[Hope] A brilliant short film. On so many levels I found it challenging to my own faith tradition. It forced me to spiritually/theologically ponder many important issues. Part of the quality of this production is the way it presents the emotive topic of boat people, by stripping away the politics and addressing a woman’s journey. Her journey was one from fear to hope. On one level, this meant fleeing Iraq to Australia. On another level, it was a spiritual journey of her faith. It reminded me that we all must have hope for a better life. Part of this includes a hope beyond the physical realm. Unfortunately, it also reminded me that there are those, like the people smugglers, who make hope evaporate like water on a hot day.
 
As I reflected on her journey, it made me ask: “What is the hope I have?”  Is it for safety from oppression, or for playstations from Santa? Or, as Amal alluded to, does hope go beyond the now to the distant future - an afterlife or “paradise”? Surely, if we consider such a distant hope, that hope should shape our life for today. Perhaps we are just too comfortable in our safe Australian culture to stop playing our playstations and consider the questions Amal was forced to reflect on.

Thanks for the challenge.