Over at Dave Andrew’s (and friends) blog www.wecan.be there is a great refelction from some involved recently out at the trial in the Alice for the Pine Gap crew. I think someone recently challenged the validity of their faith on my blog, after reading this I feel more convinced than ever, not that thier action were what I would do, but sure that they are people of great faith in Christ and passion for His Kingdom.
Here is an extract –
The beautiful children brought flowers to the guards, who coldy ignored their little offerings of kindness. My heart went out to them, but they resolutely laid them at their feet and smiled anyway. Such brave little ones for God!
Just being a part of the whole action; representing the Citizen’s Inspection Team; being photographed/filmed by ASIO’s cameramen at Pine Gap; just feeling a part of it all – to me was sacred. We gathered on the road for the blockade-50 minutes of beautiful peace, weaving a woolen ‘web-of-life’ through each of us bound us symbolically together in unity; listening to Michael Franti belt out very cool tunes on a boom-box, which pierced the desert silence and brought it to life. The huge cross, with the names of so many people who have died in this war, yet such a tiny portion of those struck down from all sides.
…
All my life I have wanted to fit in – to make my life worth something. And I knew THIS was it. It’s about putting yourself on the line- my body; my person; and backing up what I say. I felt so satisfied and so fulfilled, and as the police took each one of the guys away, I knew I had to make a statement. My bulk would work in my favour this time and I would allow them to take me alright, but they’d have to work for it! As they started to take me away I went limp, so they began dragging me, then grunting and moaning, dropped me, calling for the ‘cage’. I lay motionless on the road looking up at the last blue hues of the sky as the sun set in the desert of Central Australia. Beautiful- I felt completely at peace with myself and with God, like God was happy with me. It was wonderful.
I knew those 5 police officers were angry with me- and I sort of felt sorry for them, I’m so heavy-but I stayed completely non-resistant and let them do all the work. Looking and feeling undignified as much as possible was completely what I wanted. I was shoved into the back of the van and my head jerked forward in a final act of retaliation by the 8 police. I regained my composure, rearranged my new Peace t-shirt and pulled up my pants. The last cop asked me if I was OK? I replied Yes, I’m fine. He asked; “Have you done what you set out to do?” I relied, “Yes.” He said “Good!” and walked away.
Jubilant, I checked out my new digs for the 20 minute drive (toss) back to Alice Springs. I started singing and the men from the other wagon joined in.. “we shall overcome..” It was magic.
Honestly, for all the money and jewels in the world, nothing made me feel more like a princess than that moment.
There rest is here
No Guarantees 
I still think it is real easy to go stand in front of a base on Aussie soil and wave a few signs at ordinary Australians while the real issues at stake are occuring thousands of kilometers away.
Ironically the Theraputic Cloning Bill passed the Senate yesterday – I don’t see too many Christian pacifists wasting any time on the fact that the genocide that is abortion and the destruction of embryos is about to reach a whole new level here on our own soil!
I really think these guys and their supporters need to get real, put their money where their mouth is and go and make a real difference where it matters – and that isn’t out in the middle of the NT desert.
Theraputic cloning comments – I think you just might have a point there. Weapons development, obvious hypocracy from a government claiming to follow a God of peace. Trillions of dollars a year spent killing people in the name of protecting their oil reserves (etc), when 30 000 kids a day die due to lack of money to eat or have medicine…I guess these are things that are on the minds of the people trying to do what they can on their soil,these are the things that they think might be made different. Did they make a difference? Make any impact at all? Well we are having this conversation aren’t we?
Here, here Scotty!
“I really think these guys and their supporters need to get real, put their money where their mouth is and go and make a real difference where it matters – and that isn’t out in the middle of the NT desert.”
Strong words my friend. How f#@$en real do you want to get. The Western Church (institutions) which sits on enough resources as an institutions to solve global poverty overnight. But hey why should they give up their building and huge assests. Well lets just look at the consumerist drive of the evangelical pentecostal churches (individuals) that contribute to the fact that twenty times is spent on perfume then foriegn aid. Yeah but why shouldn’t us western christians lack for nothing including our latest scent of perfume while across the ocean a mother prays fervently for some malaria medication and watches her infant child die. Oh but we are “blessed” of God because we tithe our 10% to for next years carpet refurbishment and rant with fred niles about abortion like we give a shit about human life. Oh and the last one the great defender of the christianity the US of A spends over 430 billion dollars a year on WMD to stay ahead of the arms race (what the… didn’t the arms race end) and the christian right dares to stand up this nation which manipulates the world economy to it’s advantage along with the EU which causes much of the injustice and global poverty in the world.
Now a group of people who drive out to the middle of the desert to protest against the illegal invasion of another nation for it’s own insatiable greed is putting your money where your mouth is! These issues of WMD and hemegony by imperial greed are REAL issues. The old testament prophets, John the Baptist and Jesus spoke about issues of injustice which must mean they are Real issues.
I’m going to reiterate some of my earlier comments here – and make some new ones.
The activists undertaking this action are the same ones who have been at the forefront of the opposition to theraputic cloning, in most cases. I think you’ll find a lot of these guys are Catholics with a strong right-to-life focus and I for one wouldn’t challenge their credentials on that. They’d have spent as much time praying in front of abortion clinics as in front of pine gap.
That was part of my earlier comment “You really have to look at the individuals in question and ask ‘is this consistent for them'”
Well, yes it is. In some cases we are looking at characters who have been doing this for decades, and not always in places of safety in Australia.
I think they have demonstrated that they have a genuine committment and I think to challenge their actions on one front when you are not even aware of their actions on others that you hold dear is pretty poor.
I disagree with some of what these guys do and say, but I respect the hell out of them for having the courage of their convictions and for being willing to demonstrate that actively in many ways
Pine Gap is one action among many but they are not one-trick ponies.
Jarvo, Grendel, great thoughts into the conversation. Thanks for your thoughts!