Signs of the times Reflection Part2 JS423

Reading the signs of the times is not something that I understood clearly before this unit and I still have a long way to go before I can say that I can read them well. I say this because firstly because I'm not well read in history especially modern history. So much of this unit is not new information, but it is more fully explained and put into a context that I have been able to get a grasp of. History has always been taught to me in these disconnected bubble's and now I am beginning to see it in a more broad and connected way, this helps me to understand the perspectives we need so that we may start to read the times that we are facing and living in right now, I now have a very different view of what Christ's message is to those who want to follow his mission that he entrusted to all Christians today,than I did before I started this unit of study.
I do have to have the historical perspective so that we can connect with what is happening in the world we live in right now, history has a habit of repeating itself, so it is up to those of us who have been told about the mission of Christ's message to do what we have to do, to the best of our ability and when we do that we are able to help in our own way to try to bring the balance back not only into our own lives but for the students that we teach, because we are actively living the word of God.
Now I am trying to come from a suitably conscious position and by this I am reflecting that when we as adults think about what choices we are making and then take a pathway that supports the least fortunate in our own community, we actively engage with the Idea of PRAXIS,Theconcept of reflection and action. We start with the closest relationship, that of family and then we extend our consciousness,experience and action into our community around us, which might be our Church or local parish, schools where our children attend or where we teach and then we can extend out further to a larger action plan, whatever that might be.
When we support communities around the world who are trying to survive with dignity and value, independently of the foreign monopolies that are constantly promoting poverty, when we actively engage in a conscious way to reduce our footprint on this planet, we then have way of sharing values with anyone around us, and I think subconsciously it does give hope.

"If you don't have a claim on my charity, then you have a claim on my justice" When we look around especially in this wealthy country of Australia, we do see many charitable organisations at work, people with a desire to live Christs message of "love one another as I have loved you" "if you do this to least of my brothers you do this to me",but the biggest challenge remains within the area of justice, if we talk about the 80/20 divide and the north V's south, we look at a very formidable challenge. We don't have to look very far to see this is a major issue facing this world today, we only need to see the homeless on our streets and the state of affairs in the aboriginal communities, in this country to start to become aware that social justice is a political as well as a church based responsibility.So how can we address overwhelming problem, how do we lead the students we teach,to have a awareness about these issues and what ways can we help them to engage in thinking about all this and then taking some action that they can see the positive results in. For me I teach Visual Arts and Textiles and Design and I really find that I have so many ways that I can introduce the discussion of social Justice into a lesson, and actively get students engaged in a project that is invigorating and inspiring that can extend into the community beyond the classroom walls. This is particularly easy if you teach in the Catholic System ot the Christian School system.Even in Catholic Schools that might not have a very high profile Social Justice programm there are many ways you can expand enhance and develope a really strong awareness of Social Justice in a school where you might be teaching.
One thing I have witnessed with the youth of today is that there is a huge vacuum and though they fill it with materialism it doesn't satisfy their deeper needs, I feel that when they do "acts of charity" they really love the experience, they need to experience the act of giving,the majority of people really do grow and prosper emotionally and spiritually when they are given the opportunity to take a real and responsible role in actively helping those who are less fortunate and are struggling through inequity, poverty, neglect, intolerance, violence, displacement, fear and despair.I think it remains up to us to keep the poitive outlook and actions occurring so that we infect the young with the value of positive thinking and the power of hope.