that's all stuff and nonsense

Yeah, I hate thinking about titles for these posts, so a line from a song will have to do. Anyway, just thought I'd do one of those entries where I actualy speak about what's happening.

It has been a lovely few days, was great to all be together for Christmas. We went to Matt's church on Christmas Eve which was great - the lesson focused on a few of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Christ. (Hosea 11:1-4, Micah 5:1-5a, Isaiah 7:13-17 and Jeremiah 31:15-17). I've always been amazed (and comforted) about how many Old Testaments prophecies there are about Christ.

Boxing Day we went and saw The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, which we liked to varying degrees. As for me, I quite liked it, and am looking forward to going to seeing it and reading it with Fiona. She came down yesterday(which is great), and is staying with us until I have to go back to work on the 3rd. It will be great just having time to do very little.

I've also decided to start going to Barneys next year, which will be great. Over the past few months I have enjoyed the preaching and look forward to serving our God there.

Merry Christmas

I hope and pray that God has blessed you this Christmas. I'm currently down in Wollongong enjoying being together as a family.

I caught the editorial in the New York Times. It was a fascinating read, and in particular this quote stood out:

One of the reasons we love to hear the story of an old crank like Scrooge is that he seems to embody this cracked old world, made whole in one night by regret and repentance.

Before I go, let me again pray that God will open our eyes, ears and heart anew to story of Jesus, our saviour who came into the world to save His creation.

2005 in Review

This is a sport only entry, so feel free to skip. (There’s no penalty for missing it)

2005 - Year of the Penalty, and Fairy Tale – Arsenal, Liverpool, and Australian football fans rejoice as their ties are won on spot-kicks. (thanks Richard Hinds – SMH). Looking through the winners, it appears its time for me to remember not to make any bold predictions on sport.

The Sports story of the year is the end of Australia’s 32 absence from the Football Word Cup (though some might say after drawing Brazil, Japan and Croatia it may be a brief presence).

Other highlights of the year for me include:

- New Zealand – with the Netball, Rugby League, and Rugby Union teams all posting significant victories during the course of the year.
Honorable Mention (I): The Black Caps; who despite losing the series 2-1, managed to chase down 332 against Australia in a one day game.
- Liverpool’s comeback, trailing 0-3 to AC Milan.
- Sydney Swans – Given that I’m still not sure how Sydney beat Geelong to get to the Preliminary Final, I definitely am still surprised they are Premiers, not that I’ll complain.
- Wests Tigers – another fairytale – beating North Queensland in the Grand Final, after downing St George, and Parramatta respectively in their finals.
- It would be remiss of me to not mention the fact that England won the Ashes, In one of the more competitive series for some time.

Honorable Mention (II) – Chicago’s White Sox won the [World] Series; and Bangladesh beat Australia in Cricket; huh?

Year-End Lists

Not a lot happening really, sorry for the lack of updates. The past few weeks have mostly been spent at work. I’m [still] in the process of completing a travelogue, and will hope to post bits and pieces of that, along with some photos early in the New Year.

December usually means for me its time to review 2005. At present nominations for the Top 5 Albums of 2005 include:

Sigur Ros – Takk
Coldplay – X&Y
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake it’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Nichole Nordeman – Brave;
Switchfoot – Nothing is Sound, and
Jars of Clay – Redemption Songs

(A few others that I have, but haven’t listen too properly are: Third Day – Whereever you Are, Rebecca St James – If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something)

I’ve excluded She Will Have Her Way because it is a tribute to the song writing of Neil and Tim Finn by Australian and New Zealand artists. Other great albums I’ve bought this year, but not recorded in 2005:

Sarah Blasko – The Overscore and the Underscore
James Blunt – Back to Bedlam,
The Arcade Fire - Funeral,
Greenday – American Idiot
Sigur Ros – untitled or ( ) and Ageatis Byrjun.

A countdown of my favourite 10 Movies will also commence shortly. I’ve seen quite a number of films this year, some of which were silly, others serious, and still others challenging or confronting.

Good Night and Good Luck, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Shopgirl, Turtles Can Fly, In Her Shoes, The Motorcycle Diaries, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which I think I saw an inappropriate number of times due to air travel), Little Fish, Downfall, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, Hotel Rwanda, Crash, Howl’s Moving Castle, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Mr and Mrs Smith.

++

Unrelated, and definitely not with the same expectation and confidence as in 2003, my nomination for Australian of the Year is Judi Moylan: For displaying courage in her convictions, being willing to stand up or those who are weak and vulnerable in our society, perhaps risking her standing and credibility.

In Loving Memory of John Spencer

20 December 1946 - 16 December 2005

This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'

A Sort of Homecoming

Well its hard to believe how fast the last four weeks has gone, and I am now home.

The trip in Brief:

• It was beautiful, wonderful, delightful to be met by my sister at Dublin Airport, staying with here there, and travelling around the States with her.
  
• London - "I've got a Shed that's bigger than this" - Loved seeing their Football, and The Woman in White. The biggest improver, quite liked it this time.
  
• I loved Washington, it feels very much like a film set in my mind, vivid recollections of West Wing, and the 1960s entailed while I was walking around the City.
• Miami, showed you the best and worse of America – poverty, riches, an enduring example of Rotisserie Evangelism and the classic tanning booth simply a block from the beach~!
• New York, instantly amazing, frustrating, yet strangely appealing
• Sigur Ros – a brilliant gig, in an amazing venue.
• U2, with my expectations it was always a danger I’d be disappointed, but the band seldom disappoint, and with two amazing sets, didn’t this time either. (the full band cover of Instant Karma, case and point)
  

And the amazing surprise when I got back was that I will be having Christmas with ALL of my family together in Australia.

Borrowing wings..

Later today, I get on a plane and fly over to Ireland and the US for holiday with my sister. I do hope to sproadically post while I'm away. In spite of all this it doesn't yet really feel that I'm going.

So God's Blessings on you all, and I look forward to catching up with you all upon my return.

