be.reflective

be reflective with meditations by Dave Andrews

3. The Beatitudes From The Heart

This is the third in a series of interviews with Philippe Kiener. These interviews are accompanied by quotes from my new book ‘To Right Every Wrong’, songs and suggestions for meditation, discussion and action. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those that mourn, for they should be […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

2. Gospel Of Jesus ‘Heaven On Earth’

2. This is the second in a series of interviews with Philippe Kiener. These interviews are accompanied by quotes from my new book ‘To Right Every Wrong’, songs and suggestions for meditation, discussion and action. Many Christians, when they think about the Gospel, think about ‘the Gospel, about Jesus’. But I think it’s really important […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

1. Spirituality And Religion

In this series of interviews with documentary filmmaker Philippe Kiener I introduce you to the radical compassionate spirituality that I share with my wife, Angie, and which has shaped our way of life as a family in community with marginalized and disadvantaged groups of people. The interviews are accompanied by quotes from my new book […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

My Open Personal Appeal To Our Prime Minister Scott Morrison

https://www.facebook.com/david.fittell/videos/10225766130964551 Dear Mr Morrison, I came by boat to Australia from England in 1960. And I was welcomed, along with over a million other migrants from Europe, with open arms. My friend, Tri Nguyen, came by boat to Australia from Vietnam in 1980. And the Liberal Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, made sure that Tri, along […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Protesting Through Resisting

Dave Andrews I felt I needed to protest the status quo by resisting serious prejudices in our society. For example, over the last thirty years, my wife and I have intentionally sought to embrace people who are seeking asylum in Australia from other countries as beloved members of our extended family. Yet most Australians have […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Protesting Through Identifying

Dave Andrews When Ange and I returned to Australia we intentionally sought to identify with the ‘subcommunities that stand in tension with the dominant community’, including Indigenous people seeking restitution, people fleeing persecution seeking refuge, and people from other religions seeking recognition. [i] Our community, West End, is a distinct, vibrant, urban village, bounded by […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Protesting Through Intervening

Dave Andrews The earliest intervention I recall which I initiated myself was at school in Inala, against a big bully who was bashing a small boy with a disability in my class. In those days Inala was considered, on the basis of most socio-economic indicators of disadvantage, to be one of the most deprived and […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

The Protestor

Dave Andrews The role of the Protestor incorporates “criticizing” people, when they go “off-script”, “visualizing” their criticism, “acting out” their criticism, through symbols, dramas and demonstrations. Prophetical Protestors are ‘provocateurs who devise creative, subversive actions that confront current scenarios. By providing an alternative point of reference, a visible deviation from the norm, they challenge our […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Auditing Through Writing

Dave Andrews Catchim says ‘the Auditor incorporate(s) “criticizing” people, when they feel they go “off-script”, with clearly “verbalizing” their criticism’ through their writing. I’ve published twenty books, and probably one of the most (in)famous is a book called ‘Christi-Anarchy’ in which I audit the shadowy track-record of Christianity. ‘I was brought up to believe that […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Auditing Through Teaching

Dave Andrews Catchim says ‘the Auditor incorporate(s) “criticizing” people, when they feel they go “off-script”, with clearly “verbalizing” their criticism’ through their teaching   Sometime back I was asked to take a one-day seminar for one of the most highly-regarded Christian aid and development agencies in the world. I decided I would use the opportunity […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Auditing Through Preaching

Catchim says ‘the Auditor incorporate(s) “criticizing” people, when they feel they go “off-script”, with clearly “verbalizing” their criticism’ through their preaching. I remember being asked to speak, by a friend, at his large Brethren Church. It was sometime after the invasion of Iraq and I had been praying for an opportunity to speak in a […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »

Auditing Through Singing

Catchim says ‘the Auditor incorporate(s) “criticizing” people, when they feel they go “off-script”, with clearly “verbalizing” their criticism’ through their singing. I remember having the privilege of being invited to speak at one of the biggest richest most successful Baptist Churches in my state. I wanted to make sure the songs we sang in the […]

Read the rest of this entry » Read the rest of this entry »