Many gathered in the days after the tradgedy, at the huge memorial of floral tributes at Bondi, including Politicians, former Prime Ministers, family and friends of the deceased and other Aussies standing in solidarity. The image of a Jewish Manora was displayed on the Sydney Opera House, and again on the harbour bridge on New Year's Eve along with a minute's silence at 11pm. A week after the incident, about 20,000 people and national and state leaders gathered at a vigil and what NSW Premier Chris Minns said was a time to 'reclaim Bondi' from the horror of the week before. Many business, judicial, political leaders, and sports men and women as well as average Aussies across the land are now calling for a Royal Commission.
Many Christians have commented on the incident and its implications such as the Pastor's Heart Podcast (including comments from the Bondi Anglican pastor whose church was close-by and sheltered people running from the gunfire), Vision Christian Radio, ACL, a blog by Murray Campbell, as well as there being comments by multiple news outlets. Comments have been made about whether Australia is 'safe for Jews', how it has shaken the nation, the anger towards the government who many say should have done more to turn down the temperature of a long boiling pot of antisemitism. Others call for us to remember to pray for the injured, as we pray for the nation.
But, as Australia continues to reflect on the incident, I want to draw attention to 3 other honour-related issues that emerge from it which I suggest should not be overlooked but may not even be recognised.
1. Differing Honour-codes Within a Multi-cultural Society
Vastly differing honour-codes within a multi-cultural society cannot be treated as equal or presumed to co-exist peaceably.
We might want to blame guns, hate-speech, or violent extremist actions, but they are not the real cause of such horrors. We cannot afford to ignore the ideology behind the actions and the core beliefs and even theology, that form the roots of that ideology. As one commenting politician said 'Theology has public consequences'. But those beliefs are rooted in issues of honour. Consider the following:
- What or who we honour, and what we believe is honourable behaviour, directs our entire life. That is true for every human being. What we believe is honourable is what we then believe is right, and it is what we will defend, and fight for. Doing what we think is honourable is how we think we will gain glory, in the eyes of people, God or both.
- When we combine the human hunger for honour with strong honour-codes that are in opposition to biblical honour, we will have destructive outcomes. The son in the shooter-duo, is reported to have said to workmates before he finished up at his workplace a couple of months ago, that he 'wanted to be remembered'. But a desire to 'be remembered' is a desire for honour, for status, for worth. And in the context also of his affirmation of his desires to fulfil his religious obligations, his desires for honour were directed by his religious beliefs…
- Different 'codes of honour' may be incompatible with each other. When we say we want a society that is built on respect, (another word for honour), and different parts of society have very different understandings of what defines respect/honour, including some parts seeing extreme violence as acceptable and honourable, but with no respect for the human life of other parts, then clearly those parts are incompatible.
- Ultimate views about honour of humanity now and future eternity will supercede all other views. Australia sees itself as of no particular religion but wants to be free for all religions and beliefs to exist and be practiced, yet has failed to acknowledge that strongly held religious views about honour of humanity and for eternity will always supersede any national earthly laws and notions about respect. We can't all live parallel lives in the one society without one group's beliefs impacting their behaviour and there then being wider community effect. (It's worth noting here that we all have a 'religion' we align with and live by, - in the original meaning of the word that meant to: 're-read' or 'bind' to and thus trust in, and applied to varied and broad social allegiance and moral obligations that related to respect for what is believed to be 'right' and of highest importance. For more on this see Wikipedia references and Etymology of the word)
- Unity in diversity can only occur when all members agree to ultimately align with a shared/common superior and higher honour-code that governs all and all are subject to. If that doesn't occur, sooner or later some group's honour-code will intersect with another different honour-code, and what makes up those honour-codes, will direct the outcomes. If there is no practical allegiance and accountability to a higher honour-code, confusion, chaos and carnage will ensue, and anger and division will result. Ultimate equality and dignity cannot exist except under agreed collective allegiance, submission, and conformity to the culture and identity of a higher authority, otherwise jealousy, oppression, self-elevation, and honour/status competition in various forms is inevitable.
(at this point we need to note that one of the 'heroes' of the day who tackled one of the gunmen and got the gun off him is also a Mu*lim but clearly was at a different level of ideology and saw the honour of human life and Australian law as higher than some of his religion's ideologies. Interestingly the Global Imam Council has since come out condemning the Bondi shooting, with a statement wanting to distance themselves from the presumed ideology levels of those doing the shooting).
But the principle behind the incident, is relevant to us all. One person or group or culture might define something as honourable, and that same action might be defined as shameful and unacceptable by another person or culture. In any context, without allegiance to an overarching supreme honour-code which is ultimately well understood, upheld, and abided by in the wider society, any diversity will result in division and ultimately destruction.
Most who will read this blog post, will easily agree that guns/weapons are not the issue but ideology, religion, and beliefs play the major part. But we need to think a step further about the significance of the factor of honour in our beliefs, and how that the beliefs around that factor of honour will direct other beliefs, and then other values and other behaviours.
Whether its multi-cultural society or a multi-cultural church, we need to address deeply held honour-codes that direct our values and behaviours. We need to seek to ensure that we are not simply trying to tolerate each other and function as side-by-side parallel cultures in the name of equality. Rather we should all be seeking to re-align our life completely, recognising and forsaking old honour-codes and submitting to a new higher culture with shared values of a new unified honour-code under the ultimate hierarchy of Christ as King of Kings.