Heroes

Hero is an word that I've seen most often on the sports pages, or in the letters page complaining about its place, and usage on the sports pages. I saw this article in today's Sydney Morning Herald after the death of Rosa Park, who came to attention through refusing to give up her seat on the bus.

I thought the article raised interesting questions about who our hero's should be.

After watching Hotel Rwanda recently, a hero not on their list perhaps could be Paul Rusesabagina.

Any thoughts?

Another Slice

Was going through my mail account, and I came across this slice entitled “Permission to Lament”. It was quite interesting read.

The below quote resonates with me:

“Sadly dissimilar to many of worship services, the writers of Scripture identify with the pain of the world and do not hold back in addressing it …. [At the funeral of a loved one], I desperately needed permission to lament. I needed to be able to ask why with the force that was welling up inside me, even as I clung to the resurrection of the Son and trust in the Father."

Earlier the writer describes how after 9-11, Matt Redman commented “we had a few expressions of hope at out disposal, but when it came to expressions of pain and lament, we had very little vocabulary to give voice to our hearts cries”, or put another way “The world we live in is not as it was intended to be, and our worship must not deny this.”

I think its this reason that Lament is one of my favourite Christian songs, (It's on a CD Great is Your Love, produced at St Paul's Castle Hill), and the words are below:

O Lord the God who saves me
Day and night I cry to you
My words fly out into the air
Seemingly unanswered
Why are you so silent
Why so little comfort
As I fall into the pit again
Deep into the pit again

Darkness is my only friend
When will all this suffering end
Fear consumes me and I try
To stumble to the distant light

Where are you Lord, in the sadness
Where are you when I feel so alone
I try to find you, where are you hiding
I can’t make any sense of the pain I’m in
My tears are my food all day and night
And I’m running out of strength to fight
Father God please carry me on your shoulders
Take me through the valley to the other side

Where are you Lord, in the sadness
Where are you when I feel so alone
I try to find you, where are you hiding
I can’t make any sense of the pain I’m in
My tears are my food all day and night
And I’m running out of strength to fight
Father God please carry me on your shoulders
Take me through the valley to the other side

Nicole Schleicher, 1997

+++

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars, In their courses above
Join with all manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, thy hand hast provided
Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me.

Electioneering

Mark Latham, caused a little bit of a stir when he published his diaries recently. I am not sure that I am keen on reading them, but at the same time I suspect that within his book there will be kernels of truth, and understanding, of both the Australian Labor Party and Australian Politics. (Of course I might be giving Latham too much credit.)

I was perhaps a touch more interested when I read a speech Latham gave entitled 10 Reasons Why Young Idealistic People Should Forget about Organised Politics, and a responding article in The Age 10 Reasons Why Politics can be Great.

In sum, perhaps truth is in the middle. Politics can be both richly rewarding, and deeply distressing.

Mark Latham’s first point was public apathy. He broke the electorate down into for groups, those who are well informed “conservatives” or “progressives”, those who are “down and out, and for this reason distrust the Government”, and the apathetic middle class who vote from their wallet, but are largely disinterested.

Perhaps this is overly simplistic, but I think contains at least a kernel of truth.

To be sure, politics is not a career you’d want to take a family through, given how ruthless and relentless elements of the media often are.

In the follow up piece, I guess the below kind of sums it up –

There's so much that needs to be done. Who got the children out of detention? Who freed the long-term detainees? Courageous Canberra politicians! Who's going to pass laws to cut greenhouse emissions? Who's going to get justice for our indigenous people? You! No one else can do it.

Sure politics may not be a fun-filled life, but it’s an area which cries out for idealists, to reform the system, and reform our society.

++

Before I leave the area of politics, I was thinking, about the debate surrounding our system of voting, and length of terms. Just thought I’d leave my two cents worth here. I like the idea of fixed terms; it means we know when we’re going to vote, and four year terms means that stuff could well get done.

I know you can’t legislate people to care about who, or what they vote about, but the least we can do, is make people need to show up, and perhaps mark a bit of paper.

The other thing in the debate that intrigues me is that in the reforms they are suggesting that those who have been incarcerated are ineligible to vote. I don’t think I like this idea because I think it makes on comment on those who are criminal as beyond rehabilitation.

Couple of short points…

It was disturbing to read that the US seeks to send a man to walk on the moon by (or in) 2018. To me, we need to bring our gaze back to earth. What does it really matter if we walk on the moon, once we see the profound misery on earth?

Last Thursday was Police Remembrance Day, to commemorate police officers killed in the line of duty. In light of this I do wonder if it is worth making the murder of a police officer carry a stiffer penalty. In part I feel that is any one life is not worth more or less than another, but at the same time, these are men and women, who put themselves at risk day by day, surely we need to send stern messages to those who would willfully injure or kill those who perform in this valuable line of work.

We should regardless all pause to reflect on this day, and pray for those who are employed in these professions. Last year’s speech.

Two things from the newspaper: Found the Tribal Mind in today’s Herald interesting. David Dale mentioned movies that prepare ‘students for life’. For the record, David listed The Fellowship of the Ring, Rabbit-proof Fence, Contact, Billy Elliott, Memento and more. What films should be on the curriculum? What do you, my dear readers think?

Emily Maguire wrote an interesting article declaring the belief that a moral society depends on holy guidance has been contradicted.

James Blunt - No Bravery

A workmate let me borrow this CD earlier in the year [April], and I recently bought it, and this song has totally grabbed me. Its worth checking out.

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
Tears drying on their face.
He has been here.
Brothers lie in shallow graves.
Fathers lost without a trace.
A nation blind to their disgrace,
Since he's been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

Houses burnt beyond repair.
The smell of death is in the air.
A woman weeping in despair says,
He has been here.
Tracer lighting up the sky.
It's another families' turn to die.
A child afraid to even cry out says,
He has been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
But no one asks the question why,
He has been here.
Old men kneel and accept their fate.
Wives and daughters cut and raped.
A generation drenched in hate.
Yes, he has been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

58-54. Leo Barry. No more to say here.

Stories from the Warzone...

Maybe it’s not me, maybe I’m done volunteering. Perhaps I should just admit that I now understand the world is corrupt and brutal, that most nations only look out for their own interests and people seldom rush to dangerous acts of self sacrifice. No shit. Where did I get the idea I would find otherwise?

