Graham Long: Captured by the Awesome
Graham Long wears two watches. One is his regular watch. The second belonged to his son, James. It stopped at one minute to midnight during the first year of James’ death — a reminder to live in the present moment.
Graham doesn’t care what car he drives, how big his house is or whether you think he’s doing a good job. He also believes that people are not problems to be solved, but people to be met. He reminds us to let go of the ‘expert mode’ and meet people in the ordinary moments of life. This is what he calls ‘the invitation into the awesome’.
Graham Long is a community leader, accomplished author and CEO and Pastor of the renowned Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross. For over fifty years, Wayside has provided unconditional love, care and support for people on and around the streets. Graham has touched the lives of thousands of Australians and created a community free of judgment and the normal barriers that divide society into ‘us’ and ‘them’. Graham’s motto for Wayside is 'Love Over Hate' and he believes that action should come before preaching and community engagement is more important than going to church on Sunday.
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Many of us have been raised to think that men have to act in a certain way. You know the story — be tough, invulnerable, in control, unemotional etc.
He believes a great team is made up of different types of characters — lovers, fighters, jokers, hard men, quiet types and bookworms.
A ‘good life’ as being determined by generosity, caring for one another and acknowledging our shared frailty as humans.
We hear about his experience doing rites of passages with his sons, taking family sabbaticals and how he naturally gravitates to people who are open, emotionally available and vulnerable.
The nature of masculinity is in great transition — and many men aren’t coping well. Men are scoring higher on the markers of ‘emotional distress’ including suicide, substance abuse, online addiction, violence — and even eating disorders.
Graham Long wears two watches. The second belonged to his son, James. It stopped at one minute to midnight during the first year of James’ death — a reminder to live in the present moment.
Believes being born in Australia is like winning the “embryo lottery” — and how important it is to use our time, talents and money to give back to society.
At some point in your life, you have to decide whether you're going to live according to what others expect, or what you feel is right.
He has a passion for removing stigmas and reminds us that by coming back to stillness we can calm our minds and reconnect us to our basic human goodness.
He makes a very clear distinction difference between being “successful” and being “admirable”.
He values people beyond their job titles and always sought to create work environments where people felt cared for, respected and treated with dignity.