From the Chaplain

Connecting when disconnected

I hope you all had a Happy Easter, be it different in many ways. Here we are in Term 2 and although we continue to do this thing known as “school” it still doesn’t feel quite the same. I was in conversation with another member of staff this morning and they were talking about the difficulties and exhaustion of teaching online. One of the things we agreed upon is that the lack of actual human presence removes a certain energy that is necessary for communication and relationships. I tried recording a chapel service by myself, in the chapel, before the end of last term. While the awkwardness of looking at myself mirrored on my computer screen was enough to put me off, I could not function as I normally do due to the obvious emptiness of the chapel. The opportunity to fully engage with another within the same context, in person, cannot be underestimated. There is something that I think is part of our soul or spirit that longs for that connection. You could almost hear the communal sigh of relief when it was announced last week that it was ok for TWO people to go and visit another family. A couple of months ago this would have seemed like a weird command from some evil dictator. But that it was delivered as good news recognises our need for true company. Whether it be in our triumphs, our sadness, our worry, our anger or our passion, we need the presence of others to affirm our personhood and to clarify our sense of self and others.

Although Easter 2020 has come and gone, the story that I have been reflecting on in our virtual chapel with students this week is the story of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ closest friends and followers, as she goes to visit His tomb. The question of why she does this has been discussed by commentators and scholars far wiser and studied than I but when I read this story it seems as though she is longing for her connection to Jesus to remain. Only 3 days ago she stood at the foot of the cross watching her friend and mentor be crucified as an innocent man. She travels to the tomb, knowing that she can’t talk to Him, hear Him or touch Him but in her immense grief she just wants to be as close as she can to Jesus. She doesn’t want that connection to be lost. Her discovery that the tomb is now open and the body is gone only brings more distress and the hopelessness of never ever being near to Him again. Imagine how overwhelmed she would have been when Jesus is standing there in front of her, speaking to her and once again giving her hope. He acknowledges that things are going to be very different but He will always be close. God brings new beginnings and we never really know what they are going to be like. But it is faith and hope in those that we are truly connected to that will sustain us through the changes.

I continue to receive enquiries about how people might be able to reach out to the most vulnerable and isolated in our local community. It is such a great testament to our community and incredibly encouraging to hear about people’s generosity and willingness to give in such a desperate time. Many of you have been clearing out your cupboards and would like to donate to different charities that we are connected too. One of the ways you can do this would be to drop your items either in my office or at the general office and I can deliver them to the appropriate service or individuals. I can also give you some contact numbers if necessary but it is important that you let the service know beforehand that you are making a delivery. I also want to bring your attention to some another activity that is happening through Lou’s Place, a day refuge and resource centre for women.

Kindness Calls

Women are matched with a Lou’s Place volunteer for 1-2 social support calls a week to ease social isolation. We have seen some really heart-warming connections being made through these social support calls with some women reporting they are the only calls they are receiving at the moment. Please don’t let language be a barrier for referrals.  We have many volunteers who speak languages other than English, ready to go and ready to help keep our community connected.

Calm Together 

All women are welcome to call into Live Trauma Informed relaxation sessions Monday – Friday at 2pm. Sessions focus on different aspects of movement, breath, and mindfulness with the intention of calming, grounding and connecting to ourselves, and to our community. Each day a staff member will be focusing on a specific element of relaxation. 

When:  Monday – Friday
Time:  2pm (sharp)
How:  Via teleconference to ensure we are as accessible as we can be during COVID-19
Phone:  1800 556 264
Password:  27 11 571#

Any woman can call in directly to Calm Together sessions as above. You may know someone that would benefit from either of these programs as volunteer or a participant. Please let me know if you have further questions.

In bringing your attention to these services for women, I have become more and more aware of the need for men to be able to connect to others as well. I often hear of the stigma around men speaking about their own struggles or the difficulty of talking about their emotions but I am concerned that sometimes it gets left in the too hard basket. I am finding myself having more conversations with fathers and other men around their own issues than ever before and I am wondering whether we could do more for the dads and maybe even brothers within our own community. I would love to hear your feedback on this. Please feel free to call or email me at garryl@sceggs.nsw.edu.au.

Take care and I can’t wait to see you out the front soon!!

Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain