Scotch College

From the ChaplainChaplain’s Reflection

Last term we had a visit in Assembly from Stephen Lungu of African Enterprise. Stephen told his own fascinating story and in particular spoke of his conversion from gangster to evangelist. The story is related in his book, Out of the Black Shadows, (copies in the School Library). His is an astonishing story of family disintegration, frustration and violence metamorphosed into forgiveness and passionate purpose.

In speaking later to Year 7, Stephen explained that in Africa introductions take a long time. Forty minutes would be easily consumed in greeting someone and saying hello. He marvelled at how quickly Aussies can dispense with greeting. 'Hi!' x 2 is all it takes! He mentioned an African saying; “In Africa we have time, but no watches, the West has watches but no time”.

This is an interesting comment, linking as it does our time and our technology and suggesting that Africa, unlike us is not 'time poor'. The truth is that we have so many labour-saving devices that when we look at our watches we could expect to see that we have saved hours of time, with plenty to spare for substantial relationships with other people, but it isn't so.

In Ecclesiastesthe Preacher records a well-known song, also recorded by the Seekers - a long time ago - about a time and purpose for everything. If time flies, can it be true?

‘How time flies’ is a comment which C S Lewis discusses. He supposes that goldfish in a bowl don't constantly remark about the wetness of the water. Of course we can't be sure about this, but it seems likely! Why? Because water is their element, it is where they are at home. Now then, asks Lewis, is it not strange that everywhere people remark, ‘How time flies!’ After all one supposes that time is our element. Our constant remarking about its rapid passage suggests we are not at home in time. Lewis suggests, this is because we are in fact creatures of eternity.

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes, speaking of God says: ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart;’ (3:11) Another commentator says this explains why human beings have a sense of place in the stately unrolling of the universal, predetermined providential plan of God. In Eugene Petersen's translation this passage reads: ‘I've had a good look at what God has given us to do busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going.’ This suggests that ‘busywork’ has been the lot of humanity from time immemorial.

Let us learn a lesson from Africa and from the Preacher, so that the busywork of our daily lives doesn't keep us in shallow personal relationships and in the dark about God. We must make time for one another, and for God. Best wishes for Term 3!

Graham Bradbeer