Will you be watching the Olympic Games?

August 6, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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Will you be watching the Olympic Games from Beijing this year?

Many people are boycotting the games in protest of what they see as China’s appalling human rights record.

I must admit that I’m not a big Olympics watcher usually but I’m even less enthused than normal this time around.

I’m certainly not thrilled by the way that politics has been dragged into the equation for the Olympic Games once again but I also realise that no matter where the games are held, someone will be trying to score political points. There isn’t a place on this globe that doesn’t cause questions to be asked about certain behaviours or lack of action on some topic.

No one country has it completely right and so if we wanted to we could find reasons to boycott every sporting event, no matter where it’s held around the world.

While I won’t be watching too much of the games I might just sneak a peak when Cadel Evans jumps on his bike.

Amnesty International is hoping to make the most of the event and use the attention on the Olympics to hold China accountable for its human rights record. They have a comprehensive explanation of their concerns and actions on their site under the title Human rights in China and the Beijing Olympics. They also have a seperate site called The China Debate dedicated to debating the issues where they encourage people from around the world to discuss the

What about you? Will you be watching? Do you think that not watching will achieve anything? Do you think that we should just forget about the politics and focus on the sporting contest? Does holding the games in China help us to shine a spotlight on what’s going on there or do you think that once the carnival leaves town it’ll be business as usual?



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A Christian Response to Climate Change

August 6, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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earth_1.jpgAre we responsible for what happens to our planet? Do we have a part to play in creating a more sustainable future for the earth?

Some Christians prefer to ignore the evidence of global warming while for others environmental issues become all consuming. Is there a balance that will let us care for the environment without losing sight of the essentials of faith?

Should we as people of faith be looking at driving smaller cars, using public transport, recycling and becoming more environmentally aware or are green issues taking us off on a tangent, forcing us to take our eye off the ball?

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales and current President of the Baptist Union of Australia. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Today we discussed the growing concern among people of faith that we have failed our God given responsibility to be good stewards of the planet. Our desire to consume at rapidly rising levels is having a massive effect on poorer nations who don’t have the resources to respond.

You can listen to our discussion by clicking the play button of the audio player at the bottom of this post.



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Missing

August 6, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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How would you cope if someone from your family disappeared?

I was reading this story at News.com.au today and was struck once again about the difficulty of dealing with someone you love vanishing from your life.

THE husband of a woman missing from her Sydney home for more than a year has appealed to her to make contact after a string of reported sightings.

An inquest into the disappearance of Elaine Morgan, of Turramurra in Sydney’s north, was put on hold on Monday after reports of a woman matching her description spotted at an Adelaide beach.

It’s never happened to me, and I hope it never will, but my heart goes out to those who face each day wondering if today will be the day they hear something.

The Australian Federal Police say that thousands of people go missing every year but most of those people are found.

Every year approximately 35,000 people are reported missing in Australia – that’s one every 15 minutes. While over 95% are located within a month, the impact on families, friends and the missing persons themselves can be devastating.

It is important to remember that people go missing for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the person may be escaping from real or perceived family or personal conflict, they may be victims of foul play, whilst others may be asserting their independence or taking time out. Some simply forget to make contact.

They remind us that it’s not a crime to go missing but it can cause such heartbreak for those left behind wondering what has happened.

I can’t even begin to imagine the ache that would flood every part of someone’s life as they wonder if the person they love is still alive, if they were taken by force, if they could have prevented the disappearance. So many questions without answers. Each ring on the phone or knock on the door would raise hope only to have that hope dashed once again.

Have you had someone disappear from your life? Maybe you’ve walked away from your loved ones and they’re still waiting to hear from you. Those who’ve lost someone often say that while questions and heartache would remain, they would be able to face life a lot easier if they received a message to say that a missing person is alive and well.



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