Editorial: Mission of love, charity

Sydney
28 April 2002

Archbishop Pell and the Philosopher’s Stone

All he needs is a home and a family with love

Caritas pledges aid to Holy Land

Tribute to dad wins award for Rita

Bondi schoolchildren go to Galilee

New shrine was born in stormy seas

One in four chance of World Youth Day gig

Fun-filled radio CD guide for young drivers

‘Living truth’ will wipe out barriers

Chastity leads to true freedom, seminar told

Church unity is Christ’s will: Cardinal Cassidy

Sri Lankan fare at Amnesty night

Editorial: Mission of love, charity

Letters: Reform of the Mass, or not?

‘My life, my love’ - a vocation story

Reflections: A lone voice for our ‘enemy aliens’

Trinh’s journey from refugee to religious

Earthquake, malaria, but what a faith experience!

Obituary: Fr Lex was a friend indeed to those in need

Obituary: Lawyer, nun, college principal

Inspirations: Honour for Viet cardinal’s mother

Editorial: Mission of love, charity

Jesus was called a fool for suggesting we love one another and to this day Christians endure similar taunts. Acts of love and charity can appear foolish; indeed, Mary and James, the Catholic lay missionaries in our page 12 report, were uncertain whether it was foolish to go to Papua New Guinea, where violence and corruption are not uncommon.

And what would, no doubt, have made their decision to go to PNG even more foolhardy in some people’s eyes is the fact that they decided to take their four small children with them. Nor have their expectations regarding the country’s difficulties proved groundless.

But, despite the difficulties, which have included 20 bouts of malaria, the Brown family and the people of the remote PNG diocese where they have gone to help - they are 18 months into their missionary assignment - have benefited greatly from the family’s sojourn there. The benefit to the Browns is the more subtle and, perhaps, more spiritual.

They put aside career and other goals for two years to go and ‘mission’ in PNG and in the process have learnt deeper truths about the world we all live in. They have experienced a deeper connection with life and with other people than they ever did back home in comfortable Canberra. In helping others, it seems, they have ended up helping themselves.

Jesus spoke of this kind of ‘foolishness’ 2000 years ago, one allied to the deepest humanity. It demands a high price, but it pays back in full and heartfelt measure.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

Our front page story also deals with Christian compassion. It seeks a family for Simon, a family to take into its care a little boy who has been the victim of abuse and neglect, a boy who promises much joy, as his foster family has found out.

Sometimes children can experience the kind of hard knocks that adults take a lifetime to accumulate.

Yet they can come out the other end of childhood intact as whole and happy young men and women.

In the good homes found for them, children can experience the kind of love and care not available in their original home.

These children are a joy to behold. But it is equally clear from what they say that without this loving support their stories might well have been very different.

Simon needs a new start, a chance to lead a normal family life. He will certainly be worth it and, with luck, his childhood road will end happily, too.