THE BUNBURY YEAR OF JUBILEE
FESTIVAL
By Graeme Olsen
"Proclaim liberty throughout
the land to all it's inhabitants. It'll be a jubilee
for you..."
| In ancient Israel they had
a tradition called the Year of Jubilee,
which came around every 50 years.
During the year of Jubilee everyone's
debts were cancelled, slaves were set
free, and land was returned to it's original
family owners. One of it's purposes was
to help stabilize society and bring wealth
back to a more even distribution - to
help reduce the gap between rich and poor
and to give those people with less money
or opportunities, or those with heavy
burdens, a chance to start afresh.
Christians believe that in a sense we
now live in a permanent "Year of
Jubilee", believing that since the
death and resurrection of Jesus all our
debts to God have been
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cancelled and everyone has been set
free. To be eligible, you just have to
believe.
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The principle of Jubliee has many
positive benefits, and they are being implemented
during the Bunbury Regional Year of Jubilee Festival
this year from 7 - 13 December and then leading
on to Christmas.
The aim of the festival is to apply
the Biblical principles of Jubilee to the wider
Bunbury community, commencing with a citywide celebration
before Christmas. Run by the Churches of the Bunbury
region, the idea is to celebrate the extravagant
love of God, expressing it through many radical
and generous acts of kindness, including the cancellation
of various household debts.
The idea has won the support of the
Mayor of Bunbury, John Castrilli, who said "...the
concept of Jubilee, rooted in the Old Testament
of the Bible, is one that I believe will inspire
and invigorate the greater Bunbury region. I encourage
and endorse the Churches of the greater Bunbury
region as they seek to bless the area with generosity
motivated by a sense of social justice and their
love of God. Robust faith in action will have a
transforming effect on the fabric of our diverse
region..."
It's not too late to still be involved,
whether you're an individual or business. Talk to
your local church about how you can be involved,
including the following ideas:
- Make a tax deductible donation to the Bunbury
Jubilee Welfare Fund (contact us for teh Jubilee's
bank details)
- Offer a discount for your goods and services
during the festival week
- Donate specific goods which have been pinpointed
as specific needs in the community (eg. towels,
white goods, toiletry supplies)
- Provide gift vouchers from your business to
help others in need (women leaving a woman's
refuge often need "start-up" packs
for their homes; household items of all kinds
are needed, fridges, washing machines and other
white goods could be allocated to specific needs)
- Dinner and food vouchers from restaurants
and cafes for people who ordinarily wouldn't
be able to afford this (distribution at the
discretion of the Jubilee Administrators)
- Create your own generous donation, goods or
services
Benefits of major donations over $500,
besides knowing you've made a major difference to
people, is inclusion in sponsors lists on the web,
radio and other advertising.
For more details on how you can be
involved in the Jubilee, contact the Jubilee Director,
Revd Glen Rebello on (08) 9725 8236 or info@bunburyjubilee.iinet.net.au.
December 2003