We actually set out to save the world. That is what was insane – not ten-year-old warlords with bad breath and voodoo fetishes in Liberia, not Matt’s assassin, not the boss in Somalia who set us up for an ambush in exchange for a fifteen per cent kickback on the judges’ salaries, not the Hutu militants who butchered a minority who had repressed them or the Tutsi survivors who executed the suspects – but me, for thinking I could enter a war and personally restore order.

So that’s the easy answer: forswear idealism; resign myself to a sad majority; put away the things of youth; be thankful I survived and move on.

But that’s horseshit too, a craven capitulation. I’m not ready to let the youthful part of myself go yet. If maturity means becoming a cynic, if you have to kill the part of yourself that is naïve and romantic and idealistic – that part of yourself you treasure most – to claim maturity, is it not better to die young but with your humanity intact? If everyone resigns themselves to cynicism, isn’t that exactly how vulnerable millions end up dead ...

I have another quote from the exit of Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem) on my desk … Son of man, keep not silent, forget not deeds of tyranny, cry out at the disaster of a people, recount it to your children and they unto theirs from generation to generation.

I don’t know who saved the honour of mankind during my time in the field, but I do know that and ancestral memory of tyranny commands me not to keep silent…I am a witness, I have a voice, I have to write it down.

Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures): True Stories from a Warzone.

In Brief

• F and I had a great weekend down in Canberra, visiting her family and friends, catching up with Deb. It has been way to long since I’ve been to Canberra, and it was such a relaxing weekend.

• Friday night F and I went to see Turtles Can Fly. A depressing and uncomfortably real film set in a refugee camp on the Kurdish / Iraqi border. It’s a must see.

• Tuesday Gaz a few friends and I are going to hear Gareth Evans speak at UNSW (What price he gets asked an off topic question about Latham and the Labor Party). Updated link to transcript of lecture.
  

• In just over four weeks I am heading overseas to visit my sister in Dublin and then visit London, Washington, Miami, and New York. While in London I will see Sigur Ros, and the stops in Miami and New York include U2 concerts.

... on the road to the Holy Grail ...

While out at dinner Friday night celebrating M's birthday, a message came through on my mobile phone, alerting me to the fact that the Sydney Swans had won their Preliminary Final and will play in the 2005 Premiership decider. It must be said after the nail-biting loss to West Coast, and the stolen game against Geelong, I did not expect the Swans to beat St. Kilda by 31 points. But win they did, and now they face of against West Coast next Saturday.

It is good for cricket that England won the Ashes, a lot of ink will be spilt over the team, so I'm not going to do that here. But I will say - the Ashes series was one of the two best series I've seen in recent years - the other series being the 2001 India v Australia series - featuring that incredible match in which Dravid and Laxman batted a full day.

Wil be back with a non-sport post shortly.

Easy like Sunday morning …

It has been a good weekend. Work hasn’t been too bad, the work flow is more constant, rather than seeming like a dam just burst.

Friday night, F, K, Gary and I went to the Sydney’s home final against Geelong. The atmosphere was electric. It was one of those nights that I will remember for a long while. Sydney were behind for most of the game, and played well below par. But the final quarter the game swung on the boot of Nick Davis, who kicked four last quarter goals (Which was simply stunning as Sydney had until that point kicked three goals in three full quarters). With no more than a few seconds to go, Davis dropped the ball onto this left foot and kicked more from hope than anything else. We paused in hope waiting for the goal umpire to single goal and then for the siren to go. Sydney stole the game 56-53, and now play Saint Kilda in Melbourne on Friday night. I still can't quite believe the Swans won.

Saturday was fun too, my parents came up, and with F, we and saw the new Australian film Little Fish. One thing is for sure, if this is the future of Australian film industry, then the industry has got a bright future. I quite liked the film, found it strikingly sad. I found the construction of the film to be beautiful. Images and words were beautifully melded together to create a story. While it was slow in parts, it is well worth a look. It showed the tragedy of Heroin addiction. The acting the film is excellent, the performances from Cate, and Noni especially. For those interested, this is an excerpt from the Heralds review; Well, Little Fish is about a couple of people still in the gutter, others trying to get in, some who make a living off those who are in, and one trying to keep herself from falling back in.

Little Fish is well worth a look.

Also spent last night at Joe’s 21st, it was a great chance to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a while, and really enjoyable to celebrate his birthday.

… these are a few of my favourite things …

[Via Deb]

Decided that I’d take the time to draw up a list of my three favourite things:

-1- Communication – specifically talking to, or with people – I love getting to know people and getting to know myself as I talk, listen and understand, the people God brings into my life.

-2- A Blank Page –There is something inspiring to me about a blank piece of paper – perhaps it’s a symbol to me of creativity, and possibility.

-3- Finally Music – whether it be listening to friends strum a guitar around me, or listening to music as I walk, work or wander. Its something that grabs my heart or mind.

Perhaps these are all linked to hearing or being heard, of all the senses I can’t help but think its my hearing that I’d miss the most. Because music grabs me, whether it’s the notes of Jupiter, or the words and images of Love is Blindness. It’s a blessing that we are able to experience another human being’s creativity.

While I was going into Sydney tonight I realised one thing I’d love to know as I travel was – what noise is traveling along the white, black or grey cords I see. What experience am I missing out of? What would I learn about those around me if I could hear these thoughts? Anyway will leave it there.

Been away too long

Feels like I’ve been away for while. Seeing as it is now almost a month since I have last blogged something.

Yesterday, Australia lost the Ashes – no no the men are still playing, but the Australia women lost their test series with England 1-0. And a few days from now we will see spring. Spring translates into the Australian Rules finals time. After one of the best seasons in years we are four weeks from the Grand Final. The Swans are in the finals, and we’ll see how they go. Before I stop talking about sport just have two more thoughts – great win for the All Blacks – was a cracker of a game – 31-27. Yes, Australia was not playing, but the sentence - New Zealand wins the Australian Rules Tournament just needs to be written.

