Treasure Christ, Tough & Winsome

Friends in Christ, sometimes being a bit slow to comment on a controversy enables a more measured perspective. Other times it means you are already yesterday's fish and chips wrapping paper before you start. Today, you get to be the judge, as I share a few reflections on the Essendon AFL Club's rejection of Andrew Thorburn's leadership that unfolded while I was away on annual leave. 

Recall that Mr Thorburn was forced to resign as CEO within a day of appointment, not because of anything he had said or done personally, but simply because of his involvement as a member and on goverance of an Anglican church in Melbourne with traditional Christian views on marriage and abortion. This was apparently a conflict of interest. However, although he was criticised by a Royal Commission for some serious failings in financial practices in the bank he'd led, he was not rejected by Essendon because of that. Indeed Thorburn was well known for supporting and advancing that bank's inclusion and diversity agenda, the very thing Essendon seems to imply he could not do at the Club because of his church membership. 

Here's the first and largest lesson I want to take from this episode: how encouraging is it that Mr Thorburn was willing to give up leadership of the football club he loved, and an annual salary reputed to be several hundred thousand of dollars, rather than resign his membership of his church! He chose loyalty to Christ over the wealth, popularity and a highly desirable job! 

Here was Steve McApline's conclusion in his "Eight Short Lessons From the Essendon CEO Saga":

When the head of the Purple Bombers (Essendon’s Pride group) heard that Andrew Thorburn had chosen to remain on the board of City on a Hill church, his response: “”Andrew made the correct decision for himself and the football club, but I did not expect him to choose the church.” Of course he didn’t expect it, because unlike Andrew he hasn’t met Jesus and seen how worthy he is.

Hymn writer, Isaac Watts (courtesy Wikipedia)

Just dwell on that point for a while before we get to political theology or evangelistic strategy... Thorburn must mean it when he sings the famous hymn: 

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride...

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all. 

Do we treasure Jesus that much? Do we treasure what he has taught us; do we treasure what he has done for us in dying on the cross so much that it would trump any other gains we could make in this life. 

And if the Thorburn saga comes up again in conversation at water cooler BarBQ or cafe, then why don't you simply say to the others present:

Isn't it amazing that Mr Thorburn gave up a prized football club job, with an enormous salary, out of loyalty to Jesus! Doesn't it make you curious to know what's so compelling about following that Christ?

My second lesson is that it's probably a time for being winsome and tough, rather than timid. Simply being apologetic and defensive in your explanations of Christian convictions is never enough. The world wants you to abandon those convictions. So if we are unwilling to do that, then sometimes we must simply pay the price, and be "gracious losers" as John Dickson sometimes says. I think Daniel and his three Jewish friends in the Babylonian public service were examples of that (see Daniel 1-6).

And of course, we should always be gracious and gentle and respectful, loving our enemies and praying for our persecutors as Jesus said (see Luke 6:26-28). We must be especially kind to those from whom we differ in culture, or religion, or political conviction. Be ready to defend them from bullying or aggression or inequity too. 

But sometimes there are reasons to defend our rights or at least to question an inconsistent application of the law.

We see this in Acts 16:35-40, after release – via earthquake – from imprisonment for allegedly distrubring the peace, Paul resumed preaching the gospel and insisted on a kind of public apology from the town magistrates for beating and imprisoning them who were Roman citizens without a trial. Likewise in Acts 22:22-30, Paul challenged the Roman military authorities as to the legality of flogging a Roman citizen (himself) who had not been found guilty of any crime. 

So we might ask: why can't we be given the same allowances and inclusive treatment that AFLW player, Haneen Zreika, was given about the pride round jersey because of her Muslim community connnections and convictions? And we might explore whether we have any protection under current laws if we are being unjustily discriminated against because of our religion?

We might ask whether it is a "safe space" when asked to justify particular views Christians hold. And if our questioners refuse to promise a tolerant and inclusive approach to matters so central to our identity, we may prefer to remain silent in that context. Remember that Jesus sometimes refused to answer 'gotcha' questions.

Or we might point even out hypocrisy, as Paul Sheehan asked in his letter to the editor of The Age newspaper: 

Daniel Andrews has openly declared himself a Catholic, the church that has repeatedly condemned homosexuality, same-sex marriage and aborion. Someone who belongs to the Catholic Church clearly cannot lead and represent a progressive and tolerant government. The Labor Paty mut therefore make it clear to Andrews that he must choose between his church and his position as premier of Victoria. 

Touché! Of course, the real response is that it is possible to have strong political or religious convictions, to disgree with others over morality or ethics (whether environmental, economic, sexual or social), but still to act in personal, public and professional life with respect for all people, with tolerance, inclusivity and, most of all with love! 

Well, you be the judge: fish and chip wrapper, or food for thought? If nothing else, remember to treasure Christ and his word above all else. 

Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” [Mark 8:34-38]

Warmly in Christ,

Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney