Justice William Charles Crockett AO - Victorian Bar

The Archbishopof Melbourne TheMost Reverend DrPhilip Freier giveshis sermon.People have sometimes referred to thetwo dimensions of loving God and lovingour neighbour as the vertical and horizontaldimensions of Christian faith. Justas the cross on which our Saviour wascrucified had a vertical and a horizontalelement so our faith has these same twodimensions. In Australia we are fortunatethat belief in God is permitted to be amatter of conscience and free will. This isnot universally the case, even though theThe Dean of Melbourne, The VeryReverend David Richardson.ure are often the only reports about theprofession that the public receives.St Paul’s encouragement of theCorinthian Christian community to excellenceand his urging that they continue onthe way that they have started is a helpfulpoint of reflection in the course of anycareer. Paul of course is talking about awork of compassion and mercy for theChristians in Macedonia, but who amongstus could not benefit from reflecting on themotivation we had when first commencingin the career or vocation that consumesso many of our waking hours and yearsof our life?Jesus taught that the relationship wehave with God and the relationships thatwe have with each other are in the centreof what God, his Father is concernedabout. Jesus showed by his life and madepossible through his death and resurrectiona right relationship with God. Fromthe divine perspective the world is in theprocess of redemption as it absorbs theworld changing transformation that wasmade possible in Christ. From our humanperspective, as people who seek to followChrist or even consider his claims over us,we are often aware of the situations wherethis transformation is desperately needed.Chairman of the Bar Council, MichaelShand, QC,reads the Second Lesson.sway of the compulsory atheism of varioustotalitarian regimes appears to be waningthroughout the world. In a society wherewe are free to believe in Christ as a matterof conscience and choice we are usuallyin a situation where we are also free tochoose how we operate in this horizontaldimension of being a faithful follower ofJesus Christ. I mean by this that as longas we broadly follow the laws of the societyin which we live, the society itself isnot concerned about the internal state ofour souls, whether we harbour a grudge,or are people whose lives are shaped bygreed or envy. This is left to the individual49