Had pause for thought a few weeks ago reading a letter written by a parent to Grant Thomas a professional coach was interesting. It makes the point that the Junior AFL Competition had just got over a shortage of Umpires, then after a professional coach trashes the Umpires – parents start doing it and welcome back umpire-shortage. Point to make here, is that too many times I criticise decisions. Yet the human element of sport is the fact that people do make mistakes. Particularly those in positions of promience need to model respect for the officials.

Been a good weekend – went to my Aunts’ farewell service on Friday night, then Sunday, was spent at Dee Why for my Uncle’s farewell, they are going back to Dunedin, NZ where my Aunt will be taking up a position as Rector at Knox Cathedral. I’ll miss having them both in Australia.

Song of the moment

As I walked the five minutes or so to work, I listened to this song from Nichole Nordeman's latest CD Brave, and the words have been stuck in my head since.

Hold On

It will find you at the bottom of a bottle
It will find you at the needle’s end
It will find you when you beg and steal and borrow
It will follow you into a stranger’s bed

It will find you when they serve you with the papers
It will find you when the locks have changed again
It will find you when you’ve called in all your favors
It will meet you at the bridge’s highest ledge

So baby don’t look down, it’s a long way
The sun will come around to a new day

So hold on
Love will find you
Hold on
He’s right behind you now
Just turn around
And love will find you

It will find you when the doctor’s head is shaking
It will find you in a boardroom, mostly dead
It will crawl into the foxhole where you’re praying
It will curl up in your halfway empty bed

So baby don’t believe that it’s over
Maybe you can’t see ‘round the corner…

To hang between two thieves in the darkness
Love must believe you are worth it

(Nichole Nordeman) ©2005 Birdwing Music / Birdboy Songs (ASCAP), admin. by EMI CMG Publishing.

In Brief:

Over the past week I’ve not really done a whole lot – I borrowed the latest Harry Potter novel from my family, and on Thursday I went and saw an amazing Icelandic band called Sigur Ros.

Spoiler free review: I found the new Harry Potter book to be disappointingly predictable.

Links:
When the Premier thinks it's cool to cringe, it's time to get parochial
Beware the child glued to his handheld [via F]
I must preach holy war

+++

6 August 1945
9 August 1945
Lest we forget

Correction:

In my post 'out of control' I wrote:

[Aside II: Matthias Media have plagarised Voltaire with their rendering of - If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.]

It is Peter Jensen rather than Matthias Media attributed as saying "If we did not have the briefing, we would be forced to invent it".

Perhaps plagarisim is too high a charge, and I have since removed the Aside - but at the same time there is something that sits uncomfortably about the quote. Sure the point made is valid, but to me, it could have been made another way.

Chasing Amy …

Boy meets girl, Boy falls in “love” with girl, Boy or girl messes it up, Boy and Girl reconcile, this is typical of Hollywood romantic-comedies. To sum up why Chasing Amy is so good; it is simply because it ignores the script. Consequently it provides far greater commentary on life and love than most films. Sure if you can’t handle bad language or talk about sex you should avoid it. But without a sugar-coated ending it will be more real/helpful than most.

I found Alyssa terribly frustrating to listen to, but the dialogue was so real when it needed to be, and the film spoke a great deal of truth about our attitudes to relationships, and Love ("real" love, not lust, nor puppy love but enduring love).

… out of control …

One of the rights, enshrined in the Universal Human Rights Declaration of Human Rights (ratified by Australia) is the right to freely express opinion.

Now most students of history are familiar with Voltaire misquoted as saying “even though I may not agree with you, I will defend to death your right to say it”. What would this mean practically – should we defend the rights of Muslim’s extremists, Pauline Hanson, Philip Jensen, et al to say “what they believe”

[Aside I: For those interested the actual quote was by S. G. Tallentyre who said, of Voltaire, ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it, was his attitude now.’

Two similar themed quotes of Voltaire were – “Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too”, and Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.”]

Is there a limit to our tolerance, should there be limits of our tolerance. Or more fundamentally can we actually crack down on “hate speech”. Are any values non-negotiable? Are all cultures equal? On the other hand – is the collateral damage from trying to enforce tolerance worth it? There are median’s beyond our control - the internet, talkback radio. Can we control, or legislate against “thought”.

Another perhaps related case that made the news this week is about Professor Fraser of Macquarie University, who has commented on limiting immigration of particular ethnic groups. I see two responses here. On one hand to publicly respond to the comments is to give them credence, and weight, on the other to not respond is to accept them

But I think both of these miss a point – our nation is missing engaging debate – we should talk about these issues – we should allow conversation about the policies of the west. Yes, we may not agree with what is said, but we should debate our responses to issues, we should debate issues – to me that’s the greatest loss of the last 10 or so years, policy is no longer debated vigorously (perhaps it never was). The idealist in me is speaking in me again but there needs to be a greater interaction between different political persuasions.

The other issue to come out of the Fraser affair is that while I believe the University has no right to comment on what he says himself, if he labels himself as from the University I believe they then have a course of action, if I use the reputation of the company then I believe the company has the right to defend that reputation. However – as I look at the case of Professor Fraser – why not instead of suspending him – force him to defend his position. People should be free to express any view, but let us, as Hugh Mackay wrote in the Sun Herald, have debate out in the open, where facts can be weighed up against emotion, and prejudice exposed, fears allayed, or reinforced by the evidence”.

Some further reading.

between two worlds...

I found this an insightful piece.

"And there are layers of complexity that add to the confusion. Many young Muslims were born in Australia. Their country demands their loyalty and yet it is involved in a war that, for many, offends their families' religion and culture. International politics, Islam and injustice are regularly discussed in the privacy of their family homes."

"but how can they totally relate to, warmly embrace, or thoroughly respect Western ways when they have grown up being warned, directly or indirectly, against the decadence, the follies and the wantonness of the West?"

I can't imagine it would be easy growing up as a Muslim in Australia. But there was more I took from here. As Christian's perhaps we too should have a similar "identity" crisis as the look at this world - a world that clearly grieves God.

