iDigress

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 17 January 2010

9.00 am – Devastating earthquake hits Haiti

Like you, I was shocked by the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti on Wednesday.  It may have killed 100,000 people, and directly affected a third of Haiti’s population of nine million.

At a magnitude 7.0, and with a shallow epicentre, it is the most powerful quake to hit the Caribbean since 1770.  Most of the capital’s infrastructure – schools, hospitals, Parliament – lie in ruins.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the survivors, rescue workers, those providing humanitarian assistance, and those who have lost loved ones.

President Obama described the disaster as “cruel and incomprehensible.”  Indeed it is.  Like the Asian tsunami, we ask why such catastrophes occur.  Bad things do happen to good people, devastate poor nations, and kill the innocent.

But let’s not blame God.  God doesn’t do things that don’t make sense.  God offers hope in the midst of death and destruction.  He walks with us through the darkness.  I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com

12.00 pm – Australia’s debt binge

Well, do you feel like you were on a debt binge in 2009?  How’s the credit card after the Christmas spree?  The personal loans?  The mortgage?

According to figures released by the Reserve Bank, which keeps tabs on such things, for the first time Australians owe more in household debt than the national economy generates in a year.

Add it all up, and our collective debt comes to $1.2 trillion, or about $56,000 for every Australian citizen.

As anyone who’s been there knows, once you fall into the debt trap it’s very hard to escape.  Do we really need such large houses, all those beautiful furnishings, all that new technology, all those services, all those cards?

The answer is often no.  If we’re honest, it’s often greed, which the Bible describes as a kind of idolatry. 

It’s time to invest in something that adds real value to our lives, something that gives back to the community.  I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com

5.00 pm – Halving homelessness in Australia

Whenever I head into Sydney’s central business district, I can’t help but notice the beggars on street corners, and homeless people on benches and in parks. 

It’s a familiar sight.  It’s the same in most cities.  Of course, a few choose the lifestyle, but for many it’s the result of family trauma, or bad luck, or perhaps poor choices made long ago.

The Prime Minister wants to halve homelessness by 2020.  Simon Smith, head of Homelessness Australia, thinks this can be achieved if we all pull our weight. 

First, the government needs to build more housing, funded under the social housing stimulus package.

Second, we need to try new ideas, especially support options for those facing mental health and drug and alcohol issues.

And the broader community needs to engage with the issue.  That’s you and me.  After all, homelessness can hit close to home, and halving the pain and shame of homelessness is something we should all support.  I’m Rod Benson for nswchurches.com