Gratitude

It is with mixed emotions we celebrate Thanksgiving today.

We have a lot to be thankful for: each other; family and friends in close vicinity; job, house, material needs fulfilled; an opportunity to spoil ourselves and others with loads of great food. This is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, and the first in our new home region of Greater Copenhagen. We live in a home with plenty of room for occasions such as this, and I’m looking forward to tonight’s festivities.

On the other hand, I look back to last year’s first and only Thanksgiving in Sydney. And this very week, my parents have left Australia for good, moving east to the U.S., the home of Thanksgiving. While this will give me a chance to return once again to my childhood home and doubtlessly bring countless new experiences, I’m leaving a big part of my heart down under.

A year ago, we were thankful for the good experience of coming to Oz to live, and for good friends that we were able to spend time with. And with eight visits over the course of nine years, Australia has given me much more than just an accent. It has been my home away from home, a source of constant joy, an always-welcome refuge, an endless summer, a wide new world, a spring of inspiration, and a never-ending dream.

Australia was where I proposed to my wife, and where we did much of our wedding planning. And especially this time of year, with Denmark turning dark and cold and wet, my heart wanders south. To a place which, in one sense, is no more. But in another, it still lingers. We are not done with Australia. The dream never dies, but more than that, we will return – somehow, someday.

My parents may have moved on, but – to quote Peter Allen – I still call Australia home.

So Far Away

Once again, I must say: what a difference a year makes.

One year ago today is when I left Denmark to go to Australia. Countless experiences and 10½ months later, I returned to my native country on April 1st. Denmark looks the same, but everything is different:

• I am engaged to be married in less than a month. This will change my life forever – for the better.
• I have finished my education.
• I have a job – working for the Adventist Church in Denmark. The position is a new one, emphasising new initiatives in communication.
• I live near Copenhagen again, not in the West.
• We will be living in a house, provided by my employer.

… to name a few.

But a more subtle difference is that my bond with Australia has been further deepened. The experience of an everyday life in Sydney, working for an aussie employer, developing and deepening friendships there has been truly life-altering.

I have seen good and bad sides of Australia, but even after such a long period the good by far outweigh the bad. The main problem is that Australia is just too far away – but then again, that’s also part of the attraction.

Good things are definitely happening in my life. But it is sad that the Australian adventure is over – for now, at least.

Where Are You From?

It is a most fundamental question, and one of the first questions we ask when meeting someone new. (Second only to: what do you do?) But recently I have come to see that question as somewhat of a challenge. For some people it’s easy. They grew up in one spot, their family probably still lives there, and they call it home, even though they have since moved away. For others, like me, the world is not nearly as simple as that.

Born in Denmark with a Danish father and Norwegian mother, I usually felt mostly Danish. The four childhood years spent in the U.S., and subsequent moving around within Denmark didn’t inflict on my nationality, but I still never had one place to call home. The city of Aarhus was my home for nine years, but whenever people would ask me: where are you from? I would reply with a lengthy explanation, almost an excuse.

When my parents moved to Australia, Sydney became another home, as impossible as that may sound to people who have never lived in more than one country. I visited once each year and took pride whenever someone mistook me for being a ‘real’ Aussie. Never mind that this is a country of immigrants, and a lot of people here weren’t actually born here. But now, having been here for seven consecutive months, I still struggle with answering the question.

I live in Sydney, but I’m from Denmark. I’m here on a holiday, but I also have work and a home. I have a Danish passport and student ID card, but an Australian bank account and mobile phone number. When I try to get a student discount, I answer that I’m from Denmark. When clerks ask for my postcode, I reply 2076. So where am I from? Sydney? Denmark? Previously, one of my favourite answers has been: “Well, my passport says Denmark.” But while here, I’d rather be a Sydneysider, and while in Europe, I’ll settle for being a Dane.

What am I trying to say here? That geography isn’t everything. Where I am from does not answer the question of who I am. Identity is a whole lot more than that.

It’s Beginning to Look… a Tiny Bit Like Christmas

It’s the second day of December. And it’s the second day of summer. And here in Australia, the latter is more evident. I am approaching my 7^th holiday season in Sydney, and while this is now the single location in which I have celebrated Christmas the most often, this year is not quite the same.

Usually, I have been in Denmark for the build-up period, experiencing autumn and winter and rueing the dark and rain. The joys of travelling to the middle of summer at an instant (if 24 hours of flying time qualifies as an instant) are obvious: no more cold, getting wet not from incessant rain but from gentle waves at a sunny beach.

This time, though, I have been in Australia all through winter and spring, and summer feels quite in place. Christmas, however, does not. Sure, Christmas trees are up, both in our home and on streets and plazas. Holiday shopping is well underway for a lot of people. On Sunday, we’ll be going the Messiah at the Sydney Opera House. Things are gearing up for the festive season, but it does seem a bit awkward in the heat.

Which once again highlights the brilliance of early church fathers when they chose to merge the pagan midwinter’s feast with celebrating the birth of Jesus. Light is best appreciated in light of darkness. Grace is best appreciated in light of condemnation. It’s easier to see a great light if you’re walking in darkness.

I will enjoy a long and warm summer. And don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to Christmas. But I’m finally beginning to see that more distinct seasons have at least one advantage: it gives you something to look forward to. For now, living in the moment seems almost too easy.

Speaking in Tongues

Despite the title, I’m not about to embark on a thorough account of the different theologies of spiritual gifts. I do not deny a more supernatural meaning, but I also believe that a spiritual gift can be when God chooses to use a seemingly simple personal skill to the benefit of his church.

In this understanding, I have come to see excelling in translation or understanding different human languages to be an aspect of “the gift of tongues”; the gift of languages. Calling this a gift is not trying to make myself sound better. It is saying that, while I would certainly call myself proficient in English, using it for the glory of God is only possible through his power. As is the case with any type of work for the kingdom.

So yesterday I preached in English for the first time in my life. I accepted the invitation to stand in for someone who wasn’t able to make it, and delivered a sermon in Fox Valley Community Church’s “Opal Room service” (the more traditional-style worship service). From the ensuing remarks, I think it went pretty well – language was never an issue, and more importantly I believe the message was well received. If anybody is interested (which I’m doubting ) they do put recordings of all sermons on the website.

A Long, Deep Sigh of Relief

My feelings may not be as elated as they are for other people in similar situations. Nonetheless, today marks a turnaround in my life; the end of a chapter. I have finished my time as a student. Today, my MA thesis has been handed in for judgment, concluding six months of work, and five plus years of studying. While the final judgment may take up to two months from this date, I have no doubts that I will pass, and receive the title of MA in Information Studies.

The writing process has been surprisingly pleasant, although I had been looking forward to it in advance. I have been extremely lucky in finding a perfectly suited and very willing partner in LEGO Australia. It has been a great experience working with them, and I am also happy that the Australian angle could be turned into something interesting. The opportunity of doing field work in a foreign country, while at the same time living with my parents in Sydney with no big distractions and food every day has been a good combination. The writing process has not at any stage been stressful, and I have managed to stay more or less excited about the topic throughout.

A big thank you goes to Andreas, for printing the paper and handing it in back in Århus.

My thesis is titled “LEGO Australia: Internal Communication”, and is written in Danish. It comprises a systems theory study of the communication in this organisation, with issues such as communication media, team spirit, cross-departmental relations, and more. If anybody is interested, I am happy to email a copy of the English summary (3 pages) or the Danish report in its entirety (80 pages).

A new phase of my life is about to start. I don’t know exactly what that entails, work-wise, neither short-term nor long-term. But I do know that for the next month or so, I will enjoy some well-earned time off. Starting next week, Katrine and I will travel around Australia, visiting Uluru, Darwin, Cairns, and the east coast from Sydney to Brisbane and beyond. Not a bad way to celebrate.

The last six months have been fun, and I am very satisfied with the result, no matter what grade the report eventually will earn. But it does feel good to finally be finished!

The Pilgrims’ Congress

The Pope is in Sydney, celebrating World Youth Day along with a couple hundred thousand (not all quite so) young Roman Catholics from around the world. It’s a huge event for the city, although much of the attention focuses on road closures and infrastructure challenges while the event lasts. I won’t be going in to watch him. Mainly because it’s not worth the hassle, and of course I’m hardly Catholic either, although I hope that the throngs of Christians have a good time here.

Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd, of course. And several not so pope-friendly people are using the opportunity to point out some of the darker sides of the Catholic Church. One of the more ingenious (and very Aussie) ideas was T-shirts with the inscription “The Pope touched me down under”.

This highlights one of the main battles of the church in recent years: the sex abuse scandals involving Catholic priests. I wouldn’t suggest that the Church actually condones such behaviour, but the handling has probably come short. What struck me today was the news report of the Pope’s meeting with PM Kevin Rudd, and his commending of Australia’s recent apology to the aboriginals: “Thanks to the Australian Government’s courageous decision to acknowledge the injustices committed against the indigenous peoples in the past, concrete steps are now being taken to achieve reconciliation.”

These are bold words from a man who has yet to formally apologise for the sex abuse by Catholic clergy. No, Ratzinger did not to my awareness personally abuse anybody. I’m not saying that he did. But the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church is such that the pontiff should acknowledge responsibility and offer an unambiguous apology, not just the “regret” he has so far expressed. If nothing else, it would be a wise communication strategy to do so.

