Hey stephen, just noticed on the Melbourne Victory website that there is a picture of three players and one has a Jesus Love You t-shirt on, who is the player do you know?
 

Good thoughts, Stephen. Hmmmmmmmmm
 

Can I quote myself? is that acceptable?
"To instigate any kind of change in society which requires others to act, we first must act ourselves."
I have another one:
"If we do not embody the change we wish to see, how can we hope to see that change in others."
It's not that I just wish you were crusty, old and cynical, I wish that there was no need for these questions.
Perhaps it can make a difference, but will it ever be significant enough to move anyone to action?
It creates awareness, but awareness is not what is needed, action is required.
"We think that because we learn about poverty that means we care, the next generation will look at us and say that we didn't care because all we did was learn and never act".
I know this doesn't help answer any questions... it is just an offering of my thoughts... I feel guilty just sitting here blogging and such... I need to go and 'do' something... perhaps i will tell you about it later...
 

Hi Stephen,

I agree that commodification or use of activism, like "greenwash" by corporations is a problem, but we do need to redeem business.

The largest economies in the world now are big businesses, and the people who work in those businesses need to be encouraged to make their ethics count in their business decisions.

So yeah, a big turnout at a concert doesn't necessarily mean the world is turning upside down, but it's such a creative change to violence at the barricades.
 

When I read this, and the comments attached, I wanted to comment straight away, but had no words to express the vague thoughts in my head, so I decided to sit on it for a little while. I believe in the concept of the MPH campaign, but don’t always agree with their process. Don’t get me wrong, given the chance I would have been at that concert, and I can see the benefits of raising awareness, etc… but there comes a point where raising awareness is not enough. And you could argue that attending that concert could ‘make a difference’, but how much of a difference. With the world in the mess it’s in, the problem is too big for one thing to change it. And the fact is the generation all these concerts, etc… are aimed at, i.e. my generation, are all full of apathy. Sure sometimes we want to make a difference, but often that just gets too hard. We want instant gratification for the good we do, but that’s not going to come from the path that will truly make a difference to a world filled with poverty. The MPH campaign started to raise awareness, it has done that and will continue to do so, but there comes a point when more than just awareness is needed. But I’ve said that already.
The whole optus sponsoring the MPH concert and having to win tickets, not so sure about this one. Optus must be benefiting from it in some way, but yeah. My generation is happier to be involved if it doesn’t cost them anything! Although I for one would’ve been happy to pay to attend the concert provided the money was going to help those MPH is talking about.
Attending a concert doesn’t make much of a difference apart from the awareness thing. But from my perspective what else can I do? Donate money to organizations, but a lot of the money that gets donated doesn’t actually make it to those that need it, and how much does that help any way? How do we change the world?
Essentially I am left with questions, big, hard questions, whenever I think about this stuff. And my only source of comfort is the story of the little girl who saw thousands of starfish washed up on the beach and started to throw them back to the ocean one by one, but barely making a dent in the number of starfish on the beach. And when someone asked her “what are you doing, how can you possibly hope to make a difference?”, she turned to them, smiled, picked up another starfish and threw it back and said “I made a difference to that one”. Perhaps if we can figure out how to make a small difference to just one person/thing each, then we can inspire others to do likewise and a big difference will be made.
“I wanted to change the world, but that was too much, so I tried to change my country, but that was also too much, so I tried to change my state, again it was too much, so I tried to change my city. That was still too much, so I tried to change my neighborhood, but it was too much, so I tried to change my street, but that was too much. I tried to change my family, but that was too much, so I settled for changing myself. But by changing myself I changed my family, and my family changed my street, and my street changed my neighborhood. Then my neighborhood changed my city, and my city changed my state, my state changed my country, and my country changed the world”……..
So no answers from me, just random ramblings, and more questions. Sorry for this completely pointless and incredibly long post, just offering some of the randomness of my thoughts. This might explain why I didn’t talk up much in class, too many random thoughts to fully think through one and offer it up.
Anyways, have a great day
 

Lis, I was about to respond to your comment, paused and got distracted. I came back to this post after my email informed me I had another comment. I have been moved by Jo's comment. Jo thanks so much for your honesty. Here you are stuck in the middle of it all, trying to make sense of it. I appreciate you taking the time to think through how you feel.

I must fill you guys in. I am writing my last research paper for my degree which is due at the end of this week. I am researching the Jesus People movements in Australia and the US in the 60's and the 70's. The stories are inspiring me and depressing me. There was such committment. One group is described as having no option but to organise an illegal street protest in order to articulate their frustration at government policies that run so counter to the values of the Kingdom of heaven. They protested Vietnam, not as simple reactionaries, but people with a conviction that alternative policies that could reflect something of Jesus' call to love your enemies. Their thinking was quite lucid, and talk about creative. It was radical for it's time. However to protest at this particular time was illegal. They felt like they had no other option but to challenge Caesar.

Who and what is our Ceasar? What is the kingdom of this world that offers us safety and security, but at a price? A price that reduces humanity in the vilest of ways?

