Living Between the Temporal and Eternal

By Rev Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

Everliving God,
before the earth was formed,
and even after it shall cease to be, you are God.
Break into our short span of life
and show us those things that are eternal,
that we may serve your purpose in all we do;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The above prayer will be prayed in churches in Australia and other parts of the world this week. It captures something of the majesty of God, who is beyond time. And yet, God’s majesty does not prevent Him from “breaking into” our lives and world. My prayer for the Class of 2023 as they graduate this week is that they will sense God at work in their lives now and in the years to come.

As we approach the end of the year, it can feel like time is speeding up. Last week's Year 10 art exhibition in lower Morison gave us time to pause and reflect. The artworks were thought-provoking and insightful. Taylor Barton’s work, titled Materialism, used vibrant images to highlight the objects that grab our attention and critique our desire for consumption at the expense of relationships. The inclusion of flowers reminds me to literally stop and smell the roses at this time of year. Paige Le Lievre’s artwork was also a reminder to celebrate the beauty that surrounds us in spring.

God calls us to live with gratitude, generosity and wisdom. The Junior School's Student Council has organised a successful giving tree for Capital Region Community Services. On Thursday, the Secondary School will have its turn to donate gifts to St John’s Care (an Anglicare partner) and Embracing Ministries and/or food and hamper items in conjunction with a non-uniform day organised by the Radford Awareness and Service group. For more information, click here.

Further afield, the needs of people impacted by conflict and disaster can seem overwhelming. Here too we pray that God might “break in” and strengthen peacemakers and those who seek to bring justice and relief. The Anglican Board of Mission is responding to needs in Gaza, Myanmar and long-term projects to help our neighbours in Solomon Islands respond to climate change.

An advent reflection

Advent runs from 3 December until Christmas Eve and is a time of waiting and expectation as we welcome Jesus, the embodiment of God's presence among us.

Part of a life of faith is knowing that God promises to hear us, God is with us, and that a life lived with God is an invitation to faith, hope and love amid the messiness of life. The Gospel of Luke is full of stories of God “breaking into” people’s lives in unexpected ways. There is no age limit on when this can happen. Simeon and Anna were devout Jews who worshipped continually in the temple, waiting on God through prayer and fasting. They had been waiting many years for God’s messiah to be revealed. Rev Lisle Gwynn Garrity captures this moment in her compelling artwork and statement:

I wonder what Mary and Joseph expect when they enter the temple to dedicate their newborn son. This customary ritual quickly unravels into an astonishing scene. A stranger named Simeon pronounces Jesus to be a “light” and “revelation,” and his dying wish is fulfilled. A prophet named Anna also draws near to the child, praising God for the redemption he will bring.

Simeon and Anna’s words fill Mary and Joseph with amazement. But that can’t be the only emotion taking up space in the room. For Simeon turns to Mary, perhaps privately, to continue sharing his message: the boy will also become the cause of great turmoil, the catalyst for opposition. He will expose the inner thoughts of many. A sword will pierce her innermost being. The mother of God will grieve as she bears witness to the suffering of the child she birthed.

In this image, Simeon bestows his blessing and prophecy with the urgency of a man desperate to say everything that needs to be said before his time runs out. Anna looks off into the distance, as if peering into the future. Her devotion to God over the years has sharpened her gaze; she knows redemption when she sees it.

In the top left, I depicted Jesus’ hand being cradled by the hands of his parents. This tender moment is frozen in time, like a Polaroid photograph placed in a scrapbook. Mary and Joseph treasure their child as they receive the fullness of his calling. I imagine them memorising each wrinkle and tiny fingernail, treasuring the smallness of a hand that will one day become a strong fist, fighting for justice for the oppressed and liberation for those held captive.