Over the past week or so Sydney-siders have experienced the grief and damage caused by an individual who was enormously frustrated that he hadn’t gained the attention he felt entitled to.  In a café in the centre of Sydney’s CBD it seems likely that he had chose to end it all and obtain the attention that he so far had failed to receive of the.

The men’s behaviour reminds us of the behaviour of attention seeking children when they throw a tantrum; or the class bully and their mean-spirited tactics aimed at clawing attention away from others who are just getting on with school and doing the right thing.

One who doesn’t’ deserve our attention and takes

To achieve his purposes this man chose the broken human trait, common to us all, of taking rather than giving. “I’ll take your safety and your comfort and your life from you so that I can get my voice heard”.  In the face of being ignored (and likely gaol sentence for his earlier crimes) he chose to take life in order to be heard.

The one who deserves our attention but gives

Sadly this time of celebration, Christmas in Sydney, will be marred by this man’s actions. Of course there are a lot worse events that occurred only days later in Pakistan where 132 children were killed by Taliban militants, a truly heinous event. All the more this year we need the event of Christmas to remind us of the selfless actions of the God who loves us. Contrary to what we deserve He didn’t expose our faults and condemn us to die. He didn’t send us hate mail. He didn’t hold us hostage and demand obedience to His laws. He didn’t sulk in self pity that no-one was listening to Him. Instead he sent his son to become one of us.  Contrary to the broken human instinct, so clearly displayed by this desperate and sad man in the Lindt Café, God’s word is different: “ I’ll give my precious son so that you might have eternal life”(John 3:16)

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Stephen will be performing his final Anton’s Antics show “Raincloud”, for 2014 at Cronulla Anglican’s outdoor Christmas Eve carols, the Kingsway Cronulla