The Aussie Lifestyle

Well, it is only 9 months after my birthday (roughly) but I finally got to enjoy my birthday present. Emily and I enjoyed the Sydney Bridge Climb on my day off this week. (I gave the climb to Emily for her birthday this year so that explains the wait!?)

It was amazing - what a way to learn about the Bridge and enjoy the awesome view of the city. Did you know that the entire bridge is supported by four joints? That would make a great illustration in a talk of the centrality of Jesus ... unless James Oosterveen gets there first!

Anyway, enough of my rambling. During the 3 hour trek we got talking to a couple on holiday from the UK. They were very interested in the fact that we had moved out here - you could tell they liked the idea. It didn't take long for Paul to utter the immortal words I've heard countless times from Brits ... "well, it is a great change of lifestyle."

When we told non-Christian friends back in Cheltenham that we were moving to Sydney everyone rationalised our decision as a 'lifestyle choice'. Apparently Aussies are more physically active outside, do more sport, are friendlier and thus Sydney would provide a healthier environment for our family.

I suppose this is related to 'Sea Change' - just like the ABC show - it is popular for people to escape the rat race of consumerism and materialism and settle down in the country or on the coast. Sometimes it is even put as the 'spiritual' option.

It's laughable though, isn't it? Since a strict philosophical definition of materialism refers to a world view where this physical world is all that exists, then surfers are just as materialistic as fashion victims; farmers as much computer geeks. In the short time we've lived in Sydney we have grown to love Australians and this country, but the lifestyle swap is materialism for materialism.

Jesus used a Greek word for 'change of lifestyle' - in Greek it is metanoia. We are more used to the word repentance. This morning I was reading Jeremiah. How relevant are his words:

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jeremiah 2: 13

How true for the people of Britain and Australia. We have forsaken God, and we have looked for him in possessions and experiences. They are broken cisterns, the water they hold does not satisfy and leaks away before our eyes.