Robert I Holmes

There's hail falling in Canberra. There are storms over Cootamundra. The Diamantina district in far North Queensland has had a bit of rain. There's been altogether too much rain in Townsville; it's flooding! But still the drought bites deep and the farmers are hit hard. It's going to take more than a little rain, washing away the top-soil, or smashing in the roof of the Canberra Center before this drought is broken.

On the farm where I live, there is a spring. Ten years ago, that spring was 2 meters (7 feet) deep in water. It reflected where the water table level was. Three years ago, the level began to drop, and for the last six years it has stood dry. We have dug down, and dropped lines in to find out how far down the water has gone. It's more than 4 meters underground now. The drought will not truly be over until that spring is full once again. It's going to take six meters (21 feet) of solid, soaking rain to restore what is missing!

So please don't tell me its raining! I know that, but we have to get this thing in perspective. Don't tell me about the Bureau of Meteorology, who says the rain is coming in March… even if it does the drought has a deep hold of the land. It can only be broken by following Biblical guidelines of repentance from wickedness. That's not going to happen until we get hold of the long-term issues God is asking us to face.

Recent efforts

I applaud recent efforts by a large prayer network in our country, to call for Solemn Assemblies. In their own words they're calling such meetings, "To confess any known sins, to restore a right relationship between God and His people and in bringing healing and restoration to society and the land. A solemn assembly is marked by seriousness, reflection and a sense of awe before God." A prophetic friend of mine in New Zealand has been calling for those up and down his nation recently too.

I also applaud the heart shown by one of the mega-churches in Sydney to adopt a struggling country town. Apparently they will pour some of the proceeds from its annual recording venture into the rural community. Staff from the church have been meeting with schools, super markets, pastors and farmers organizations to find out how they can assist. Why? "Because we can" is the reply. Good for them!

Will these two efforts (specifically) change the water table on my farm? Is it possible to measure the success of assemblies, or of charity in real-life rainfall terms? I don't know. But contrast that with the struggle going on in other portions of the Church.

It's hard to find a farmer…

The Anglican Church in Australia has been running a program called, "Adopt a Farmer" (at least in our part of the nation). Sadly, says one of the local ministers, they have been unable to find farmers willing to say they need help! The age-old, time-worn method of "Come to us and we'll help you," isn't working! I was heartened to hear that they changed the plan. The local churches are taking salt blocks for the cattle, out to the farmers instead! It may come to that for members of the mega-church too, they may not find it very easy to give hand out's round here…

How can I say that? Because it's not just the Anglican Church who are having a hard time. There is a nationally funded scheme to assist farmers suffering from the drought. A huge bus pulled into our main street, with 4WD's and advertising, TV ads and loud hailers… and hardly anyone turned up to ask for assistance. So now they are sending salesmen door to door! What's wrong with the bronzed Aussie farmer? He's too proud to ask for help. And so are most of the rest of us!

Consider some of our Aussie icons

The underlying Aussie attitude turns up throughout our culture. Let me pick a few (most nations have national icons, monuments, celebrated figures which show what their culture is like).

There's the "Dog on the Tucker Box" in Gundagai (not far from where I live). It's a brass statue celebrating a dog that waited for his master to come back. But his master had died. The dog sat on that tucker box in vain, too proud to acknowledge the truth. The farmer's dead mate, give up and go home, try something else.

How about our de-facto national anthem? "Once a Jolly Swagman," is a charming little country ditty about a sheep stealer who got caught. Too proud to give the sheep back, and racing for the water which would drown him he cried, "You'll never catch me alive!" said he. Great sentiment.

Other Aussie icons include "The Aussie Battler" who never gives up; the "Aussie Digger," our famous ANZAC warrior who won't quit in battle; the way we back "The Underdog," facing insurmountable odds like David and Goliath.

All these images are heart stirring, and wonderful icons to get our young people to give things another go. Please don't get me wrong. I am not knocking Australian culture; I am just pointing out that strength always contains weakness. Our "never quit" approach has hairs on it. There is a time to bow the knee and humble the heart.

Such things become pride, arrogance and devastating truths when applied in the drought. I know one local farmer that said, "It always rains, it'll come back, it always does. First drought then flood. My folks have been on this land six generations and we ain't leaving." Then there is the cotton farmer near Narrabri who said, "The river always runs, and when it does, we'll suck it dry!" Such optimism, mixed with such arrogance. His power bill for pumping water is quarter of a million dollars a year! Neither of them are turning to God for help. They are trusting good old Aussie luck and their "never give up" attitude.

A soft hearted, soft footed story

On the other hand, I know another farmer who quit farming during the drought and took off around Australia with his family. He worked his way around for nine months to put bread on the table. In the course of that journey he saw a great many places, where farming was more tenuous than where we live.

My town is in what agriculturalists call "Prime farming land" (they should see it right now!). But other places west and north of us are in "Marginal Country" where farming is possible in reduced formats. Further west and further north they get to "Remote Agricultural land" where they farm one head of cattle per four hectares. It's not very viable, and really quite destructive in a drought.

It made this farmer friend of mine realise, perhaps for the first time, how destructive modern farming techniques are to this land. He stepped back and took a much longer term view. Generations hence, our sons and daughters will have sons and daughters. What are we leaving them? I bring this up, not because this is an article about sustainability, but because his heart exemplifies the kind of response God is looking for in a drought.

He met an aboriginal, an elder in the outback, who took him and the family in. They camped on a remote river system, 80kms from the nearest house and 450kms from the nearest town (White Cliffs, NSW). Way out there things take on an eternal, immortal, timeless feel. There, the white farmer humbled his heart, and listened to a man who thought in terms of generations. He spoke of the "soft footed" approach.

Have you ever noticed that every animal God chose to put on this continent has a soft foot? The kangaroo, the wallaby, the dingo, the echidna, the Tasmanian devil… all of them have soft feet. Aboriginal people have known that to walk in Australia one must walk softly, with bare feet. God gave us living examples of what He wants in this fragile land. My friend heard another message contained in this man's weathered face and ancient wisdom. It's going to take soft hearts to find a way forward!

Isaiah confirms it, "All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:2). Australia is the Lord's because He made it! So is your nation, wherever you're from. But this is the one He will look to - the humble (afflicted, needy, lowly); the contrite (smitten, maimed, lame) in spirit and the one who trembles (reverential fear, awe) at God's word.

Let us humble our hearts; bringing them low before our majestic King.
Let us be contrite in our spirits; smitten, acknowledging we are lame and impotent to change things.
Let us tremble at His word; in awe of our God and reverencing His power.

He alone controls the storm and the wind, the rain and the oceans.

He is our God.

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