Sustainable lives

It's never a dull life, I have to say. And always something to engage the brain and heart. Over a toasted tuna sandwich and a milky coffee at Soon Kim cafe in town this morning, I read Saturday's Fiji Times and got thinking about sustainable development - not for the first time - in the light of a bit of Prime Ministerial reflection. 

Sustainable livelihood, as an umbrella term, can be held aloft over a monumental number of concerns and issues: everything from sustainable fishing and sustainable families, to sustainable programmes of theological education. Which is where we come in, of course. Some may say, 'Well, theological education is hardly a matter of life and death!' Mmm - thinks. Remove 'theological' and ask the same question. Is education a matter of life or death? It can be. Education means you know which are the poisonous and the safe mushrooms and why drinking weedkiller can kill. It doesn't really matter if you were educated about those things from formal schooling, or from parents and grandparents in the family home. But it matters that you know them, for the sake of your life and the choices you make.

As a person of Christian faith, I can make a strong case for theological education, handled well, playing a huge role in shaping our priorities and urging us towards fullness of life for all. The stereotype that theology just complicates and mystifies everything is unjust. From the Judaeo-Christian tradition, just look how direct and vital the particular theological challenge to the people of Israel is in Deuteronomy 30. The context of course being loyalty to Yahweh - or not. It's a call to theological reflection and action: no more, no less. You've been schooled sufficiently in God's commandments, says Moses. What difference is that going to make to you now? To what you say and what you stand for; what you think and how you live? The choices mean death or life.

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

As I reflect on this call to choose, a horrible death and a life cut far too short come painfully to mind. The murder of British Member of Parliament Jo Cox has dominated the headlines in UK news. Death came shockingly to someone much loved and respected who chose a full life of public service. 

I know nothing of Jo Cox's personal theology or stance on faith, nor that of her bereft husband. But the world certainly knows the priorities he chose to speak about and stand for, when remembering Jo, even in the immediate aftermath of such pain for himself and his children. The Independent 17th June reported...

The husband of murdered MP Jo Cox has called on people to “fight against the hatred that killed her”. Ms Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, died after being shot and stabbed outside of a library in her constituency in Birstall, west Yorkshire near to where she held her weekly surgery. In a statement, Brendan Cox said: "Today is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. More difficult, more painful, less joyful, less full of love. I and Jo's friends and family are going to work every moment of our lives to love and nurture our kids and to fight against the hate that killed Jo."

Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life that would exhaust most people.

"She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.

"Jo would have no regrets about her life, she lived every day of it to the full."

Above: Mother and Member of Parliament, the late Jo Cox. 

Below: Quality education discussions in Nadi, Fiji

Working for full, peaceful and sustainable lives for the Pacific's children

is probably the most fitting tribute to Jo that those of us this side of the 

oceans can make. RIP.

Vacancy

No, no; I haven't been thrown out yet. Probably only a matter of time though. The vacancy we've been advertising has been for a Programme Administrator for the Extension/Distance learning department and interviews were on Friday. We're needing seriously to strengthen the admin side of things now, not least if the BD is going to expand and - maybe - we paddle toes in the water of on-line delivery. So we cast our nets for someone skilled in databases and student record keeping and basic financial management and with a great phone manner and with a heart for chasing up backsliders kindly and for inclusive, ecumenical working and with attention to accuracy and detail, and an excellent punctuality record, and...and...  You know, recruiting for the angel Gabriel, basically.

I haven't been involved in recruitment and selection for a while, though did a fair bit of it in previous lives. It's also a very different thing when in an unfamiliar culture and context. There's something about the inevitable globalisation of recruitment procedures and human resources requirements that makes it appear the same superficially. But you just know that beyond every politically correct and professionally executed question and answer, there's a world of other information that's sought, really. Not least about things which are so, so vital here: birthplace and family background, ethnicity and confederacy, not to mention faith. 

We had a really encouraging set of applicants and got it down to a shortlist of four. My indispensible right-hand woman and man through the whole process were Lynne and Sanjeet. They're both busy enough with their own responsibilities here at PTC, but made time to assess applications, shortlist with me, and be on the interview panel. My thanks to them both is here on record. They were wonderful colleagues and guides to this still relative 'newbie'. So grateful.

Here's lovely Lynne. She's been an administrator at PTC for over 20 years. Her present work is concentrated with the God's Pacific People programme, where she does a great deal of personnel work making sure that participants on short courses from all over the Pacific have everything they need, not least flights and visas etc. While helping us out with the PTCEE interviews, she was simultaneously managing the departures of the English class students who were travelling back to Maohi Nui and West Papua.  Multitasking or what?

Sanjeet, below left, is our Finance and Administration team leader; previously working for the Raffles hotel group. Always such a help to PTCEE when stuff needs sorting. If you're after the right spreadsheet, ask Jeet. He had a few timely questions to the potential recruits about bank reconciliations and unclassified deposits..

So we've made an offer and we wait to hear yay or nay from that someone. We'll let you know. 

They won't escape the blog. 
Watch this space! 

And so we pray,

Faithful God,
You know your children
better than we know ourselves.
May our new administrator
at PTCEE be your gift to us in
human form for the ministry
of theological education here
in the Oceania. 

May the chosen person 
be ready to both give and receive; 
work professionally and serve wholeheartedly. 

May we grow together, 
in colleagueship and community, 
and be as you would have us be.

Amen.