A Bit of Hell Theology

I figure I should blog because it’s been so long. But what to say? Keith gets in first to talk about the really special things like smoking ceremonies in our hut. That was really wonderful. I can maybe tell you about the little Catholic church I go to here in Alice because Keith never goes so he can’t beat me to it. I like this little church because it is largely indigenous and there’s kids everywhere and Sisters of Charity nuns and they sing some songs in Arrerente and there’s ritual and I quite like a bit of ritual. I still haven’t told them I’m not Catholic.  Father Russ, the Fijian priest thee usually makes me laugh rather than annoy me, as so many sermons do these days. Any way, last Sunday we had a whole heap of visitors from so many different countries, some of whom struggled with English and were utterly baffled trying to read the Arrerente songs on the overhead.  They were young people on their pilgrimage back after World Youth Day. They were all really high from their experience in Sydney, which was great.  Any way, the gospel reading for the day last Sunday was the bit where Jesus talks about hell and all the people there gnashing their teeth.  Russ picked this reading for his sermon and I was sititng there worrying he was about to really piss me off with a bit of hell theology. Instead he told the story about how the last time that was the gospel reading for the day the bishop was down and he had launched into a sermon warning about hell and the gnashing of teeth, when old Rosie up the back called out saying “But Bishop, I haven’t got any teeth” to which the Bishop, without missing a beat, replied, “Teeth will be provided.” I’m happy to know that teeth will be provided in hell. Good ol’ Father Russ! He even managed to make me laugh in a sermon on hell.

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