The recent spate of arson attacks on Churches and Mosques, undoubtedly inflamed by the current situation in the Middle East, should remind us of the fragility of our civil society. Racist ideas lead to violence, and if they are politicised into ideology, they can lead ultimately to genocide.

We have witnessed once again an act of malice, wickedness and gross evil perpetrated against the innocent. Our first response was stunned disbelief, as though we were watching a disaster movie from which we would soon emerge smiling. But this is the real world, not a make-believe one.

Controversy has folowed my recent call to take Christ to the work place. There have been dire warnings about harassment and discrimination and the spectre of religious wars has been brought out, dusted off and given a run.

One of the most significant changes over the last thirty years is in the area of personal evangelism. When I first went to College to train for the ministry, many of us only had the vaguest idea about how to witness effectively. Most had never shared the knowledge of Christ, and felt unable to do so.

No doubt there are many things that a new Archbishop should say to a Diocese, but I can only think of one theme for a very first word - the Lord, Jesus Christ. In his beauty and glory, he is the supreme argument for the truth of the gospel and he is the focus of our faith, our love and our obedience.

From the Religion Report site: "The Governor-General, Dr Peter Hollingworth, stands bloody but unbowed while calls for his resignation grow louder. We ask: is he being targeted by old enemies? How much responsibility does the Prime Minister bear for the current mess? Who is qualified to offer forgiveness to perpetrators of child sexual abuse? And how deep is the wellspring of concern for children in Australia? " Read the interview here.

An interview by 2UE's John Stanley with Archbishop Peter Jensen on the handling of child abuse and sexual misconduct in the Anglican church

Archbishop Peter Jensen has received media attention for criticising Australia’s bilateral policy towards the boat people. Amy Butler asks him in depth about his views on the issue.

Read the interview on the ABC's Religion .

From the Radio National site: "At last week's press conference, Sydney's Anglican Archbishop-elect Peter Jensen came out strongly in favour of reconciliation and humane treatment for refugees, and he also took the opportunity to criticise the government's addiction to gambling revenues. So is Peter Jensen really a social justice firebrand? or will his tenure as Archbishop foster the kind of insular evangelicalism that we've been led to expect? This week, we feature an extensive interview." Read the interview here.

Transcript of media conference for Archbishop-elect Peter Jensen

An interview with the Rev Canon Peter Jensen by Anglican Media Sydney

The Most Rev Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney has released the following statement after meeting with Prime Minster John Howard yesterday.