John 15:6 - 8
Throughout his Gospel, John weaves the images of bread (wheat) and wine (vines). The richness of these images goes well beyond simile, metaphor or analogy, to symbol. Wheat is crushed and broken in the grinder, the husk is discarded, a leaven added, and the bread rises and is food for the hungry. Like wheat, the grapes are harvested and crushed underfoot, yeast is added to the juice and it is then fermented, the spirit arises from the wine and becomes drink for the thirsty. These Eucharistic elements are pre-figured throughout the text, ensuring that the reader and listener slowly develop and understand that Jesus’ presence pervades not only the Gospel, but all of creation (John 1:1ff).
By way of extension Jesus says
of himself: I am the vine, you are the
branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because
without me you can do nothing ….. If you remain in me and my words remain in
you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my
Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples (15:5f).
From this we understand our dependence on Jesus and our need to remain connected, in conversation with him in order that our lives are full and rich and that the fruit of our labours will challenge and transform the world in which we live. This is not impossible, whether we look at the martyrology (of the saints), or at the people who have made a difference in our own lives. Look at the impact that the elderly Blessed John XXIII made not just in the life of the church, but on the world, or our own St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
This is not beyond you or me. We might not be up there in that great catalogue of the holy, but the transformation that your relationship with Jesus might make in you, or in your spouse, your family and work colleagues could be immeasurable.
Further, in the same way that
John explores Jesus’ presence through creation and Eucharist, we are invited to
participate more readily both in celebrating creation and living out the
Eucharist every day. This indeed would be ready fruit.
Peter Douglas
Reverend Murray Campbell
VCAT Given New Powers to Investigate
Christians for Praying
Which
society is the following report depicting?
… human
rights commission intends to use the full range of its new powers to
investigate church groups and other organisations engaged in gay conversion
practices, including seizing documents and pursuing them in court if they do
not comply with orders.
The Andrews
government gave the commission wide-ranging powers as part of its ban on gay
conversion practices earlier this month, and Ms Hilton said the commission
would not be shy about using them …
Under the
reforms, anyone can make a report to the commission about change and
suppression practices from any member of the community.
The
commission can then investigate that complaint, but it also has significant
power to conduct “own-motion” investigations where there is indication of
serious or systemic problems.
This could
involve forcing a person or organisation to take, or refrain from taking,
certain actions to comply with the Equal Opportunity Act. Such undertakings and
notices will be enforceable at VCAT. The commission will also have the power to
compel documents and other information, and will educate the community to
prevent such practices from occurring.
If I had
removed references to Victoria and Daniel Andrews, one could be forgiven for
thinking the report was describing an authoritarian State like China or Iran.
Surely this story in The Age
isn’t talking about a free and democratic society where the people have the
right to discuss, debate, persuade, and even to help one another; sadly, this
is Victoria.
A Cultural Revolution
Sinicization is
the regime of cultural and ideological conformity currently being forced upon
the Chinese people by an authoritarian regime. Soon we will have our own
version here in Victoria: the State will subject its citizens to new invasive
and intrusive laws designed to strip people of basic freedoms with regard to
conscience, speech and association. Perhaps we should call it, Victorianization.
The
instrument of this program is the “Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition
Bill 2020,” passed by the Victorian
Parliament last month. This act, as discussed previously on this website, seeks to prevent any person or institution making any
attempt to change (or possibly question) a person’s own feelings about their
sexuality or gender. The Act provides for criminal charges and penalties of up
to 10 years imprisonment and fines of $200,000. There is also a civil avenue
for people wishing to make complaints against fellow Victorians. Even an
anonymous complaint will be a sufficient reason for VCAT to open an
investigation, compel you to produce personal documents and information, and
force you to attend reeducation programs that will teach you what to believe
about sexuality and gender.
These are
the new powers given to VCAT (Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal) which
are the focus of The Age’s story.