Nudity is not Porn

We live in a so-called liberal, western society, but in some ways tolerance has been on the decline for the past decade or so. One thing is religion and freedom of speech, especially when it comes to criticising Islam. But in the quest for protecting values that we’re not even sure we share any longer, sometimes people trip over themselves in ridiculous attempts to preserve long-lost sanctities.

Even in multi-cultural, laid-back, easy-going Australia, where ‘wowsers’ were supposed to have disappeared years ago.

Case in point: the recent furore here in Sydney, which started with an art exhibition featuring images of nude women (gasp), some of which were children. The exhibition was closed down, and to highlight the issue of free speech, the magazine Art Monthly Australia featured a front cover depicting a naked girl on a painted backdrop (inset). And highlight it they have indeed – who said Jyllands-Posten? As if they had nothing else to do this has put politicians on edge, with even the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd criticising the picture.

Now whatever your opinion on it may be, the picture is clearly art, and clearly non-sexual. I am not a naturist myself, but I will agree with my friends who are on at least one thing: nudity in itself is not particularly sexual and usually not especially arousing. Denmark is one of the countries where the distinction has been made without too much fuss. Australia, apparently, has either not, or has retreated in recent years.

Freedom of speech includes art. Underage pornography should, of course, be banned. But this is not it. Get a grip.

Two Worlds Apart

When I last left for Australia, in December 2006, I was breathing a sigh of relief. I was happy to go – as always, since Sydney is a great place. But furthermore I was happy to get away from it all. I was leaving behind me a seemingly unresolvable situation. I was in love, and she knew it, and she didn’t envision any future for us. I was crushed, and I clearly remember being moved to tears while watching “Sleepless in Seattle” somewhere over the Timor Sea. The trip proved a good respite from all that, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to leave it behind me for a while.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Katrine is now my girlfriend and has been for seven months. So when I leave for Australia today, the emotions are somewhat similar, but also altogether different. This time, it’s not great to get away from her; it’s sad that I won’t see her again until July when she joins me down under. My tears are not for the fact that she doesn’t love me back; they’re for the fact that she does, and that we’re going to be apart for too long. I am filled with the sorrows of saying goodbye, but also with the joys of having found true love. I am looking forward not to returning to Europe in 2009, but to experiencing Australia together for an extended period of time.

I post this from Copenhagen Airport, while waiting to board my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. This is it. I’m going. An old song comes to mind… an Australian one, incidentally:

Don’t ask me what you know is true
Don’t have to tell you, I love your precious heart

I was standing, you were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart

We could live for a thousand years
If I hurt you, I’d make wine from your tears
I told you that we could fly
‘Cause we all have wings
But some of us don’t know why

I was standing, you were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart

INXS: Never tear us apart

Apologies Abound

An important trend in this decade is saying sorry – for nearly everything, it seems. Demanding apologies has become an important diplomatic tool, even for atrocities committed hundreds, if not thousands of years ago.

Today, the new Australian government issued a formal apology for many years’ mistreatment of the indigenous population. Apartheid-like policies during much of the 20th century, including removing aboriginal children to raise them in proper white families, has been the one sore point in recent Australian history. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd represents the nation and dynasty that committed these crimes, and although generations have passed since then, the government is still heir to these decisions and their consequences. For this reason, the apology makes sense, and hopefully a new era of aboriginal relations can begin.

Apologising for the deeds of other people can be risky, though. In the Danish Mohammad controversy of 2005-2006, Muslim governments wanted Denmark to apologise for printing the cartoons. What they failed to grasp was the concept of freedom of speech and an independent press. Say sorry for what? Letting people think for themselves? Allowing independent media? Tolerating differences of opinion? Prime Minister Anders Fogh wisely avoided apologising for the cartoons themselves. He expressed his personal opinions. But had he intervened, he would be taking credit for the decision of Jyllands-Posten, and thus undermining free speech.

Comparing these two may be far-fetched. Almost everyone agrees that the treatment of aboriginals was shameful. The Mohammad cartoons, however, violated no Danish laws or international treaties. They may have indecently violated Sharia or Qu’ran rules; but these are hardly universal. Muslims may believe whatever they want; I reserve the right to believe they are wrong.

Yesterday morning, three men were arrested in Aarhus for plotting to murder the cartoonist behind one of the infamous drawing. Two, which are Tunisian, were immediately extradited. The intended victim is understandably shocked, and so are Danish politicians and media. There is fear the crisis may rise from the dead. Perhaps our response this time should be to demand public apologies from the government of Tunis (for allowing two of its citizens to consider such a crime) or the government of Syria (for not allowing free speech, which is very important in our ideology). Or perhaps everyone should just take a deep breath and mind their own business.

Previous posts on the Mohammad controversy:
Who Gets To Define Tolerance? (March 21, 2006)
Never Be Rude To An Arab (Feb 13, 2006)
The Culture Wars (Feb 8, 2006)
Da Vinci, Harry Potter, and Muhammad (Jan 7, 2006)