Gemma’s manna from Kevin (by Gemma Hayes)

Gemma Hayes of Urban Seed writes about her experience of giving her manna from Kevin away.

This is an exerpt from an email from my friend working in Guatemala:

3AW interview on Age opinion piece

Simon Moyle was interviewed about Manna from Kevin on Derryn Hinch’s Drive program on 3AW yesterday.  The audio of the interview is below, as well as the response from subsequent callers.

To listen to the files, just click on them or to download them to your computer right click on the link and select ’save target as’.

3Aw interview – Simon Moyle with Derryn Hinch

3AW callers

Age opinion piece

In case you haven’t seen it already, here’s an opinion piece published in the Age today with some of these ideas in mind.  Thanks to Kate Allen for her help with it, and all those who have contributed to the discussion so far…keep it going!   The article is pasted below.

Lifegiving manna from Kevin (by Paul Toms)

I suffer from an occasionally crippling condition; it is caused by what I affectionately call my pharisaic tendencies. I have an uncanny ability to turn the good things of life into a struggle. Whether it be gathering with a community on Sunday morning or working for justice, I replace that which is positive in any given activity with a sense of obligation.

A healing economy (by Samara Pitt)

One reflection coming out of a bible study run at the Indigenous Hospitality House…Samara Pitt’s rewrite of Mark 5:21-43 in light of the stimulus package.

Sue Hogan’s thoughts on Manna From Kevin

I have also been perplexed by the Federal government decision to give cash handouts. With little understanding of global and national economics, I can’t understand why the government doesn’t direct the stimulus money toward long-term projects, such as sustainable housing, health care and environmental concerns. But given I may be eligible for some cash it is up to me to become economically savvy and work out where to spend my share.

$900 worth of blankets?

If you are thinking of what to do with your Manna from Kevin, here is a suggestion from the Seeds City mob: Why not buy us $900 worth of blankets? (A lot of people in our neighbourhood need blankets and we are always running out.) If you’d like to buy us some blankets, please email Viginia.

Hard questions in a time of crisis

It probably hasn’t escaped your notice that we are in the midst of a global economic meltdown. At least this is what we are continually being told anyway. However the experiences of this will be quite different amongst readers – while the lives of some may already have been turned upside, others will hardly have noticed its effects at all, except perhaps for a $900 cheque in the mail any time now. This can make it all seem a bit surreal; nevertheless it is real, and by the end of the year most of us will have felt its impact in some way.

Preparing for the impact

Lenten questions

Is it a coincidence that the stimulus package comes to us in the midst of Lent?

Boats or Goats? (by Kate Allen)

Early on the morning of Saturday 7th February, to escape the heat radiating through the windows of my east-facing apartment, I retreated to my local High Street café. Although it has an airconditioner, the old device grunted and sputtered, struggling to cope with the rapidly rising temperature outside. I ordered coffee and spread the weekend broadsheet out on the table. Plastered in bold across the front page was a warning that, with a combination of 43 degree temperatures and gusty northerlies across an already dry state, this was to be a day ‘as bad as you can imagine’. The premier issued advice to Victorians not to go out unless absolutely necessary. We now know too well how justified the fears were, with temperatures soaring more than 3 degrees above the forecast, leading to the worst bushfires Australia has ever seen.