ACHIEVING LASTING CHANGE

POP QUIZ:

You are, like many people in Australia, distressed by the current bloodshed between Israel and Lebanon. You desperately hope it will end quickly, but realise it is symptomatic of entrenched difficulties and tensions spanning generations. Do you:

A) Lobby the Israeli and Lebanese governments expressing these emotions and pleading that they work towards tangible peace.
B) Research the causes of the current situation to help you find ways in which you, as an individual, may potentially be able to have a positive impact
C) Based on the above, express your feelings to your local government representatives, asking they, as part of the world community, seek to communicate such concerns to the above governments.
D) Join with others to pray/meditate/positively affirm for a peaceful positive resolution.

Each of which take time, thought, a proper consideration of the issues and effort!

OR

..do you do as one hundred 'geniuses' did today, which is to mob the Australian Prime Minister's car, in an obviously intimidating way (which in most other countries would result in you being SHOT incidentally!) to "demand an immediate ceasefire!"

Along with this goes yelling abuse at police, physically tussling with police and denigrating Australia as "undemocratic" for the police's containment of what was a violent, dangerous situation in a public place.

Again the issue of form or substance--taking action to achieve real change, at personal expense of time and effort, or simply impulsively and angrily confronting the nearest party available.

Demanding a ceasefire from the Australian Prime Minister--real intelligent!!

But, perhaps the goal is merely to acquire cosmetic benefit--being able to brag to your friends how committed you are to peace, as evidenced by your determination to spend an afternoon venting anger and hatred in public..(notice the irony here?) They will be impressed by how willing you are to take action, not realising the action taken is ignorant, pointless and unlikely to achieve any real benefit.

I hope to see people actually be strategic in their actions...rather than simply yelling abuse at the nearest Australian politician. It is not our government's job to wave magic wands over the Middle East after all.

Praying for some hope in all this...my thoughts are with my fellow Australians with relatives still in Lebanon and Israel.
Stu