I first met John Mac at the tail end of ten years teaching at Moore Theological College in Newtown – a friendly rival of Ridley College where John taught for a number of years.
I had been in touch with Bill Lawton to get his advice about an idea I had of taking some time off from being an ivory tower theorist and, perhaps, working in a pub for a year – to get back to the grass roots. Bill said, “No. Don’t do that. Instead, go and work with John Mac at Redfern.” It was the best advice I could ever have been given. Bill knew that one of the things John loved to do was to go down to his “Local” to hang out with the grass roots of Redfern.
Judy (my wife) and I first met up with John at St James Beaconsfield, a great little church at the southern end of this parish – which would be our special responsibility within the parish. We both instantly warmed to John, as we would soon also instantly warm to Jan, and to their family. I knew (or sensed, rightly), that we’d become friends.
John (like Jan) was an easy person to be a friend to; because he himself befriended so easily and generously.
John had an incredible knack of putting people at ease – whether one to one, or in a group, or when he preached. He drew you into his person and passions; but also gave you space to be yourself. John was amazingly easy-going and accepting of others. He wasn’t threatened by difference – and found it hard when others were … when, as so often happens in our churches and society, deep-rooted prejudices keep people apart; isolating people into theological and ethnic and ideological cliques.
John sought to break down those prejudices … and the violence and exclusion and fear that results from them.
John was easy-going, but he was also uncompromisingly and bravely committed to bringing healing, understanding and justice for those who are the victims of prejudice, misunderstanding and violence.
That was one thing that excited me about coming to work with John, that he already had a wonderful track record in pursuing the cause of equality for women in the church, and in actively pursuing the cause of reconciliation with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers, and in the cause of seeing a gentler and more compassionate evangelicalism develop within the Sydney Anglican Church – of which we were members.
John was both brave and eloquent – brave because of his willingness to stand up and to speak out, even when it was just him and one or two others who were willing to stand against the tide, or to speak when others were too frightened to speak.
John would speak; often at great cost to himself, and always with great skill and eloquence. He had a real presence about him whenever he spoke.
He was and became a statesman, as Bishop, a statesman within the Anglican Church of Australia. I believe that, in time, his ministry will also be seen in prophetic terms.
You may not know this, but John was not quick to make up his mind on the issues currently facing the church and society – including how we might best apologise and make amends for our mistreatment and our misunderstanding of our Gay and Lesbian, Bi-sexual Transsexual and Intersex brothers and sisters; for our historic and still continuing tendency to look the other way when they are harmed, and therefore to be complicit in the violence and prejudice directed towards these our brothers and sisters.
John reflected deeply and long on the nature and implications of the Christian gospel, not just in recognising the obvious and inexcusable injustices involved in our mistreatment of others, but also in wrestling through the admittedly complex theological and hermeneutical issues involved in understanding and appropriating the Christian Scriptures on this and a range of issues.
John wasn’t quick in coming to conclusions, but when he did, he was brave enough to speak the truth as he had come to understand it; and, as he always did, to take the side of those who have been marginalised and vilified and excluded from the ranks of the righteous, following the example of his Lord.
My great hope and prayer is that John’s death (so tragic and too soon) will inspire others to stop being fearful, and to also speak up with courage and compassion – for what they believe is true and good and right, and, because we can’t all be right, to have the humility and grace to listen carefully and respectfully to those with whom we differ – as John did.
I am going to miss you, John.
