[Oe List ...] Celebrating the Completed Life of Jim Bishop

[Richard and Maria Maguire]

We do not really know Jim personally very much. We heard snippets about 
him earlier but when we came here at the end of 1984 you were in 
distance to the ICA/O:E/EI - and we only met him both on occasions here 
and there, not the least at Pitt Street Uniting Church for worship or 
other related events. Whatever we learned from the encounters and what 
people said about Jim and Isobel we were so moved by their vision and 
courage in starting the first O:E House in Australia, in your parish 
manse in Paddington and group engagement to work with churches and the 
community at large of living out justice and caring for one another, 
including the Aboriginal people.

Jim in particular always seemed very committed and serious, private and 
longing for a larger or universal whole, based on the gospel and maybe 
also grounded in an Irish soul and upbringing, which might have also 
given him a twinkle in his eye or a touch of humour. He seemed to be 
interested in many things and made so much happen locally and many 
places overseas. I picture that he has contributed much depth and 
understanding to the RSI courses and related ones in Australia and 
beyond and opened many minds and hearts to a deeper and broader way of 
looking and thinking, including through the eyes of the "Urs" which 
prepared the way to much of the later changing multicultural realities 
in Australia.

I bet there were many jewels from living in community in the ICA and its 
risky large scale visioning, research, methods and practical development 
that Jim later passed on in some ways in his prison and other ministries 
and engagements. We also know of the ambiguities and bitter pills that 
some of the experiences of global communal living brought with them and 
for the family and share in that ourselves, along with many others.

We give thanks for all he (and of course also you) did, for his 
steadfastness and determination to stand together and be clear on what 
you stand for and what not, it seems, and remain in awe of his whole 
long life lived in humility and courage. These were the two qualities 
that Dietrich Bonhoeffer always referred back to in his own life and 
struggles in challenging times and held up as basic for the Christian 
witness.  (We just participated last week in much of an International 
Bonhoeffer Congress here in Sydney right down the street from the church).

Maria with Richard