Jay, the Green candidate for Werribee in the coming national election (that's for overseas readers!) was in today to check out what Jesus has to say (not me - Jesus - silly!) about a few moral issues weighing heavily on the hearts of Christian fundamentalists.
There's a big community of those volatile voters where Jay's standing. I did my best to reassure him that Jesus had nothing much to say about abortion and same gender relationships. The Churches have quite a lot to say but not Jesus.
Jay may well be up against the Churches but not Jesus. Rather, he'll be opposed by some members of Churches, and supported by others. That's the way in a democracy which may well not be the ideal way of living together but it's the best we in the secular west have designed so far.
Jay's a student who takes his democratic responsibilities as a privilege. He seems to be one of those unknown citizens who belong to the global movement with no name, millions of ordinary people dirtying their hands to build a better world.
As Jay left, William came in. He's also a student who's organizing a march for multiculturalism this Saturday at 2 pm (more details further down this blog - separate post).
He reckons on about 5,000 marchers but won't be surprised if 10,000 turn up. He probably won't be fussed if he and I turn up. That's the point. You'll never know if you never have a go! So here's another young member of that global movement with no name.
It's these people who give us all HOPE. Each of us needs to join that movement in our own time and place and in accordance with our own abilities and in answer to our own need to belong.
Elsewhere on this blog, especially in the podcasts there's an invitation by three other associates, Cameron, Michaela and Chris, to join the movement with no name but many 'tags' - ninjas, open family foundation, drug arm, etc.
The 'tag' is for communication purposes. That's the latest social development, our latest and best hope for a better world that we are a 'wired' global community. As I said last blog, I'm embedded in a local church, part of a regional church, part again, of a global church.
By communication, only recently online, this local church has managed to fight above its weight. Together we do good things for people not of this church's membership, the 'others' whom the founders of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddism, Hinduism, Confucianism and the Greek philosophies ALL emphasise must be respected and served FIRST by religious 'insiders'.
These movements WITH names need, for the sake of a better world and in obedience to their founders, to join with our latest blessing, the global movement with no name but many 'tags'.
United, not uniform we will solve global problems. Practise by tackling a local problem/possibility first?
There's a Triple J listener serving in Iraq. He/she wants to interact with fellow listeners. Maybe he/she can do some field reporting via our blog, although Iraq seems to have fallen off the radar.
In stark contrast with geopolitics is our first interview, the Sunday, Triple J 9-11 pm - Alice Williams, author of 'Would it kill you to say please: A guide to modern manners.' She is a local writer with a bee in her bonnet. She's set to become the manners guru of the new millennium.
Then, Danny katz, author of 'A Little Election'. Newspaper columnist for The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and WestAustralian. Irene Scott, erstwhile ABC Victoria Drive Producer who is in India and was at the World Scrabble Championships in Mumbai, November this year.
Finally, 58 kilos of Pure Entertainment: On Election Eve Sammy J, Comedian 24th
November 7 pm Spiegeltent.