The challenges of dreaming big

There are I am sure quite a number of people across the country who are attempting to assist their children to dream big and assist with the choosing of their education for the next two years.  Year ten anxiety levels rise to a high level at this time of year for our dreamers who are attempting to dream big.  It is practically impossible to get a young person in to the courses they would like to further their career when schools and colleges are more concerned with ATAR results and the academic standing of the school.  Joseph must have found it just as frustrating with his dreams that were always being denigrated by his brothers and the community (Gen. 37.12-28).  The disciples may have thought they were dreaming when they saw the reality of Christ on the water (Matt. 14.22-36) yet this dream was one of faith realised.

So what is it about our general attitude towards others with dreams.  Why do we find our own institutions importance comes before our fellow human's dreams?  Is it that we are jealous of their possible achievement?  In some circumstances (often in the services) the threat of someone lower down the pyramid is enough for others to place obstacles in the way.  Can we not sit back and relax in allowing someone to attempt their dreams, especially when they are younger or must we be pessimistic and close the dream down?  To some respects like Joseph and his brothers it is a matter of tradition.  We have been brought up as sheep farmers that is what the family is we cannot have any other dreams around this place.  Like the brothers we are comfortable in this role and do not want to look beyond.  Yet in faith we are always being drawn out to follow God's dreams and that will always make us uncomfortable.  We cannot rely on tradition and always be in the same place.

Do we allow others to dream God's dream?

There is an old proverb about allowing a bird to go free and if it is yours it will come back to you.  We just have to allow ourselves to allow others to dream.  Christ encouraged Peter out on to the water (Matt. 14.29).  No matter how insubstantial the medium looked to Peter Christ was firmly standing there so why couldn't he.  Peter took a leap of faith and stepped out having been encouraged into his dream to be with Christ at that moment.  In following the dream Peter walked where no man had walked before it was only when he was confronted with his fears and those of his community that he began to sink.  This is what we as a community do to others around us in approaching the Christian faith.  We do not allow God to draw them into God's dreams and welcome their dreaming.  Rather we state what the tradition is and have them fit to our way of worshipping God.  We feed them with fears and not the freedom that God gives through the dreams that are dreamt.

We do not husband their dreams but rather like the student counsellor who says "Well, you have no intelligence so you are better of going to secretarial college then even bothering following your dream into medicine."  How many Einstein's and Barnards have we managed to turn away from their dream of making God's world a better place.  Oh, well some doors open and others close, go with the flow.  God's dream is persistent and leads me into joy, exuberance and adventure.  To a world of peace and prosperity, a place of joy and sustainability...but that is just a dream...isn't it?