We too should look at the decadance of the west and grieve. (And I think our churches perhaps too often embrace the decadence of the west, rather than flee).

To quote part of an email discussion I was having relating to this –

“I do think, however, that, as Christians, it is something that we need to be aware of and monitor in ourselves. We need to remind ourselves that the way to live and the path to happiness is not through the material but belief in Jesus- a thought that can sometimes be hard to hold onto in today's material world of brands, debt, and the fashionable suburbs etc.” (F)

Which I thought summed it up quite nicely. We can't just let this world and its values wash over us. We need to be shaped by God, (Romans 12:1-2) and stand out from the world within which we are visiting (1 Peter 1-2, Php 2:12ff).

Multiculturalism … (a ramble)

I have been quite struck by the number of articles appearing in print over the last few weeks speaking about what appears to be the dark side of multiculturalism. What I have noticed from these is simply why have we assumed that multiculturalism is a good thing? Sure I’m quite take by the option I have to met with people from different backgrounds, or to go and have dinner at one of the many South East Asian restaurants in Kingsford / Maroubra, or be exposed to music and literature from another world.

Is this really multicultural? As I look at Australia, I wonder if we are more like a melting point within which we have elements of different cultures. Have we moved far from an intolerance of anything different? How do we handle the growing numbers of those from a different culture? (the traditional picture that comes to my mind, is not having a BBQ and invite my South East Asian friends, it’s the Australian on the train telling a group of “Australians” to speak English).

Is multiculturalism, an acceptance of all cultures as of equal value? Does that then mean we are to be tolerant of all viewpoints – perhaps this is were multiculturalism breaks down. To what point are we willing to extend our tolerance, is there a final line of tolerance. Do we, or should we, condemn practices of different cultures. Would a truly multicultural society allow dual legal systems – that is, should we try Muslims under Islamic law.

I do value all that people bring to Australia – I love the fact that I am able to watch a German, French, Iranian or Indian film. It adds to the rich fabric of life in Australia. I perhaps am concerned though, and this is as much a criticism of Australians as of those who seek to live here, in Australia we seem to have ethnic enclaves within our society. Our coldness towards other nationalities, perhaps leads them to be isolationist, and their isolationism, leads us to be cold. I’m not really sure how to deal with this. I mean within Christian circles we might foster this by having mono-cultural bibles studies, mono-cultural church congregations, surely we can learn from each other? In a sense, God has brought the mission field to us.

I wonder if this analogy works – to an extent the world is like our classroom, or perhaps my university lecture room. Its filled with about 200 people who have 200 different stories, 200 frameworks from which to look at the world. And we better understand the subject if we spend time seeking to understand these frameworks. Our world is our neighbourhood and an “us” and “them” mentality is not going to help here.

Hmm. I’ve wondered quite far from the articles, and perhaps like a yatch – all of which seem to be saying that our tolerance of others intolerance is getting us into trouble. I guess my comment here is we probably have more in common than we realise. And the differences between a group of anglo-australians 'would' potentially be greater than between say an Australian, and an Iraqi.

Another thougt I had was that perhaps we need to train ourselves not to think in categories, we have archival footage in our brain with which we associate Muslims etc, to speed up thinking. However all it really does is accentuates our error. And we need to train the media to stop doing that – to stop using archival footage, and make us think critically again.

Thinking back to 2001 - after 11 September there was a great silence – dissent was not allowed, criticism of the government was framed as disloyalty, or worse – treason.

Another thing I've read was Muslim's loyalty being to Allah, not the state, but not a word about the Christian, whose loyalty is to God above the state too.

Usual caveats apply: This opinion was posted by Duncan at 9.49pm, there is no guarantee that Duncan will think the same things at 9.50pm, or tomorrow. And I look forward to other thoughts or comments.

The Catch-up post..

The calender has brought it to my attention I've not posted here, or anywhere really for a while. Apologies for this.

In summary since the last rumminations on this blog.

:: I've been spending a bit of time at my work's biennial conference. Despite feeling slightly busy, I was relieved that the conference went well. Only regret as always that I didn't get to more of it. There was an interesting forum on God and State (Which I intend to blog about soonish).

:: I've been intrigued by the number of articles about multiculturalism since the London bombing, expect a ramble on that shortly too.

:: I have just got back from Byron Bay (sans functional glasses), after attending Splendour in the Grass, with Joe, and G. Brief review: Of the lineup, the bands I saw the most of were, Athlete, Sarah Blasko, Decoder Ring, Beautiful Girls, Bloc Party, Interpol, Finn Brothers, and Moby. My favourite act was Interpol (brilliant tight set), followed closely by the Finn Brothers (crowd particpation was great) and Sarah Blasko (of which I hadn't heard much - but she was great to listen too).

The surprise of the weekend was Moby - I've not really heard much, but his set was great. (by that point we'd pretty much made it to about the third, fourth row, dead centre).

And while the music was great, spending a weekend with Joe, and G was especially great.

Anyway - I will also try to post more regularly here...

Links

Labour Party, Of the True Believer[via The Age]
Its about balance in life not payment [via SMH]
Religion used to justify anything[via The Heckler]

The Cost of Supporting the Swans or Why I'll go Gray Before my Time ...

Found an article in Saturday's Herald which basically explains while I'll end up with gray hairs sooner rather than later.

It appears my beloved Swans are the league leaders in matches decided by one point. The Swans and their opponents have been seperated by one point on 62 occasions. Of these 62 games, none is more famous than the 1996 Preliminary Final against Essendon. With scores level, all Tony Lockett needed to do was score and the Swans would be into their first Grand Final since 1945. Lockett scored what probably remains the clubs most significant point.

The Swans have won 31 of their games decided by 1 point and lost the other 31. I would be interested in having a look at how many Swans games have been decided by a margin of less than twelve.

Postscript: After beating Collingwood by 1 point, then losing to Richmond by 1, the Sydney Swans beat Geelong on Saturday night by 54 points.

... a dangerous idea, that almost makes sense ...

Thursday night, our netball game was halted with the news of multiple bombings in London, news which has dominated the newspapers and television since. Time to reflect on the issue I suspect. I have been reading a number of the editorial pieces and speeches following the bombing.

