A TV Channel wanted to do a happy story for the week leading up to Christmas. The reporter had a mother with baby and child living in a car in rural Victoria – no room at the inn, so to speak. The reporter tried several government bureaucracies for an emergency solution. None was forthcoming.
So she tried me, sent cameras, came herself. I rang a friend who runs a shelter for women with children. A Christmas miracle! He can house them, if I pay, I agree. End of story.
Oh, no! The woman and children arrive at the refuge. There are, naturally, rules about visitors, especially blokes. The woman takes umbrage and leaves. Just, maybe, the bureaucrats had trouble not with finding suitable accommodation but with getting the woman’s approval.
I was meant to meet the family and the reported at the refuge, me with cash in hand for the rent. No reporter, no woman and children, no heart-rending Christmas story. But, there’s always, two sides to every story. The public servants may well be innocent. I’m still open to persuasion, if the same kind of situation arises.
Another reporter rang, not long after the dust had settled on the accommodation drama. This time the issue was an advertisement used to help sell Christmas gifts.The Three Wise Men arrive at Bethlehem bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.
As I understand it, the baby grabs a gift and throws it back at the visitors. The caption, the unique selling point, is “Give better gifts”. The reporter wants me to say it’s awful and should be withdrawn. I quibble, as usual.
I advised the reporter that, in societies with centuries of Christian culture behind them, the advertisement, the 'cartoon', may well be offensive.
In secular societies, like Australia, offence may well be in the eye of the beholder. Maybe, the advertiser should provide a warning that religious viewers may find the 'cartoon' offensive, giving them time to look away or make a cup of tea!
Secular Australians may well decide that the advertisement offends a sufficient number of religious/spiritual fellow citizens that the advertisement becomes too hot to handle.
Is life becoming so boring in Australia that the antidote is overwhelming entertainment or a best, infotainment?
And, another thing, volunteers pop out of nowhere at Christmas time. They inundate small local charities, like mine, with offers of hands on help. Great! The trouble is that small, local charities are usually flat out all year doing their compassionate best to answer immediate needs. Triple that output at Christmas. We’re embarrassed when we have to knock back seasonal volunteers.
But, volunteers of the world please don’t lose heart. If you get a knock back from me or any other ‘charity’, keep looking closer to home, even to needy relatives or friends and risk extending a helping hand. There’s an impressive groundswell of 'holy unrest' building among Australians, a real desire to see our 'commonwealth' shared by all. Christmas goodwill probably should end at midnight, December 25th, because, if it seeps into Boxing Day, it’ll be hit for six by India V Australia or belted off the court by the Tennis Open or swamped by the Yacht race.
Nevertheless, Christmas is the day to make real decisions about 2008. New Year’s Day is too late!
I’ll try to get a real Father Christmas to turn up at our Christmas Eve 7.30 pm service (Mass). He’ll walk into the crowd of 1000 ringing his bell and calling out Ho! Ho! Ho! He’ll make it to where I’m standing at the altar and he’ll say: 'I’m handing Christmas over to you and your community for safekeeping. It couldn’t be in better hands. See you next year.' Then he’ll leave. We’ll stay for another try.