I remember.
I remember milking the cows even earlier than normal so that we could drive all the way into Melbourne CBD to watch the ANZAC march. I remember the crowds. I remember the specialness of the day.
I remember the years we didn’t travel into the city but would watch the march on TV. I remember the crowds. I remember the specialness of the day.
But then it wasn’t.
I remember the years when the crowds stopped going. I remember the years when the telecast showed sparse attendance on those city streets. I remember the diminishing interest or focus on the day.
But now it is back again.
The Australian population, for various reasons, began to forget why ANZAC day mattered; so much so that the importance of the day began to diminish. Anzac Day does not glorify conflict or war; it acknowledges sacrifice, unity, courage and purpose. It commemorates ‘marker stones’ of our national identity, ‘marker stones’ we should not lose sight of or forget what they stand for.
ANZAC Day’s re-emergence into importance took intentional effort and focus. It took remembering what was, to provide the impetus, for what will be.
It’s a great lesson for us on the impact of intentional recall, intentional focus and intentional remembrance. A great organisational, cultural and personal lesson.
NNSW Education began in the late 1800’s. Its identity and sense of purpose has ebbed and flowed through many iterations, situations and contexts. In the last 20 years (2001-2021) NNSW education has grown by nearly 60%, as it has intentionally embraced Mathew 28’s key principle – ‘to finish the work’. It has done this by moving from seeing itself as being apart from, to now, being a part of, the communities in which it is located. NNSW education, as expressed by our early childhood and school based programs, is daily acting as a BRIDGE into community, a BRIDGE between those that know, and those that do not know Christ.
When we remember how Christ connected, how Christ BRIDGED the gap, and made God real, personal and accessible to all; how can we not strive to do the same.
NNSW education leaves ‘marker stones’, leaves LEGACY points, every day. The conversations in the classrooms, the care in the staff room and the help given in the community all reinforce who we are, when we look back and learn.
Legacy, as you know, is our theme this year in the corporate office and I encourage you once more, as you start Term 2, to keep front of mind that today’s choices, today’s actions, become tomorrow’s memories.
Our choices. Our actions. Their memories.
Live ‘on purpose’ not by chance.
Legacy.
This word of encouragement for Christian educators was written by Dean Bennetts, and distributed in The Bridge newsletter in 2023. Dean is the CEO of Adventist Education in North New South Wales, Australia.