I was really struck by this piece spoken by the Mayor of London (Ken Livingstone).

This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever …

[And to the terrorists]:

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfill their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."

The War against Terror is not a conventional war. The combatants are not nations, the victims are not solely the powerful; the desired outcome is the creation of fear amongst the public. Terrorism is a battle of hearts and minds, causalities increasing not decreasing resolve. It is not a war that can be won. It’s a blind love, and faith in their ideology that wills the combatants to fight, even to the point of giving their lives; a blind resolve compelling Westerners to return to work using the tube the following day.

But we do need to seek to understand the mind and motivation of the terrorist, what is causing them to pursue this course of action (not ever condoning their action).

The war on terrorism will be won when our ideology overcomes theirs. It’s a trifle ironic that the day the bombs went off in London the G8 were discussing plans to increase aid to Africa. This is the ideology that we would seek to prevail.

Perhaps another thing that I’ve noticed this time is the number of Islamic voices condemning the terrorist bombings, and saying the ideology of hate has no place in either their religion or society. I hear too many Christian voices now saying that this is part of their religion (as it should be practiced). We need to understand each other, maintain a dialogue between the West, and the ideology. I find it a trifle ironic, that a nation that prides itself on being a democracy would seek to force other nations to be democratic.

I think there is a complex interplay of factors in the production of terrorists. I think it is clear that the War on Terror is producing terrorists, poverty, and also ‘lack of liberties’ have also been talked about as causes. I don’t think liberty and democracy are necessarily ‘inoculations’ against terrorism. But I would be interesting to read information speaking on the link between economic development, democratic ideology, and religion.

A New Day

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:1-5

More on Zimbabwe's tour of NZ

"The [NZ] Government also said it would refuse to issue visas to the governor of Zimbabwe's central bank, and the national cricket team, which had planned to tour in December. But the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, said it remained an open question whether New Zealand's national side would play a series of games in Zimbabwe in August as it is contracted to do." [SMH]

Views of the NZ public, published by the New Zealand Herald on the New Zealand's team tour of Zimbabwe. Rather than refusing to let the Zimbabwean team tour, the NZ team should inspite of the fine, refuse to tour Zimbabwe.

Music and Social Action

Following on from yesterday's post, what role does Music play? Should musicians speak about political issues from the stage, or actors speaking from the screen – do they have the right to speak. What value is there in artists running partisan concerts? I wonder what provokes people to go – I guess perhaps its in part is because they like bands who are socially and politically aware.

Bono, since the Vertigo tour began in March this year has been spending a few moments from the stage, during the introduction to the bands hit One talking about “Making Poverty History”, asking the audience to text their support to their nations leader, concluding by saying ‘We are more powerful when we work together’.

Which I guess prompted Nana Mouskouri comments in Thursday’s [SM] Herald that; "I think that you cannot force the G8 to decide by having thousands of people in front of them”. And I want to say that there is a degree of truth here, but it does say to the government that this is an issue the people feel strongly about, and that’s not a bad thing.

U2 though are no stranger to controversy here, having recorded Sunday Bloody Sunday, and during the Joshua Tree Tour, making comment about the bombing of Einskillen in 1987, including satellite links to Sarajevo on their Zoo TV tour, and more recently during the bands 1998 PopMart tour on stage in Santiago, Chile, Bono spoke to Pinochet calling him to account for the actions of his regime, and in Assayas's book Bono comments that while some booed, others cheered. At the end of the concert, they crowd were all cheering, suggesting that U2's fans may be politcal they don't necessarily share the bands politics.

I think, it is great to see bands with a political conscience – yes, in the end they may not be listened to, but its valuable that they air their views. Celebrity’s have a currency, and I would like to see them use it.

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And on the concerts: the highlights were Pink Floyd's set (Wish You Were Here, and Comfortably Numb stood out), R.E.M., Coldplay, Madonna and U2 were great (especially One).

Musings from the Long White Cloud

One of the things that struck me while I was in New Zealand last week was comments by New Zealand’s Foreign Minister on New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe’s return tour later this year – from my recollections he is seeking to cancel both NZ’s tour, and finding a manner in which to prevent Zimbabwe from touring New Zealand (which I suspect would be refusing to grant the players Visa’s allowing entry to NZ – which would be against the spirit of law), and these measures taken because of the actions of Mugabe’s government in Zimbabwe.

The questions begged by this is should sport become involved in politics. Sports players and fans are not politicians, but both are able to take political action, the players, by not playing, and the spectators by not showing up – both of these are political statements, and send a message. But both actions leave innocent victims, in the case of the NZ cricket tour, the Zimbabwe Cricket team who are not responsible for the government of this action, the fans robbed of seeing cricket. Though, indifference does not really sit well either, and to my conscience is perhaps the greater crime, and it would state clearly where NZ stands. [And even if they were to incur a fine for not touring, would it be worth making the point?]

But to remove idealism – what affect does sport have – that is what did the ban on Springbok tours have on the South African government, and New Zealand given the division the policy caused in 1981 in New Zealand, when NZ became two nations, one inside the stadium hoping to enjoy rugby, and the other outside the stadium, protesting a nations policies.

Thinking over it some more, it seems hypocritical for a nation on one hand to be courting a trade agreement with China, whose human rights record is not the best, and on the other lecturing Zimbabwe about its human rights record, consistency is perhaps important.

Though, let me say, I would think that a foreign minister would better serve his time if he spent more energy lobbying for political action rather than preventing a sports tour.

Turn over the page..

Before I left for NZ I bought Michka Assayas work Bono on Bono. This is the type of book I love. It is essentially a series of interviews of Bono conducted by Michka. In my words, it is the dinner conversation that I always wanted to have with Bono. Bono speaks of his childhood, his family, the band and their music, but more significantly to me he speaks of Africa, the Drop the Debt campaign, Live Aid, Ireland and his views on Christianity. I will post a few excerpts as I read through this book. Seriously, forget U2’s music, Bono is worth listening to, as he speaks about Africa. He’s not partisan; he is passionate, and promoting an issue that has hardly had a drop of ink spilt in anger. Can Bono save the world, no. Will we "make poverty history", no. Should we try? Because we can, we must.

