David Burke

Much of the world, was recently transfixed by an Australian murder case. A Sunday lunch resulted in three deaths and one near-death. The sole survivor was the husband of one of the victims and a local church pastor. He gave a victim impact statement at sentencing and offered forgiveness to the murderer of his wife […]

The scene was a gathering of church leaders and trainee leaders in another country. A trainee leader had publicly confessed to a significant sin. He rightly stepped back from church roles while related matters were addressed. What would the senior leaders do? What could they do? The easy, and perhaps more natural, thing was to

The Christian church has long insisted that every human life matters.

This teaching goes back to the creation account in Genesis where we read: God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen 1:26)

Most Christians through history have been outsiders to their homeland. They same is true of most Christians today. This is the feeling of not really belonging in a world that has the operating system of another religion or ideology. This feeling of being outsiders is increasingly common in Australia as the vestiges of Christian influence

Consider these words said by a widow at a recent church service: “Now I better understand Jesus’ words: ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34)”

It used to be that Australian Protestants routinely voted for one of the major parties and Roman Catholics for another.

The Presbyterian Church of Australia is said to be a “reformed” church. What does that mean?

Those fires

As I write, Los Angeles burns.

Initial figures are staggering. Upwards of 24 people are dead, 180,000 are evacuated, 10,000 properties destroyed, billion dollar bills escalate, and there is untold damage to fauna, flora and the environment. Night after night, our TV screens are dominated by scenes like a filmmaker’s version of the last judgement.

We Australians can identify with this, even if we have not recently seen scenes of urban destruction like those in LA. Our memories are still raw with effects from the summer fires in 2019/2020.

How do we make sense of these fires and their destruction?

The local blame game has already started. Doubtless there will be multiple committees of enquiry with multi-factor analyses. And then the lawsuits and legal evasions will start – a bit like a game of dodgem cars.

What can Christians say about all this?

In one street the only untouched house reportedly belonged to some Christians. Someone claimed that they were spared because of their faith. Perhaps. But what of believers (even in the same street) whose houses were burned? Or what of unbelievers whose houses were untouched? Or what of factors like building materials, sprinkler devices, wind changes and the availability of firefighting resources? This line of argument is a cruel dead-end trail.

Other may see the fires as God’s judgement on the God-denying and God-defying community of LA. Consider the local film industry that openly mocks Christianity and promotes godless lifestyles. Perhaps. But what about other parts of the USA that equally deny the gospel that has been so freely preached? And what about other nations that equally shake their fist at the true God? And what about believers who perished in the fires or lost life as they knew it?

Such speculations are not helpful. The distant rear-vision mirror is a better than the windscreen when offering interpretations. However, we can see God- sent opportunities in these fires and in other natural disasters.

There is an opportunity for Christians and churches to show grace-motivated and grace-enabled love of neighbour. When fires, floods, earthquakes and such strike we can open church doors to house the homeless and open the treasury to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Individual believers can share the spare room, spare car and unwanted toys.

There is also an opportunity to learn. Natural disasters shake our self-sufficiency. LA is not the only guilty culprit here, for we Australians are notoriously proud in our self-reliance. Things like fires and floods remind us how powerless we are before God’s creation. They are an opportunity to ask what is of lasting importance as earthly possessions fall under the mournful liturgy of ‘ashes to ashes’.

Finally, the fires are a reminder of our own mortality. This is a prompt to what the Bible calls the fear of the Lord. Are we ready to face our maker? Do we rely on our own good deeds and persuasive charm to avoid his just judgement? Or have we knelt before his appointed rescuer, Jesus the Son, in confession repentance and faith?

David Burke
Moderator-general
January 2025.

God’s example of giving is also our motive to give. Because he has given, we are freed up to give. His grace gives the security that enables us to open our hearts and hands with generosity. Generous giving pays forward the love whose measure is the gift of God’s one and only Son.

The agenda and mission of the church By world standards Australia is a great place to live. We do not have the political violence, wars, and other problems that affect many globally. We remain ‘the lucky country’ in just so many ways. However, before we rise to sing ‘you ought to be congratulated’, a pause