Rod Farraway, Chaplain

Last week we had the opportunity to welcome back two Old Cranbrookians, who were keen to share in their experiences after leaving school in their chosen fields.

Kip Williams, an established theatre director who is about to take a show to Broadway, spoke with our dramatists and Adam Jacobs, a co-founder THE ICONIC and Hatch, with our investment club.

It was also an opportunity for both of them to reconnect with the school and engage with the current generation of students.

At the heart of both was a sense of respect. Their respect for you as students to come and spend time imparting their wisdom, and this respect was reciprocated by the students with their careful listening and thoughtful questions.

Learning to expect and model respect is part of what we hope you learn from your time here together at Cranbrook.

In Romans 13:7-8 we read “Give to everyone what you owe them: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

We shouldn’t be stingy with our respect and honour, this is part of how we love our neighbours as ourselves.

At the beginning of Assembly, we opened with an acknowledgement where we said we extend our respect to the elders of the Gadigal people.

But we cannot say such a thing with integrity if we haven’t first learnt how to respect our own community.

So, it’s with some concern that I have observed our new Year 12s being spoke to about their behaviour at Assembly, that I have heard about Year 7’s behaviour when together for SWP last week, that I have had to speak with some of our Houses about their approach to our Memorial Chapel. That our teachers have thought it necessary to introduce a new detention for poor behaviour in class.

Every time we gather (assembly, chapel, class, bus, sport) we have an opportunity to demonstrate our respect for ourselves and others. Having a sense of occasion is part of how we show our respect for our communal life. And in learning to appropriately respect others we learn how to respect ourselves, and so know how to expect and accept it in turn.

In my experience the people who have the hardest time showing respect to others, have far too little respect for themselves. They like it when people tell them to tuck their shirts in, because at least they are being noticed by someone. They are happiest when a teacher is calling out their name to behave in class, because that’s the only way they think they will be worthy of their attention. They have so little respect for themselves that they consider losing the respect of others the default way of relating to people. It’s sad, and tragic, and doesn’t have to be that way.

We should all expect and model respect.

When respect is the norm, teaching and learning are powerfully impacted. The teacher is inspired and empowered, able to use every available minute for quality teaching. Where everyone’s time is respected.

Part of how we will form this habit is by recognising we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Look at the crest. Whether it’s visible or not, whether you are wearing it or not, you carry that crest with you. As we sing in our Centenary Hymn, that crest connects you to ‘a hundred years and more’ of others who have called themselves Cranbrookians. Those Old Boys came back to invest in you because they are Old Cranbrookians. Out of respect for their time here, and for your time here.

You bear that name now and always will. Whether you were a student here, taught, coached or worked here, Cranbrook is part of you, and you are part of it. You carry a part of my reputation with you, and I carry part of yours with me. We have a responsibility to each other.

What will we show it means to be a Cranbrookian?  Our school prayer challenges us…

Will it be lies in word or deed, sham, idle boasting, arrogant self-praise? These are the vices of those who don’t know how to respect themselves or others. Who do not value their own words, who are careless in their actions, who lie to themselves that they are living up to their potential and so try to convince others of it too.

Or will we show what it means to be a Cranbrookian by a love of truth, a love of goodness, and a love of sincerity? These are the virtues of self-examination, of compassion, of authenticity, of respect for ourselves and others. These virtues can only be learnt in community.

At the moment we seem disrespectful, we merely seem Cranbrookian.

But we can always choose to be respectful, to be Cranbrookian.

Do we want to be a community where we learn to have the full measure of respect for ourselves and for others? Isn’t that what it can means to be a Cranbrookian? It doesn’t happen without effort and intention. Let’s make it so together. Esse quam videri. Amen.

Rod Farraway
Chaplain