A quote from the Chapter ‘Add eternity to that’:

I look around at the twentieth century; it’s not a great advertisement for unbelief. Where did communism bring Russia? Look what more openness is bringing China. I will say this for the Judeo-Christian tradition: we have at least written into the DNA the idea that God created man equal, and love is at the heart of the universe. I mean its slow. The Greeks may have come up with democracy, but they had no intention of everyone having it. We have to conclude that the most access to equality in the world has come out of ancient religious ideas.

[page 209]

Affluenza

Was listening to the Night Life on 702 (ABC, Sydney) and heard a very interesting discussion with Clive Hamilton and Richard Deniss from The Australia Institute. They were talking about their new book, Affluenza, is loosely translated as a disorder of over consumption, and materialism. They also spoke with a man who had “downshifted” or “right-shifted”. That is a man who gone from a job with longer hours, and greater pay, to a less paying job.

The cure of Affluenza, is not spending less money, but perhaps buying less and enjoying what you buy more. Like Growth Fetish, it attempts to discredit the assumption that economic growth is good.

A couple of things intrigued me. While teachers and nurses are often listed as more important professions, this is not balanced with the numbers heading in to study in these areas, and is probably a reflection of the remuneration for the job. The conversation also turned to advertising and how the best paid psychologists end up in marketing, convincing us to buy what we don’t need. (They used the example of drug companies, creating anxieties of new diseases, that we would buy their drugs). Also, back to the advertising, one comment they made that didn’t quite sit right was how they mentioned post-modernism being great as it teaches us to deconstruct what we view – not sure we should credit postmodernism for that. Seems like a good idea to watch the TV with your kids, and make them ad aware, or at least aware of the psychological tactics advertising companies use.

They made an interesting point about the punitive measures used against those who are poor. The wealthier we are, the more likely we will see those who aren’t as not pulling their weight. That is, they will be scapegoats. And I think its not that we care less about those who are disadvantaged, but that the reinforcement of our consumer lifestyles is greater.

Interestingly more people are fighting against the trend of materialism, and these stories are detailed in their book, and their motivation is not necessarily based in religious persuasions.

I found the interview one of the more enlightening I’ve heard for a while, and I do look forward to reading the book at some point. Also was interesting to have a look at The Wellbeing Manifesto, while not endorsing it, I found it made some interesting points.

A new blog on the block.

So, by popular demand, the F# blog (aka: my flat's blog) is now linked. Venture there at your own risk. All sorts of craziness will be revealed.

Tunes ...

Recently I borrowed The Arcade Fire's Funeral off Guan. I really love the lyrics of the the CD, this is one that stood out for me.

The Arcade Fire - Wake Up

Somethin’ filled up
my heart with nothin’,
someone told me not to cry.

But now that I’m older,
my heart’s colder,
and I can see that it’s a lie.

Children wake up,
hold your mistake up,
before they turn the summer into dust.

If the children don’t grow up,
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We’re just a million little god’s causin rain storms turnin’ every good thing to rust.

I guess we’ll just have to adjust.

With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’ to be
when the reaper he reaches and touches my hand.

With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am goin’
With my lighnin’ bolts a glowin’
I can see where I am go-goin’

You better look out below!

Mr and Mrs Smith

Went and saw the new Jollie, Pitt movie Mr and Mrs Smith. The premise is simple, two professional assassins married to each other; but hiding their ‘job’ from each other. A contract is bungled, and then of course the have to kill each other, (needless to say they fall in love with each other, again). One does wonder though, if five (or six) years later, would there relationship be in a similar state.

Not much special about the film. The script isn’t brilliant. A few funny moments, in a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Oh, I could read little bits and pieces into it, see, Pitt, lowers his gun first, and another moment, Jollie’s character accidentally hits Pitt, while throwing knives at would be assassins, and of course the metaphor of trying to kill each other, and marriage.

All in all – if you’re in need to a mind free movie, this one’s for you. But it didn’t really leave much of an impression on me.

+ + +

Perfectionism…

Caught this in the paper today, Australia it seems, is turning into a nation of perfectionists.

I wonder if as Christians we suffer from the same issue – recall Matthew 5:48 – Be perfect just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

Does this give us similarly lofty goals in our Christian walk – paid ministry work, bible study leader, or missionary worker? Likewise, when we look at our Pastors and MTS trainers, we see people who are unlike us. The article makes the link, between those who seek perfection, and low self esteem, it would be interesting having a look at religion and self esteem. The tension, between faith and works, would play in interesting role in this too, tying into to Romans 7, perhaps.

I’ve spoken here before about my thoughts and desires about ministry. There is a lot that appeals to me about working for the church, and teaching people about my Heavenly Father, but having said that, I also have anxiety about whether or not I’m suited to that, and the “burden” of faithfully working out, and teaching the Word of God.

Another curiosity I have about the University ministry is do we push people into MTS, or and make paid-ministry into a lofty goal.

But moving away from the church, our society too seeks perfection – cosmetically, consider the number of renovation shows (be it makeover of appearance, of your home, of your garden), but all of which fail to deal with the roots of what is making us unhappy.

Ok, lets say Australia is turning into a nation of perfectionists, driven to accumulate maximum wealth and achieve increasingly lofty goals – [And perhaps, we as Christians are likewise pushing people to consider ministry as the lofty goal, and all else – secondary].

‘Identifying the tendency is a very helpful thing. Challenge it, resistance isn't futile.’

+ + +

Was reminded about why I love sport. Last night, Bangladesh beat Australia in a game of cricket. Yes it was 50 overs, but still, given all the talk on the radio was that Australia would annihilate Bangladesh, it is an incredible result. As is the fact Australia’s soccer team could score 5 goals, and fail to win a game (true, the games were against Germany, and Argentina).

T-minus seven days (and yes counting is involved) …

In about seven days times, I will jump courtesy of Freedom across the ditch to New Zealand, and to Dunedin. I always love flying to New Zealand it is like a sort of homecoming. I mean I do live in Australia, and feel home here, but there’s something extra-special about New Zealand.

