I have in my collection of DVDs a boxed set of the centenary collection of the highly acclaimed film director, the late David Lean. Among them is the film 'The Sound Barrier.' It tells the story of the struggles and tragedies that surrounded the pioneers developing supersonic flight. Over and over the pilots seeking to break through the barrier encounter instability failure. The results are crashes and fatality. Then there comes a key moment in the film where the pilot once again encountering the turbulence and buffeting pushes the joy stick forward in what is a counter-intuitive manoeuvre and finds to his delight that he has entered the new world of supersonic flight. The counterintuitive breaks the barrier to a whole new world. The sound barrier is no longer a barrier but a boundary that can, where appropriate, be crossed.

In some ways this film is to me a bit of a parable. Behaving in a manner that is counter-intuitive takes a lot of courage. While it is not always the right thing to do there are times when we need to take stock and behave in new and different ways. In the film it is a combination of fear and learned patterns that prevent the breakthrough. We live in a world full of barriers. Some can be there for our good. However there are times when what we are treating as a barrier requires the counter-intuitive step of being turned into a boundary that can and should be appropriately crossed. By it a whole new dimension of benefit and progress emerges.

The mass migration of people out of the war torn parts of the Middle East continues to dominate our news. The recent media coverage regarding the refugees has touched many with a concern that as a nation we do something. The government does seem to have made a change in policy. Long term there is no simple or easy answer. However it is worth reflecting on what values and principles we apply in responding to need and what instincts affect our thinking. Fear and the potential buffeting and instability to our economy can easily lead to patterns of behaviour which seek to treat borders as barriers. A willingness to treat borders as boundaries has not been our first response. Exercising appropriate openness, generosity and welcome can be counter-intuitive. Hospitality and welcome to the foreigner and stranger has deep cultural, humanitarian and religious roots. New circumstances always bring new challenges. The present refugee crisis challenges us to reflect again on what it means to be a civil society.