Wherever the wind blows

This past week has been a very profound one full of significant events and a range of emotions. My two all-time favourite band front men, Bono (U2) and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), stood together at the Make Poverty History concert for a cause I believe in on the day the G20 summit met in Melbourne. The following day was a sad day to remember with violent protests in Melbourne. Vox Congo played at another MPH concert in Melbourne that day. What a weekend of action, filled with massive political statements by some of the biggest bands to visit Melbourne, lots of pleas from many sympathisers to make poverty history and opportunities to actually make a difference.
All the while I was across the border in South Australia missing out on the action, but gaining appreciation for a different kind of action, learning how to be an uncle. My sister gave birth to the first of a new generation of my family and I was in Adelaide to be a part of the ‘moments’.
It seems that when significant things happen in life it gets me thinking quite deeply about life, purpose for being, etc. Tim Costello spoke at the Make Poverty History concert and said something I had heard him say before. From what I can remember he said, when politicians make decisions they lick their finger and put it into the air to see which way the wind is blowing. His purpose for this example was to say that we have the power to change the direction of the wind and influence the decisions politicians make.
Last year at the global launch of the Make Poverty History campaign Nelson Mandela said ‘all it takes is for a generation to be great, you can be that generation, you can be great’. There were threads of this quote in the movie ‘the Girl in the café’ when Gina gave that famous dinner table speech.

And so this has prompted me once again to consider, will this current generation of leaders and citizens decide to be great? Or will we just coast along and ride with the wind wherever the voices of influence dictate the direction of its breeze; whether we think it’s just or not?
I wonder what my niece, Samantha Grace, now 10 days old, would think when she grows up and begins to engage with the world? I really hope she never has to see a current image or hear of another human being who is dying in senseless poverty that we have the power to prevent. Yet I fear she will, and she’ll wonder why we didn’t do enough to address a problem we could quite easily have tackled if only we had the will. We certainly have the way and the resources to do so.
So will you be part of a generation who will be great? Not only great for those who currently need our immediate help, but great examples to our future generations. Will you use your influence to help change the direction of the wind? Or will we leave it for another generation to be great? Hang out another 20 years and wait for people like Samantha to pick up the baton?
Jesus wasn’t one to sit back and go wherever the wind blows, in fact he (one person) set the direction of the wind. At times it became a wind storm and today has powerful influence. The Holy Spirit moved in like a violent wind among the disciples on the day of Pentecost and amazing things happened. When the disciples allowed it to move them freely, no one in the community was in need and they shared everything in common.
Let us be finely tuned to the direction of the wind that blows Jesus’ way. Be a great generation of influence. Set the direction of the wind.

Shalom
Mark