with Rev Dr Chris Walker
Components of the Day
During the corona virus pandemic, we have had to get through each day. In conversation with my brother, he identified several components which I have modified. The components include the following: spiritual, social, exercise, house/garden, reading and television. There are of course others such as work and shopping that I could have added. But shopping is not every day. Not everyone has work to do – either from home or at a workplace. So, I will deal with the six components I think are important to do daily explaining how they take place for me.
Spiritual. By this I mean spiritual practices that I carry out each day. I begin the day with a time of prayer. It is a prayer of intercession finishing with praying for the day and concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. I also use a daily devotional. At present I am reading though Charles Ringma’s Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. At the end of the day, usually when I get into bed, I use an Examen. I reflect on the day, recall what I am most grateful for and what I was least grateful for, and then hand the day over to God. One day a week I add reading the set lectionary readings for the coming Sunday and do some reflecting on them. My wife meditates daily.
Social. We are all social beings and need to have some interaction with people. Even introverts need this let alone extraverts. Loneliness has been an issue for many during the pandemic when we are not able to meet people in person as much. Nevertheless, it is important to be in touch with others, especially those who mean most to us. For me how I do so varies from day to day but includes telephone calls, emails, Facebook, Zoom meetings, as well as some personal contact even if brief, such as when shopping locally. Zoom meetings include supervising two doctoral students and being involved in two climate action groups. Our local church worship services have been via Zoom and these have some break out groups to chat with members of the congregation. Visiting a family member or friend has become more valued at this time.
Exercise. We have been encouraged to exercise each day and this is especially important when we spend so much time in our homes. For myself, exercise was already important as keeping fit has been a passion of mine. I used to make sure I was active three times or more a week: walking, bicycle riding and swimming/surfing. I did much more than the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week. Now, being older, I walk most days and do stretches every day. I do some strengthening exercises a couple of times a week as this is recommended. I also ride my bicycle once a week or more. In summer and into autumn I swim regularly and enjoy going to the beach. I used to ride a surfboard but have retired from that. Nevertheless, I still enjoy bodysurfing. A trip to the beach for a surf, walk along the beach, and a coffee and treat afterwards is an enjoyable outing. I am fortunate to have different places to walk near my home. My brother and I have been on many of the walks around the Sydney area: from bush walks, to harbourside walks, to those in the Blue Mountains. My wife goes to classes at the local gym.
House/garden. There are always things to be done around the house and in the garden. Here I am thinking of more than cooking, washing up, and making the bed. Most days I do some activity. It might be some dusting and vacuuming, sweeping, helping my wife with the washing, filling up and taking out the bins, weeding, mowing the lawn, doing the edges, fixing up something or whatever.
Reading. I like to read and do so by reading in several areas. My own area of expertise is theology, so I continue to read in that area. The most recent book I read was on ecotheology as environmental concerns are vital to us all. Christianity has often been human focused apart from affirming God as Creator. We now recognize that God cares for all creation, not just humans, and humans have responsibilities before God for creation. I also read whatever interests me: novels and non-fiction. Bill Bryson’s Into the Woods was an amusing read about him hiking on the Appalachian trail. Anna Meares Now was an insight into the career and struggles of Australia’s most successful bicycle rider. Ocean Notorious: Journeys to Lost and Lonely Places of the Deep South was about the great Southern Ocean, Antarctica, and remote southern islands. It had many stories of people and cold places I found fascinating. Seeking Allah finding Jesus: a devout Muslim encounters Christianity gave an insight into a Pakistani American growing up as a Muslim, living in the tension between Islamic and Western culture, and what it meant to change his religion.
Television. Watching television is a regular part of life. I typically watch the ABC nightly news though sometimes I watch the SBS news as it gives more of a world coverage. When driving in the car I typically turn on one of the ABC channels on the radio for news and programs. There are many series to watch, nearly all for me on the ABC or SBS. ABC iview and SBS on demand have been very valuable as you can watch a series whenever it suits you. Nature documentaries are typically very well produced. I also enjoyed the documentaries of Steve Backshall the naturalist and adventurer. Movies are also a common night in, not having been to the cinema since the beginning of the year. Again, SBS on demand is helpful. Others have Foxtell and Netflicks to enable them to watch what they like on television or other devices.
Chris Walker
Chris is currently serving the Assembly of the Uniting Church as the National Consultant for Theology and Discipleship.
He has served in a range of positions and places in the Uniting Church including local church ministry in three congregations in NSW, as a regional education and mission officer, and consultant for evangelism and discipleship, in Queensland, as principal of Parkin-Wesley College in SA, and as a mission resource officer for Parramatta-Nepean Presbytery.
He has a passion for theology, mission and discipleship. His interest in writing has resulted in various publications including five books, most recently Peace Like A Diamond: facets of peace (Spectrum, 2009) and Living Life to the Full: Spirituality for today’s baby boomers (Openbook, 2005).