The spirit within
Thank you, Gillian Bouras, for a wonderful piece (‘The comforting word’, Eureka Street, March 2005). I was brought up Greek Orthodox, and have found solace in different churches throughout the world. In my travels, I found that there are great cathedrals from whom all spirit has been driven, only to be found in the most unusual and humble structures. Perhaps, in the end, that spirit is housed within us, and the comfort we receive at times of great crisis comes from our faith.
Helen Noakes
Received by email
Washed back again
Thank you. Your piece (‘Out of our depth’, Eureka Street, March 2005) cuts through the political and personal ways we have of satisfying ourselves of the merits of our actions towards those affected by the tsunami, and so ‘freeing’ ourselves to move on to other life concerns and interests.
Would that it were so for Acehians.
You certainly cut through my own sense of merit: I spent January involved in the organisation and presentation of a few ‘tsunami benefit’ events in my central Victorian neighbourhood. I recall feeling personally shocked by the attitude of a friend who, in a mid-January discussion about a forthcoming tsunami benefit, even declared: ‘I just feel all tsunamied out, and I just wonder where the money’s going anyway.’ Outraged I replied quietly: ‘Yes, around the Indian Ocean rim they’re all feeling tsunamied out too!’
Involved as I was, I could lay claim to a righteous merit there.
Just the other day, however, the proverbial boot laced onto the other foot—mine this time. (Not that I had realised it until I read your article.) We were asked to make up a table for a Karaoke Night, to be hosted by a local amateur theatre club. At a cost of $5 for every song sung. Those proceeds, together with the door sales and other fundraisers, will go to one of the major aid organisations. And my initial, uninhibited reaction, was: ‘Haven’t we done enough? How deep do they think our pockets are? There’ll be nothing left soon to pay our own bills!’
Between January and March something seems to have been washed away in my own heart. Whatever it was, thank you for washing it back again. It’s amazing how even those of us who consider ourselves aware and responsive still need to be brought back to reality at times.
Better a hole in the pocket than a hole in the heart!
Frank Donovan
Woodend, VIC
Political pressure
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