By Carolyn Whitleyand Ian Whitley
Australia Day is an opportunity to pause and reflect on what it means to be an Australian. While on deployment and mixing with a range of other nationalities, it was obvious that we were different, not just in terms of our uniform or our accent but in what we considered important! There are always exceptions (on both sides of the fence) but it seems that the value which defines the unique Australian character is a desire to give everyone a fair go, and be a good mate.
What does it mean to you to be an Australian? It is not just about how you spend Australia Day, but how you live and what your priorities are as you move into a new year. The Governor General in his Australia Day message in 2008, called for all Australians to "become more caring - for one another, our nation and the land we are so lucky to live in." Major General Jeffery is right, but this cannot be forced from above, we each have to do or part.
We might need to start by nurturing our relationships with family, friends and workmates. It will mean collectively striving for excellence and being innovative as a nation, especially in our role as ADF members. Caring for the land will require that we look at our water usage, seek renewable energy sources and carefully use our natural resources.
That covers the physical and mental challenges of Australia Day, what about the spiritual? What does God expect of us as good Australians? The bible puts it like this:
"To do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8 NLT)
I am proud to be an Australian, and the last year has only reinforced that. But it seems to me that we can get so caught up doing the right thing and being good mates, yet we forget about our relationship with God.
This article was written by Ian Whitley. Ian is a Chaplain in the RAAF and writes weekly "Ponderings" for the benefit of those working in the RAAF. If you found this article helpful and would like to read more,
please visit his site http://padresponderings.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_Whitley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Australia-Day-Challenges&id=5613844
No comments:
Post a Comment