“The isolation, combined with difficult and dangerous conditions, for seafarers are crushing. A Yale University study found 1 in 5 international seafarers had thought about suicide or self-harm in the prior fortnight,” said The Right Reverend Dr Michael Stead Bishop of South Sydney, during his powerful Sea Sunday Sermon at St Andrews Cathedral on July 13. He called for compassion and justice for vulnerable people – especially seafarers. “Seafarers are people who are vulnerable, economically and socially, because they lack the normal support structures,” he said.
As God is the defender of the defenceless, we too are called on to defend the vulnerable and be merciful, just and compassionate to ‘foreigners’ because that is how God treats us and calls us to do likewise.
Bishop Stead has served as a Council Member of Mission to Seafarers Australia and our liaison Bishop so understands the complex needs of seafarers. “MTS stands up for seafarers in cases of unfair treatment, pleading the cause of the defenceless amongst their wide-ranging ways of offering support,” he said.
During his welcome to the annual Sydney Sea Sunday service, kindly hosted once again by St Andrews Cathedral, the Dean, the Very Rev Sandy Grant, paid tribute to and prayed for seafarers. He acknowledged the 13 still lost at sea after last week’s sinking of another ship by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
“It’s not only a potentially lonely industry as seafarers bring us the goods we need, but also dangerous,” he said. He interviewed Chaplain Retchie who shared stories about times seafarers contacted us for help. MtS staff and volunteers presented readings and prayers in some of the heart languages of seafarers and the hymns reflected God’s love for seafarers.
Bishop Stead said: “The work of mission to seafarers is a vital expression of Christian compassion for the foreigner and stranger … Chaplains and volunteers visit ships, offering friendship and assistance. Seafarer centres provide a welcoming space for rest, and an opportunity to connect with home.”
He gave four Biblical reasons for why we should we show compassion to the foreigner: Compassion because of God’s love for us (Romans 12), compassion expressing God’s love in us (1 John 3), compassion imitating God’s love to us (Luke 6) and compassion for Jesus through us (Matt 25).
“The seafarer who visits Australian shores is a modern example of the foreigner. Each year 400,000 seafarers on container and bulk carrier vessels visit Australian ports, on 29,000 ship visits. They are mostly invisible to us but provide us with everything from toasters to Toyotas! Typically, seafarers work on a ship on a nine month contract, during which they don’t get to go home to see family. On the run to and from Australia, they will go anywhere between 2 and 6 weeks without a stop in a port.
Image: Michael P Jackson (left), consultant to oil exploration firms, said: “In my work I meet a lot of seafarers – I get to go home after about three weeks at sea. They are there for many months. They face so many challenges. This is one way to show I care.” MtS Board member, former QE2 Captain, Kit Rynd (centre) introduced him to Rev Tay, MtS Principal Chaplain.
When they get to Australian ports, the impact of containerisation on shipping means that instead of spending a week in port, they are only there for a matter of days.” Australian MTS centres provide counselling and a listening ear to those struggling as well as over 1 metric tonne of knitted beanies and scarves annually, Bishop Stead shared.
The St Andrews team and congregation welcomed us for fellowship and morning tea afterwards. Thank you to St Andrews and everyone who attended this global day of reminding seafarers that they are not forgotten.
If you missed the Sea Sunday service you can still experience it online at: https://www.youtube.com/@StAndrewsCathedralSydney
