Chaplaincy corner
We are delighted to welcome the new Anglican Chaplain, the Rev. Dale Baikie, to our Chaplaincy Team. Dale has had much experience working in various parishes. He is enthusiastic and readily available in his new ministry at Macquarie Hospital.
It was a misty grey morning. Looking out onto our lawn I noticed the fresh green shoots that were defiantly pushing through the dead leaves that carpet our lawn. Life goes on. Soon there will be a blaze of colour – daffodils, harbingers of spring. Bright yellow – the colour is a poignant reminder of the Bird’s Custard my mother used to make from a packet when I was young. My mother died long ago but love never dies. The relationship continues. However, each death is a reminder of the frailty of the human shell and the ephemerality of our earthly existence.
In the Bible, we read, "Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble. They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.” Job 14:1-2 (NIV). This passage describes the brevity and fragility of human life, emphasizing its troubles and impermanence.
Nevertheless, we can celebrate even in the dead of winter because there is a promise of coming joy in new life. With winter comes the promise of spring. For Christians, with death comes the promise of new life. In fact, life after death is a fundamental belief in most religions, but what form it takes varies according to the religion. There has been much loss and grief in our hospital community this year. We acknowledge this in our annual Remembering Service (12th August), and we look for hope with the approach of spring. This is an opportunity to pay tribute to, and celebrate the memory of, those who are no longer with us – with music, readings, candles, and flowers. Everyone is welcome.
Rosemarie Say Chaplaincy Coordinator
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