2. Group Identity
- this builds on a previous post about whose glory is it when a team wins.
We can then also ask whose shame and pain is it when the group is attacked?
In our 'individualistic' society, it is situations like this that show us that at our core we are actually not just individuals. We are communities made up of individuals. Individuals matter, but our identity is more than individual, and our dignity is formed more than on an individual basis.
The Bondi incident was an attack, and technically it was about certain individuals being shot and injured, but it was more than that, as simultaneously it is about a group identity being attacked by another group identity with a different and extreme ideology.
It was however, also not just an attack on one particular religious group by another religious group, but the nation has seen it as an attack on the whole nation and on the very core values of the whole nation. Many across the whole nation have now stood with Jewish Australians, and said this is not acceptable within the Australian identity. It has been said by a former Victorian Premier that it impacts the "reputation" of our whole nation. Emma Carney, Aussie Triathlete stated that "I am highly offended that someone stood on one of our greatest beaches and took pot-shots at us…I find that terribly insulting." (Emphasis mine)
What was maybe orchestrated by the gunmen to make a very public iconic statement of hate and harm in the extreme, by making it at Bondi Beach, has also meant it was an attack on an international icon of Australia and the symbol of current core psyche of the Aussie way of life….that of families and friends gathering for fun together on a Sunday afternoon at the beach. Doing such a horrific deed at the iconic and globally recognised Aussie Bondi beach, rather than increase the 'power' of the gunmen for shaming and hate and destruction, it has increased the level of 'unacceptability' and 'disrespect' in the eyes of Aussies. The gunmen didn't just attack some people, they attacked the greatest symbol of who Aussies see themselves as being…who they are as a community of people…it was an attack on all Aussies and the whole of Australia.
Maybe this will help Aussies pause a little and recalibrate what they see as important in a multi-cultural society. It's not about, as the ACL comment included, being 'parallel cultures' within a country, but its about not letting important and deeper Aussie culture of 'shared values' slip away.
A multi-cultural society cannot survive if it strives to be everything to everybody. It cannot just allow groups of different belief, value and behaviour structures to live side-by-side and hope all will be well. There has to be a willingness to adjust, let go of the old, and assimilate into the new greater group culture. When we resist this, and often with fears of loss, we try to hold on too tightly to the old and fail to embrace the new, or when we try to accommodate and tolerate everything and everybody, we will lose what we hope to gain.
This is a reflection of God's ways, including God's multi-cultural church where we can't just be 'multi-cultural' side-by-side in the pew without growing in our assimilation into a new collective culture in Christ. We have to be willing to let go, to put off, whatever things do not align with the new identity of who we are in Christ together—regardless of how dear to our heart and familiar those things are—if we are going to enjoy the new culture in Christ and the blessings of the family of God as the body of Christ. It is only as we are each rooted in and prioritising deeper new culture values that supersede our own personal former cultures, that we can together grow in unity beyond our diversity.
3. Life is More Than Physical
Coming from another culture to live a physically wonderful life in Australia and participating in the physical aspects of daily life in Australia, doesn't mean a person's beliefs and ideology are automatically changed to being 'Australian'. Human beings are more than just their language, clothes, food, traditions/rituals, and passport document. To pretend otherwise is naive and unwise to say the least, yet we so often fix our focus on what we 'see' or 'do' in the physical realm. But, we can't afford to be blind to what internal beliefs drive the behaviour we externally see. In a society that prides itself in being 'secular' and a 21st century Western world that so much considers itself more mature because it believes it has moved beyond religion, it must recognise that ignoring realities of religious beliefs is to ignore reality itself.
Every human being is driven by desires that are a blend of sinful separation from our Creator mixed with our created humanity that was designed to believe in something greater than ourselves. Our beliefs and values are meant to be rooted in the truth of Jesus who came to us on that first Christmas as God in the flesh and the true light of the World. If the root is not as it should be, the fruit of life will not be as God designed life to be. Our physical behaviours are merely fruit of deeper belief roots. That is the same for any of us. Let it be a reminder to us that in the context of the gospel and discipleship, God wants inwardly transformed hearts, not simply outwardly educated and informed minds or reformed behaviour.
AND - while the attack physically harmed almost 60 people, it has brought emotional and relational pain to hundreds locally and millions nationally and worldwide.
Those who were physically present at the event, even if they weren't physically harmed, will be emotionally impacted for the rest of their lives, whether that's through loss of lives of friends and family, or memories of terror which will etch deep into their memories and brain neurology. Because it sounded at first like fireworks, many will now struggle with the sound of fireworks, and what once brought feelings of joy will trigger fear and panic.
Relationally, this brings opportunities for greater rifts between groups, but it also brings opportunities for greater cohesion as I see wider Australia standing with the Jewish community. There is opportunity for even stronger resilience and courage, including what was seen in the Jewish community and with others, at the very next night and other times since, of gathering back at Bondi to mourn together and encourage each other.
Let us mourn with those who mourn, but let us also as the Former Australian Treasurer said, be also warned. But not only that this could happen again, if governments don't act, but let us also be warned in the sense, that there are deeper underlying issues that sit behind such a tragedy as this, and so much other fruit of sin in our lives and communities. As we pray for the nation of Australia as a whole, as we pray for our world, as we pray for our churches, as we pray for ourselves, we should not ignore these three issues that affect life and community contexts at various levels.
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