A listening heart

I was walking the streets of Tennant Creek last week. I had been to visit Aboriginal Catholic family members of the local Parish, lovely people of Faith.

As I walked most of the people I met, almost everyone in fact was Aboriginal.

Some of the men were still wearing cattle men clothing. Indeed, in the past, the region around Tennant produced some great Aboriginal stockmen. Alas, only a comparative fee remains in this occupation.

Many still obviously carry the memory.

I felt ‘at home‘ as I walked.

I remembered my 12 years in the Elizabeth Parish in South Australia. It was and still is often called a low socioeconomic area. It also reminded me of Hackham West and surrounding areas in the Noarlunga Parish where I served for about 20 years for similar reasons.

I loved being in both those Parishes where I have made some great lifelong friends.

I also remembered my childhood days in the 50s and early 60s on the other side of the world.

These are very different places in so many ways.

However, there was a common trend.

It is a certain simplicity of living.

Expectations were often realistic; we were happy with little things. No mobiles, no sophisticated toys or games. We tended to walk, had no car.

Obviously, we cannot turn the clock back.

There are many medical and other developments that are of great benefit to humanity that we now have.

Technology can be a fantastic tool to help families stay connected and for useful information to be shared.

COVID restrictions have been disruptive in many ways.

However just maybe they also remind us of a need to regain beneficial things that we have tended to lose.

We need to preserve family bonds and connections. It is not good to just give in to every call for the gratification of all our desires. We need to take care of each other, spend time with each other.

There is more to life than just rushing about! We need to smell the flowers🌺 and listen to the birds.

We need to continue to choose to be fully human.

The wisdom of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus keeps reminding us of this.

So often, Jesus said, ’Listen anyone who has ears‘.

Let us take the time to have a listening heart.

Let us stop a little and listen…