The Curse of HECS

Cross Purposes # 69

6th December 2006

Hi Guys. Fred here.

The Curse of HECS

In year 7, my first year of High School, I won a “bursary” – a sort of scholarship that paid my school fees until I finished year 12. After that I landed a Teacher’s Scholarship, from the Education Department in NSW, which paid my Uni fees and gave me a weekly living allowance. The Tasmanian Government then gave me a Scholarship to do my Dip Ed on graduate salary! And after having taught for a couple of years, the Lutheran Church never charged me a fee to study at the Seminary, and gave me a married student’s living allowance!

Yes, I was especially privileged. Most of my fellow Baby Boomers who went on to study at tertiary level were looked after like I was. All the State Governments issued Scholarships and there was also a Commonwealth Scholarship.

If I compare that to you younger people I am almost ashamed to admit my good fortune. One of my son’s in law is about to graduate from the NSW Police Academy – and he’s going to graduate with a HECS debt! All our kids have had to settle HECs debts as they began their working careers. I can readily identify with the sense of grievance that many young people have about this ‘user pays’ system.

I’m wondering about the impact its had on your hearts. Believe me when I say that Rosemarie and I graduated with a sense of duty and obligation to somehow work and contribute in a way that honoured the gift to us. We were blessed and so felt it was right to bless someone else in turn. I couldn’t say that everyone saw it like us but many did – and set out to be net contributors to society.

The younger generation? I wonder if the message has been that “the first person I have to look after is me. I’ve got this debt hanging around my neck and I want to be free from it”.

It’s easy to see how that huge policy change might have helped create a real selfishness in our society.

True or not? We can’t change the policy! Then again maybe we can, and should work toward changing it. In there, as well, I’d like to encourage you to think past resentment and unfairness, and resolve that your heart will be driven by generosity – as Jesus’ heart was driven by generosity. I challenge us all to be counter-cultural, to be ‘Kingdom of Jesus Christ people’. Let it be his flag that flies in our hearts and over our lives.

Coming Up
There’ll be one more Cross Purposes before Christmas and we’ll go into recess until mid January. Hope this has been helpful this year.

For those of you in Sydney, our Christmas Worship Times are as follows
Christmas Eve 6.30pm
Christmas Day 10.30am

All Welcome

And here’s a good story about Forrest Gump

FORREST GUMP GOES TO HEAVEN

The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper. St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven."

Forrest responds, "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope that the test ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was." St. Peter continued, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions.

First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T? Second: How many seconds are there in a year? Third: What is God's first name?"

Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, "Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers."

Forrest replied, "Well, the first one -- which two days in the week begins with the letter "T"? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow."

The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, "Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?" asked St. Peter.

"How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder," replied Forrest, but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve."

Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?"

Forrest replied, "Shucks, there's got to be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd.... "

"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind.....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the third and final question.

Can you tell me God's first name"?

"Sure," Forrest replied, "it's Andy."

"Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter.

"Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?"

"Shucks, that was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied. "I learnt it from the song, "ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN. . . "

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: "Run Forrest, run."

***

Give me a sense of humor, Lord. Give me the ability to understand a clean joke, To get some humor out of life, And to pass it on to other folk.

And, Lord, let me eat a box of choc-o-lets just every once in a while, without regret.


Pastor Fred