The Afterword

Author: Peter

  • There Is Freedom and Then There Is Freedom

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    Peter
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    In a world that worships the self, Augustine’s Confessions reads like a heresy. Where our age insists, “Be true to yourself,” Augustine responds, “But what if I don’t know who that is?” We often link freedom with the power to choose—what we eat, where we live, how we present ourselves to the world. Desire becomes…

  • A Way of Being in the World

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    Peter
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    There is a kind of public influence that disturbs the soul. It cloaks itself in authority, but what it reveals—again and again—is a profound betrayal of moral responsibility. It is not simply a matter of disagreeing with policies or positions. What is at stake is something deeper: a way of being in the world. This…

  • You Trust the Next Chapter

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    Peter
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    After 45 years across multiple careers — as a parish minister, university lecturer, and now principal of a university residential college — I find myself in the change-over zone of a relay race. I’ve spent my working life helping people grow and develop, and that won’t stop anytime soon. But the way I contribute will…

  • Brilliance Too Bright to Bear

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    Peter
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    The last live performance I attended was Nijinsky by The Australian Ballet. It was also, perhaps surprisingly, the first ballet I’ve ever seen. I’ve always appreciated the performing arts—music, theatre, poetry—but ballet had remained at a distance. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect it to stay with me the way it…

  • The Outward-Facing Heart of Community

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    Peter
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    At Robert Menzies College, we’ve always believed that being a residential community means more than simply offering services to students. Yes, we provide accommodation, academic support, and a place to belong—but if we stop there, we’ve missed something vital. Our calling is to be outward-looking. We are not a closed circle. We are part of…

  • A Job for One Day, A Longing for More

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    Peter
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    There’s something meaningful about watching an animal return to the wild. After weeks or months of care—feeding, tending injuries, creating safe spaces—it comes down to a simple moment: a gate opens, and the animal walks or hops or flies back into the world. I’d like to be there for that. For a day. Maybe more.…

  • You Shape the World with What You Wear

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    Peter
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    Most of us want to do the right thing.We want to make good choices—not just for ourselves, but for others, too.But the world of ethical shopping can feel overwhelming.Too many labels, too much spin, not enough clarity.Where do you even start? The Ethical Fashion Report, published by Baptist World Aid, is a good place.It doesn’t…

  • Those Who Speak into Your Life

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    Peter
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    It’s hard to know where to begin. Influence isn’t always loud or immediate. Sometimes it’s a quiet thread that weaves through years of life, shaping convictions, opening possibilities, naming things we already knew but couldn’t yet articulate. For me, a few people stand out—some well-known, others known mostly to me. Parker Palmer is one of…

  • Joyful Surrender – Leviticus 1–3

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    Peter
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    This is the part of the Biblewhere people give up—and rightly so.Bulls and birds, blood and fire,a wilderness of rules and ritualfar from the songs we sing. But stop—breathe in the smoke.Smell the grain, the roasted meat.Feel the weight of handson a creature’s head,its life for yours. We surrender things all the time—degrees, careers, our…

  • Make Australia Nate Again

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    Peter
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    A nod to the local bloke who ran for a seat that doesn’t exist Nate Newell, local mechanic and owner of Star Garage, made headlines this week—not for a scandal, not for a policy gaffe, but for throwing his hat in the ring for a federal seat that technically doesn’t exist. That seat? Mona Vale…

  • Who We Are When We Choose

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    Peter
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    I always vote in elections.Even if it weren’t compulsory, which it is in Australia,I would still show up.Not because I think my single vote will tip the scales,but because voting is part of the story I want to tellabout who we are and who we might yet become. I don’t vote to protect my own…

  • Something to Do, Someone to Love, Something to Look Forward To

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    Peter
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    Purpose is the why behind what we do—our deeper motivation. Direction is the how—the path we take to express that purpose in action. Without purpose, our steps may be aimless. Without direction, even purposeful intent can wander. Together, they form a compass and a road. For me, direction in life flows from a conviction that…

  • Progress, Not Perfection

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    Peter
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    There’s a kind of beauty in things that move before they’re perfect. A team that starts before the plan is polished.An idea scribbled on a napkin that becomes a way forward.A voice that speaks up, even if the words aren’t quite right. “Progress, not perfection” isn’t a dismissal of excellence —it’s a refusal to let…

  • Antarctica: Our Greatest Expedition

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    Peter
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    Our favourite holiday wasn’t a holiday at all. It was an expedition.In February this year, after sixteen years of planning, we spent two unforgettable weeks in Antarctica. The distinction matters: a holiday is predictable, comfortable, designed for relaxation.An expedition is something else entirely — about discovery, challenge, and growth. It stretches you, surprises you, and…

  • Back to Basics

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    Peter
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    Camping brings life back to basics.It’s not just sleeping in a tent or cooking outside. It’s learning to live simply, move flexibly, and enjoy whatever comes. Camping teaches you to enjoy the unexpected.Like when we pulled into a caravan park at Mon Repos in Queensland without a plan, only to find ourselves next to a…

  • The Slow Productivity of the Morning

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    Peter
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    There is a kind of productivity that moves fast —urgent, noisy, tangled in a web of demands.And then there is another kind:the slow, deep work of becoming.I find it most clearly in the morning. The house is still.The animals are fed.The world has not yet begun to press its needs against me.In those early hours,…

  • Catch This

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    Peter
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    Catch this:language was never meant to be a locked box. 🔒📦It was a river 🌊 — a storm ⚡ — a thousand hands throwing shapes in the air. 🖐️✨ What if it still is? Before the pen ✒️,before the printing press 🖨️,before the blinking cursor ➡️⌨️,there was breath. 🌬️There was dance. 💃🏽🕺🏽There was a scratch…

  • And He Called – Leviticus 1:1-4

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    Peter
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    Leviticus—the book everyone skips,tripping over rules piled high like stones in a desert. But here—at the edge of Exodus’ long drama—the story is not abandoned,it is gathered,the voice calls,the promise still breathes. And He called. Not because we were ready,not because we were holy,but because He remembered. The Holy One—terrifying and tender—desired to live among…

  • What I Can’t Stop Writing About

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    Peter
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    So here we are: blogging about my blog. A reflection on the reflections. I know—it’s a bit meta. But I think there’s something fitting about pausing to ask, What am I really talking about, underneath all this talking? Because the truth is, I like to write. And in all these stories and afterthoughts, there are…

  • Who will you be? How will you live?

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    Peter
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    What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question I’ve heard all my life — first directed at me, then at the next generation. It usually expects a job title, something neat and impressive. But what if the better question is: Who will you be? How will you live? That question…