I think I’ve been suffering from the Olympic flu, staying up until 3am every night, getting up only a couple of hours later and getting to work. It’s not much of an excuse for not blogging at all, but it’s an excuse nonetheless.

I’m back now, and I’ll be blogging VERY regularly again from here on on, apologies to those of you who were wondering where I was..

Today’s Refugee and Migrant Sunday, this morning I took part in a service at Queanbeyan UCA and when I was contemplating prayer resources I thought of using this song. I hunted down a number of images from a variety of refugee camps off the internet and quickly put them into a powerpoint (blerk) presentation, I placed images of detention centres in Australia alongside camps from all over the world and timed them to the song. This we used as the prayer of intercession, the song brings tears to my eyes at the moment, especially with the stuff that we’ve been going through with Abbas.

I had someone walk up to me after the service, actually I had a lot of people walking up to me offering excuses for not being hospitable, not acting, dumbing down the message and the passion of the gospel. One person however said to me something like “I wonder how many people in detention centres are actually refugees, I think that most of them probably aren’t.”

My response to him chilled even me, sometimes I freak myself out with what I say, especially in cases where the words challenge me…

I said something like “Jesus’ question was “who is your neighbour?” not “who is a refugee?””

The very second we start asking ourself who our neighbour is definitions like “what is a refugee” or “who are the homeless?” or “who are the unemployed?” become irrelevant, unimportant. The only thing that matters is the question of neighbour. If everyone is my neighbour, then it really doesnt matter if they are a refugee or not… Detention is wrong simply because it imprisons my neighbour.

I wonder what would happen if that question was asked with everyone we met… Every social issue we’re confronted with, every election we face, every war that’s suggested… perhaps that’s what Jesus was on about.

And so I add another Paul Kelly song, and yes, this one you can download as well…

I Guess I Get A Little Emotional Sometimes
by Paul Kelly
Download Link

The days are getting colder
They stretch before me all in a line
Each night gets a little bit longer
And these stars that once were strange now I call mine
Oh, it’s been so long since I saw her face
And I just can’t find my way out of this place
I took the law into my hands
You’d do the same from where I stand
But the punishment here is much worse than the crime
I guess I get a little emotional sometimes

Each night I light a candle
And I get down on my knees and I pray
My home in ashes I can handle
But not to see my loved ones losing their way
If my tongue sounds lame please don’t turn away
Don’t you see I’m losing it a little bit every day
If you let yourself understand
I’ll give you my heart and hands
Or else the punishment will be much worse than the crime
I know I get a little emotional sometimes
Do you blame me if I get a little emotional sometimes?
Don’t act so surprised if I get a little emotional sometimes