … you did it to me.” [2]

Over to you…

Min Wullems

(Image from Pixabay by vait_mcright)

[1] Luke 16:19-31

2] Matthew 25:31-46