For these individuals whose own families have abandoned them, God is their only refuge. Religion doesn't matter anymore and denominational differences are irrelevant. While the individuals in the lepers' colony don't necessarily believe in the same god, their common belief in the divine is enough to sustain them, to empower them and to enrich them in their destitution.

I have visited this chapel twice, on both my trips to India. The diversity that exists amongst its visitors is what makes the chapel such a special place. Had the chapel only opened its doors to lepers of a particular religion or denomination, it would not be the sacred place that it is today. Over many years, the chapel has been infused with tremendous depth, diversity and human experience.

This depth and diversity of human experience is what we are celebrating on Harmony Day (March 21), with this year's theme being, "Many Stories: One Australia". If you locate the word ‘harmony' in the dictionary, you are likely to find two meanings. The first definition will describe harmony as a situation in which people live or work well with other people. The second definition will describe harmony as a musical term that occurs when different notes are played at the same time, making a pleasant sound.

Harmony, in the music world, is a pleasant, beautiful thing. It doesn't simply occur when three amateur singers gather for the first time. Learning how to harmonise takes time. It requires you to listen to the other person, and to create your note in accordance with theirs. This year's Harmony Day theme calls us to remember that difference is no barrier to harmony. As humans, we all have unique and vivid stories. Our backgrounds are diverse, and harmony, in light of this, is about encouraging individuals and communities to flourish in their uniqueness. Continue reading

Sources

• Article and Image: The Good Oil

The eminent neurosurgeon, Charlie Teo was then hassled for talking straight about racism in his Australia Day address, while a few days later our PM was bustled out of the Lobby restaurant during a protest by Indigenous and non-Indigenous supporters of the tent embassy.

All this and January hadn't even finished. It's no wonder then that on Harmony Day (March 21) this year, many Australians could be forgiven for asking how much harmony there is to go around.

Moments like those mentioned are not unlike lightning strikes at night. They illuminate, albeit briefly, the often hidden tensions, fears, struggles and anger in our multicultural society. However, despite the deluge of commentary such moments provoke, when the media cycle moves on, it's questionable whether the underlying issues have been addressed.

In my mind this is part of the problem. Rarely do we have the space to sit with these issues, to look into their complexity and seek genuine solutions. The real solutions take time. They require not just well-argued ideas or sound policy, but the space for strong relationships to be formed across our diverse citizenry. You just can't do that in a 30-second sound bite.

This became evident to me as I worked for two years as the Social Justice Co-ordinator for the Parramatta Diocese. It was a rewarding role that nevertheless revealed the many challenges of multiculturalism.

To illustrate, let me briefly explore a few of the challenges facing one community that I worked with - the Sudanese community. Now even before I start I'm tripping over myself. Sudan has hundreds of ethnic and tribal divisions and language groups. This means talk of ‘the Sudanese community' (as if they are one bloc) is somewhat simplistic. Indeed, Sudan as a single country no longer exists.

Many from this diverse community will bring with them the trauma of a long-running civil war, dispossession and life in refugee camps. Formal education, along with so much else, will have been disrupted. They will then be flung into a society radically different from their own, often with key family members left behind, where the old order of strong family and community networks no longer seems to hold. Read more

Sources

• Evan Ellis in The Good Oil
• Image: Herald Sun