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The Vanity Fair 'style' Interviews
- Lieutenant Genevieve Peterson
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
All Christians would be hungry for righteousness and more
knowledge of God. All churches would wholeheartedly focus on
bringing about social justice both locally and globally, and
not just dabble in it for a moral high. Loads of advocates for
children would be trained and funded. There would be no
administration duties or finance documents of any kind at a
Corps level. Oh, and Cadbury would be fair trade!
What is your greatest fear?
Well the practical ones are definitely spiders, drowning,
phones and getting into trouble. My constant fear however is
that there is something I could have done but didn't that
could have saved or helped the children I minister to.
What living person do you most admire?
Well, I have to say Gough Whitlam. He (and his government)
abolished conscription, withdrew the remaining Australian
troops from Vietnam, took over financial responsibility for
tertiary education and abolished fees, introduced welfare
payments for single-parent families and homeless persons,
abolished the death penalty, reduced the voting age to
eighteen years, ended the White Australia policy, introduced
radio and language programs for ethnic minorities, enabled
equal opportunities to women in Federal Government employment
and in doing so women were appointed to judicial,
administrative and advisory positions, banned sporting teams
from South Africa, negotiated diplomatic relations with China,
created a National Aboriginal Consultative Committee, enabled
the 'round-Australia highway', community health centres and
regionally based hospitals, started a universal heath-care
system, formally handed Gurindji people at Wattie Creek in the
Northern Territory title deeds to part of their traditional
lands, enabled independence for Papua New Guinea from
Australian administration…the list goes on. All that in three
years!
He changed the mind set of welfare and tolerance in Australia
and he pushed its citizens as far as they could go. And for
his troubles, he was the first Prime Minister to be sacked by
the Governor-General (a figure head!). To have the strength
and intelligence to be radical, change the world, face the
ultimate rejection and still be loved and respected by most…it
is my dream!
With which historical figure do you most identify?
Mother Theresa...just kidding! I would say I would love to
be even remotely close to Mary Mackillop. She was the first
Australian women to start a Catholic order in Australia and
she made sure it was dedicated to the education of poor
children. Any Sister that joined the order had to abide by a
life of poverty, of a dependence on Divine Providence and of
no ownership of personal belongings. Within two years more
than seventy Sisters were educating children at twenty-one
schools and were also involved with orphans, neglected
children, girls in danger, the aged poor, a reformatory, and a
home for the aged and incurably ill.
What is the trait you deplore most in others?
Brown-nosing. I don't like seeing people receive credit or
advantage for anything other than their hard work and actions
that result in altering the world for good. And the worst of
it, I think I see more brown-nosing and favourtism in the Army
than the Royal family. Merit and holiness and not glamour and
heritage, should be the only prerequisites for promotion in
The Salvation Army.
What is your greatest extravagance?
DVDs. I am not proud to say that I have many and that they
are alphabetised and regularly watched and not often shared
with others.
I am one of those people that keep a book to check them in and
out.
Actually...worse...it's and excel document!
What is your favourite journey?
Aside from the exciting journey of life…I would say the 15
minute walk from my car to the MCG to see the Melbourne
Football club play a game.
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue?
Gentleness...people should learn to deal with the truth in
whatever way it comes. Hear the criticism and move on people.
What talent would you most like to have?
Singing and the ability to stay organised.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it
be?
The need for sleep and the ability to hold my tongue.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
That Christians in the first world sit back and think they
are doing enough while simultaneously asking for more
blessings. While there is still injustice, there is no such
thing as enough.
What is your most treasured possession?
Having just moved house, I can honestly say, I don't have
one. I would have gladly left everything behind.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My ability to get politics, sport or God into every
conversation longer than ten minutes.
Who are your favourite writers?
Henri Nouwen, Jane Austin, Ruth Levitas, Mark Considine,
Paul Smyth, Max Lucado, Enid Blyten, JRR Tolkin, CS Lewis,
Roald Dahl
Who is your favourite hero of fiction?
Most definitely Elizabeth Bennett. She is so gutsy! One of
my favourite parts is when she stands up to Lady Catherine…"I
am not to be intimidated into anything so wholly unreasonable…
You have widely mistaken my character, if you think I can be
worked on by such persuasions as these." Oh to have the
courage to speak these words on demand and not twenty minutes
later in your own imagination.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Gough Whitlam, General Eva Burrows, Gareth Evans, Jim
Stynes, Bono, Keith Green and Catherine Booth
What is your motto?
I don't really have one as I am not a fan of punchy lines
that often cheapen the impact of the mission by boiling
complex activity and purpose down to one memorable sentence.
However, if I was forced to give one, it would be 'Keep it
zeal'. Essentially, I want people to be radical, active and
passionate about the mission God has given them.
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