Dishonesty and Misinformation
Dishonesty
and misinformation have sadly controlled much of the recent debate. First of
all, Government reports glaringly avoided the historical reality of how
conversion therapy came from mainstream psychology, and not from religious
groups. For example, it wasn’t that long ago that aversion therapies were
taught at a university here in Melbourne and practised by doctors. Second,
contrary to rhetoric offered by the Government and activist groups, conversion
practices (e.g. aversion therapy) were always rare and unusual in religious
settings.
However,
instead of limiting legislation to banning an archaic practice that
everyone agrees is wrong, the Parliament has outlawed praying and even talking
with another person about sexuality and gender. People are free to discuss,
pray, and counsel so long as their view of sexuality and gender conforms to the
current set of theories being preached by activists. One problem is that these
theories are so fluid, that even activists can’t keep up with the latest moral
rights and wrongs. It is worth highlighting that gay, lesbian and
feminist representatives have all expressed concerned that these new laws will
prevent people from seeking the care and support that they have every right to
find.
What would
Jesus do? How were early Christians encouraged to respond to questions about
sexuality? Certainly with grace and kindness, to love and serve others, and to affirm the pattern
given by God in Scripture. Indeed, all these factors belong together.
Clear Principles
For
example, on one occasion Jesus was asked a question about marriage and divorce.
He responded to the questioner by affirming that the basis for marriage is the
way humans are created:
Haven’t you
read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and
female,’and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and
be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?So they are no longer
two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one
separate. (Matt 19:1-9)
The Apostle
Paul, with equal clarity, called out the sexual practices of the Corinthians
and called for change:
Neither the
sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit
the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you
were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by
the Spirit of our God … Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person
commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own
body.Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in
you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;you were bought at a
price. Therefore honour God with your bodies”. (1
Cor 6:10-11; 18-19)
One of the
assumptions attached to today’s sexual ethics—and enshrined in this
legislation—is the idea that orientations ought to be expressed sexually. If
you feel a certain way, that feeling ought to be affirmed and lived. For
Christians, the Bible points the way to a more fulfilling identity. The Bible
describes Jesus Christ as the most complete human being to ever live and he
never had sex with anyone. To encourage a person to follow Jesus’ example is
now anathema and yes, apparently illegal, in Victoria.
Should
people be free to talk about sexuality and gender, even encouraging a Christian
view, without fear of the State hauling them before a tribunal?
Should
churches have the freedom to encourage their members to live in accord with
Christian beliefs on marriage, sex, and gender?
In case
readers assume that these laws are only targeting clergy, anyone can be
investigated and anyone charged.
The
Government told The Age that they are willing to discuss things with the faith
community. Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Kristen
Hilton holds out an olive branch (poison ivy, to be accurate),
We’ll be
working with survivor groups but will also be working with faith leaders
because it’s an opportunity to create an understanding…
Kristen
Hilton told The Age her
office also wanted to educate faith leaders and the broader community about the
harm caused to LGBTI people by suggesting there is something wrong with
homosexuality.
The
State, with all its spiritual insight and theological astuteness, is going to
educate Churches about what we can and cannot say and pray? I don’t think so.
Can we not coexist as good neighbours despite holding onto a different
worldview? The State is not God, the Premier is not Archbishop, and VCAT is not
the board of Elders. Let the reader understand, we are not talking about the
law prohibiting invasive and harmful treatments that doctors were once trained
to deliver; we are talking about banning consensual conversations and praying
with people who are wanting to engage.
Activists
have lobbied for Victorian society to be radically rewired and the Government
has done their bidding. The average Victorian ought to be familiar with this
imposition and overreach. Religious Victorians are now faced with a decision,
will we obey Caesar or will follow God? This is not a choice that should ever
be forced on people’s but it is the position in which many Victorians now find
themselves.
First
published at murraycampbell.net
Murray Campbell lives
in Melbourne with his family. He’s served as Lead Pastor at Mentone Baptist
Church since 2005. Formerly, he was a classical pianist. You can follow Murray
on twitter @MurrayJCampbell.
Murray is a member of the TGCA editorial panel
and co-oversees the Current Events channel.
The article may be found at:
https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/vcat-given-new-powers-to-investigate-christians-for-praying/
2 March 2021
