40 Ways 40 Days # 24 Seek Peace

Matthew 10: 11

When you go into a city or village, 

look for people who will listen to you there. 

Stay with them until you leave 

Story

Jesus is calling his disciples and us to look for people who will listen to us, who are open to learn of Jesus ways of peace and compassion and care, and stay with them, until it is time to leave.

 

I love this call to discipleship. Such a positive hopeful way to think of life as Christians, and indeed any person of faith or believe in human rights principles. The call to spend time with those who want to listen and learn and follow in the steps of Jesus, in the ways of peace and reconciliation and justice for all humanity.

 

Jesus was such a revolutionary. He calls us out of our comfort zone of just spending time with family and close friends just like us. He calls us to reach out to those who are in need of a listening ear, and who are open to learn of his revolutionary ways of peace and justice for all. Jesus broke down the barriers and reached out to those whom no other respectable person wanted to spend time with – the outcasts of society, the strangers of society, those on the margins – the unclean lepers, beggars, lame, prostitutes, unclean women, non-Jewish women, widows, and even children. Today, Jesus would be the first to reach out to asylum seekers.

 

Practices

Are we upholding the call to reach out to those who will listen and minister to them in the ways of peace?

 

Are our politicians reaching out the hand of peace and friendship to asylum seekers?

 

Are our politicians reaching out to those who are being abused with hateful and bigoted words?

 

Community

There are some signs of hope in our community though.

 

We have the wonderful BaptCare Sanctuary reaching out to asylum seeker men offering supported accommodation, and the amazing Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

 

We have the inspiring Tri, Pastor of Brunswick Baptist walking to Canberra with the Gift of Refuge boat, to remind us of more hopeful times when we did reach out to asylum seeker Vietnamese boat people.

 

My Tabor students, in our community psychology class, give me hope and tell me stories of inspiring pastors in our Christian churches reaching out to asylum seekers in need and inspiring young people to support them.

 

So go in peace to inspire others in the ways of peace,

 

– Julie Morsillo