A lot with a Little

By Andy Callow (Principal) 

I count it a rare privilege to have had a number of opportunities to chat with Tim Costello.

Much of that has come about because I have piggy-backed on the long-standing friendship that Lyn and Darryl Thompson (BHCS pioneers extraordinaire) and Glenn Campbell (Business Manager at BHCS) have enjoyed with Tim since their time together as students at Monash University.

Tim has been called Australia’s favourite social justice activist and man of the people.

He has served as a Baptist minister, a lawyer, mayor of St Kilda, and as the CEO of World Vision Australia.  Not only has he received the Victorian of the Year award (2004) in recognition of his public and community service, he was also the Victorian nominee for the Australian of the Year in 2006. He is listed by the National Trust as a "National Living Treasure"

I have been greatly enjoying reading his recently released autobiography “A Lot with a Little”.

The setting (Blackburn, Clayton and Belgrave Heights) is so familiar, and his reflections on the Australian zeitgeist of the last few decades are fascinating. Even the book’s preface (which I often skip over) contained succinct comments and quotes that challenge and encourage.

Consider this:

“My faith is grounded in the story of Jesus and the impact it has had on the world. This story has personal, spiritual, social, moral, ethical and, yes, even political implications”

Which then leads Tim to amplify as:

“Faith creates meaning. It is faith that releases me to recognise that my primary desire is for my life to mean something. This is much more primal than even the pursuit of happiness.

I write this memoir because I believe we all need to commit ourselves to something bigger, beyond self-absorption.

 

I hope it stirs you to think of what grounds you, and gives your life purpose”

The staff at BHCS all share a common desire to make a positive difference in the lives of our students. It’s very much part of their desire for their lives to mean something. It is grounded in their belief of being daily invited by God to work with Him in this “small corner” of His world.

And that is what we deeply desire for our students – that they find their own personal story and

fulfillment in committing to something bigger than themselves, that gives their lives purpose.