“Fair dinkum” is a phrase unique to Australia. Consequently, it is frequently either not understood or misunderstood. There is a story for example of an Australian passenger who once got off a flight overseas, only to be greeted by the police. The passenger was accused of swearing to a flight attendant on the flight. Apparently, when snacks were being given out, this particular passenger had asked for pretzels instead of crackers. When they were told there weren’t any, the Aussie muttered, “Fair dinkum”, only to be told that swearing at flight crew was an offence. A chat with the police officers at the gate however soon resolved the issue.

Visitors Down Under will soon realise that the semantic range of “fair dinkum” includes meanings like, “Are you serious?” or “For real?” It is a very useful phrase for discerning if something is the real deal.

Speaking of which, there was a news report recently of authorities in China confiscating a whole bunch of counterfeit Aussie products. The haul included $6.3 million worth of “…Australian-branded wines, vitamins, foods, and cosmetics.” Apparently Aussie vino is the bees knees in China so local crims are buying cheap grog and slapping on Penfolds labels before reselling for a massive profit.

This problem is not new. In the past, unethical Chinese manufacturers have adulterated or used inferior ingredients in food products or health supplements, quite often with disastrous results.

For followers of Jesus, it is a reminder that if you call yourself a Christian, be fair dinkum about it. Because when we call ourselves followers of Jesus, but don’t know who Jesus is, or misrepresent what Jesus stood for, we just confuse people. For The Love of God: How Christianity is better and worse than you ever imagined is a new documentary explaining how Christians have been more and less authentic in following the example of Jesus. When we don’t, it is disastrous. “It’s sometimes beyond belief that people could act in a certain way and equate that with their Christianity. Not in spite of it, but because of it,” said Simon Smart, Director of the Centre for Public Christianity.

Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/08/10/australian-slang-fair-dinkum-gets-airline-passenger-into-trouble.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-07/chinese-police-crack-down-on-fake-australian-products/9720578

‘We need to be honest about the failings of the church’

10 May 2018

All brickbats, bouquets and banter welcome at pastor@pmbc.org.au