In Jo's words I hear some ruminations beginning. Thanks Jo. (BTW - Do I know this Jo?)
 

I completely understand how you can be both inspired and depressed at the same time, when considering the challenges facing social justice and other "Kingdom of heaven" movements.

Our Caesar is the same as Caesar has always been, the spirit of Babylon encouraging violence, fear and greed, the rich and powerful being so at the expense of so many others.

Athol Gill was always big on living into effect the Kingdom, and I reckon that's about where it's at. Which would agree with Jo's comments. You can't change the world, but you can change yourself. That gives permission for others to change also. And it's your best worship to God who cares for the poor, widows, orphans and strangers in the land.
 

interesting comments. awareness is the beginning - but the danger is thinking that awareness alone makes a difference- that awareness needs to transform the person - and then the snowball starts rolling.

MPH is a forum (for want of a better word) for change. But we have to be willing to be changed. It starts with you and me.
 

Steve, if you're old, crusty and cynical then I am too. I've ranted a little on my blog, but...

I am confident that I could have got tix to the MPH concert quite easily if I was in town. Why? Because I knew the right people, as did my housemates and other friends. This alone is disappointing, it reveals just how deeply entrenched our systems of power and privilege are. If we need to start by changing ourselves, then giving the tix to kids in housing commission flats rather than our mates would have been a really good place to start.

Then the U2 concert...I just can't take Bono seriously these days...I still think he's amazing, an incredible rock star, a great intellect, but how on earth can he speak with integrity about poverty when he holidays at Saint Tropez, where you have to spend thousands on champagne just to be allowed the privilege of lying on the beach? When I went to the toilet, some blonde girls pushed in ahead of me - they would have been at least in their mid-20s, with several MPH bands on each wrist. Again, I can't help being cynical...we'll wear MPH bands but we won't give up the chance to get ahead, even if it only involves a queue for the toilet!!

I should say though, that I'd just come back from hanging out with squatters in Suva, so I probably wasn't in the best frame of mind to be going to big rock concerts!!
 

it's jo from yits, so yes, kinda anyway
 

Lis, great comments, thanks. I had a little bit of an emotional moment researching Athol Gill. I never met him but I am a product of his life to some degree. I think all Melbournians and most Australians are.

Lorna, you are beautiful. Do you visit often? I need people of grace like you in my life. (Well in my blog anyway!)

Jo. SORRY! Of course! I scanned the comments rather than read them. I should read, then I get the last line that says you wee in my class. Your thoughts are great. I am spewing you didn't chip in more often. Do so. It will be helpful for those around.
 

Hey Stephen,

As someone on the MPH organising group (but not part of the concert organising group) here are my V. quick responses that barely engage with the substantial issues you're raised:

Optus donated their SMS services. I don't know what that's worth, but it went a long way to making that concert possible.

Turning up to a concert is doing something. At a pragmatic level, it demonstrated a level of public concern that starts raising the stakes politically/electorally. It undoubtedly helped create a media environment where the campaign issues - and not just the concert and the celebrities - were seriously considered.

And, for the participants, it's the first step in what we hope will be a journey of increasing activism. They've taken that first step, by identifying (however imperfectly) with the cause, and we all need to work to make the next steps (and the end goal) clear and accessible for them.
 

I think I must be the only person on earth who doesn't have an opinion for or against or mutually on this subject.

A few girls from work were bosting how about how they have tickets and I didn't, and I didn't want tickets because instead of spending money for my entertainment.. there are still people living in poverty. I don't want to fork out money to help someone and still get something in return.
I believe it shouldn't work that way!

anyways i could rant, but I find where you are coming from really interesting.

coffee and catch up soon?
take care

Gemma
 

I think I must be the only person on earth who doesn't have an opinion for or against or mutually on this subject.

A few girls from work were bosting how about how they have tickets and I didn't, and I didn't want tickets because instead of spending money for my entertainment.. there are still people living in poverty. I don't want to fork out money to help someone and still get something in return.
I believe it shouldn't work that way!

anyways i could rant, but I find where you are coming from really interesting.

coffee and catch up soon?
take care

Gemma
 

hmmm...I'm still thinking about this one. I guess I'm pretty confused and have a huge range of thoughts on the whole thing. A big part of me agrees with Ben, but another big part is still really frustrated and cynical. I think my cynicism comes from the fact that I think that some of our methods actually reinforce, rather than undermine, discriminatory systems. Ie. using pictures of starving kids on TV ads to raise funds for those kids - they're still being objectified and commodified, and the attention is focused on their plight(s) rather than the systems land them there. Similarly, the whole MPH concert thing...I see lots of very powerful people ranting and raving about the apparently powerless...how often do we step out of the limelight and shove it onto those that don't get it?

Of course, my friends who were the direct beneficiaries of child sponsorship and similar endeavours would tell me to pull my head in, so I acknowledge that I'm probably being overly-intellectual and cynical about the whole thing...
 

Interesting that those of us who are well fed and drink clean water can spend so much time and effort pondering these issues. When I die will the world be a different place because I did?