So the fire is coming. There is nothing you can do to stop the impending disaster overwhelming your home and your worldly possessions. You have one suitcase and only 20 minutes to take what you wish to preserve. Your children and pets are safely waiting in the car for you—what do you choose?

What an incredible week it has been in New South Wales. I do not always get the chance to read the morning newspaper but on Tuesday last week I read a most moving little piece by Tony Kleu (SMH 22 October 2013) about his having to face such a scenario. Several parts of this article touched me. He expressed the deliberate choice to live in the Blue Mountains while knowing the risks, “that is why so many who lost everything will rebuild exactly here…where the air is clean and fresh”.

However the point that got to me the most was this Blue Mountains dweller’s ability to recognise that what it all boils down to (my expression), is he says, “there is not much you need to worry about, and you reflect on how much of a modern urban life is worth saving.” In other words, he is saying not much is – “remarkably little, as it happens, once the photos, passports and other vital documents have been saved. That is just one carton….there’s not an appliance, not a utensil, not a chair, not a knife. [That needs to be saved].”

And so he concludes his summary of the very dramatic events that had transpired in his life with, “As long as our memories and souls are secure, she’ll be right mate.”

And this reminds me of the words of that ancient philosopher we find in the first section of our bibles – “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and a chasing after the wind…have reverence for God and obey His commandments (love God and love your neighbour) this is what we were created for.” (Ecclesiastes 11)

These last few days have been a very sobering reminder to us all and have allowed us to reflect on what is important in life. I am sure many of you, like me, have wondered and maybe discussed with your loved ones, what would we actually take with us if we had to go knowing that the rest would be lost. When it’s all said and done, there is not much we would value over human life and the memories of our family, past and present, and that intangible dimension to the life of the soul, and the companionship of family and close friends. How precious these things are and how blessed we are to have them.

David N Williams
College Chaplain