I’m heading back for my grandmother’s 90th Birthday. Yes, I have to admit that I’m not as close to her as I would like. I’m taking opportunity now to write a few reflections. But I wish I knew her better.

I remember going down to visit Dunedin, and we would always have a walk together. I also remember the fact that we would always receive a phone call on our birthdays; she was interested in hearing what we were up to, where we were heading. I feel doubly blessed, in that she raised my father, and aunts, and uncles, all of whom I treasure. [I know I don’t say that often enough, but I know it is true]. In some ways I have found it hard thinking about special stories, and incidents, because each time we visited her it felt special. I won’t forget staying with her just after I finished my High School, and just have meals, and spend quality time with her.

+++

Personally though, this trip has come at just the right time. I am absolutely scattered from organising the move (and dealing with the ‘fall-out’), was blessed by having a great colleague, who was priceless in terms of keeping me sane, and did way more than realistically she should have been expected of doing.

It is going to be great to get away from the office, and have a change of scenery for four so days. Will be great to see the cousins as well, though, once I get back it’s three-or-so weeks until the Conference I’m organising at work.

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It was with pleasure I read the SMH this morning and how the Liberal Government is now changing their policy relating to refugees. While not an abolishment of Mandatory Detention, it is a step forward. Though now I would like to hear an apology (especially if the majority of those on TPV end up being granted asylum), for the damage has been done.

On Marriage ...

Okay, I’ve been reading my brothers blog, and wanted to repost my comments here.

Firstly, I do have to say that I’m not sure that I agree with a number of posters about marriage. (I’ve posted this, which talks about how I see marriage). I also would say here, that the way marriage is enacted in the world does not devalue it. Throughout the Old Testament the Covenant, (read promise) between God and Mankind is illustrated with marriage (read, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, to name a few). Put simply, celebrity x, marrying celebrating y (for a period of z hours) does not devalue the promise on another’s wedding day. Yes, I would love to see my “partner” be “a princess for a day”, (like she isn’t a princess already). But that’s not what marriage is about. That’s the wedding, by way of an analogy, the tip of the iceberg. Yes it is a promise we would be making to each other, witnessed by God, friends and families, but it’s a promise for the future, it is a promise that describes what we feel, but at the same time talks of the commitment we would share through the circumstances of life, for better, worse, sickness, health, poverty and riches. Why wouldn’t you want to make this public?

Like a number of those who have posted I would not live with my partner before marriage, this is a personal decision. I have not found an explicit bible verse that could be used to condemn people living together before they are married. (Mind you, I don’t believe we should condemn those who do. Though I would discourage them from it, for what I can only label personal reasons). To be honest, I am not sure of the arguments relating to “leading others into temptation” actually works. But I will need to think about it.

[Corrected Link]

Looking back ...

Today is a holiday, and I'm in Como - no, no not in Italy (though my parents were in Italy). I'm spending time over this the long weekend in June playing computer games (Warcraft III - Frozen Thrones) with some friends. Its been great fun. (Especially seeing as the rest of the weekend (virtually) I've been at work.

I realised last night that its been two years since I've started this blog. In that two years, I've have strengthened some friendships with people I knew IRL, and I've made some new friends through writing. More importantly I hope and pray that my entries have honoured God.

Two years ago, I'd just moved out of home, and living with Gaz, and Greg; I was not full time or on contract at work. Now, following on my move to Sydney, work has moved closer to me. (go figure!). (Aside: Like all moves, I suspect, it has not been as good as I hoped, or as bad as I feared, and of course there will be issues tomorrow, but today its not for those. I feel a litte more comfortable in the Unichurch environment, while retaining some questions about the nature and structure of ministry on Campus. Put simply one of the issues I have struggled with is the model of a homogenious ministry - ie, mostly uni students ministering to university students (as an example).

How have I changed over the last two years. In one way I think I've realised that this job while interesting is not something I would like to spend a great deal of my life doing. Perhaps more broadly, I'm not sure what I what to be doing, what I am really passionate about. Oh, I've got a couple of options, but I'm not sure I've got a mechanism at present to make a choice here.

Realising its the 13th today, means that Friday week, I will be off to New Zealand, to celebrate my grandmother's 90th, and needless to say along with the joy of celebrating with family this milestone, it will be great to have a change of scenary.

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As an aside, one thing that I've really been wondering about for a while is what Matthew 7:1-6 (Actually, perhaps we should all read Matthew 5-7), means when it says "Don't judge, or you too will be judged ... with the measure you use you will be measured". I've heard so many Christians respond with this when confronted about sin in there lives say this in response. In effect to any comment saying "Who are you to judge". TO a degree I understand what they are saying ~ but at the same time, in Galatians 6:1-5, I we are called to restore those who stumble. Only thoughts I really have now is that I believe that the manner we comment is important; but we should be concerned for our brothers and sisters. We should be careful not to condemn, as that is God's job. Our call is to speak the truth, in, and with love. Love does not and perhaps can not lead to indifference. For its not hate that is the opposite of love, indifference is.

Anyway, just a couple of random thoughts. As always, I'm not convinced I've got this right, so over to you for comments.

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Alrighty, lunch now and then back to computer games. :)

[Edited for Clarity]

Voluntarty Student Unionism

So, I mentioned a while ago that I might just write a post on Voluntary Student Unionism. Well I’ve actually decided to give it a go. At this point these are my fairly basic thoughts. If you think I might have the details wrong please let me know. And as a type of aside – I find it difficult to believe either what the Union and Student guild or what the government is saying, so tell me the advantages of VSU.

One of the things I remember throughout my days at University, firstly as a student at Wollongong, and more recently as a member of staff at the University of New South Wales, was the university publications the Tertangala, or Tharunka. These publications were written by students, about students, for students. Though a touch more left leaning than the [SM] Herald, (though, I should say the few Tharunka’s that I did read, did seem to be of a higher quality).

Secondly perhaps, campus life is the same across the board, though I have it from numerous sources that the student life at present is not simply less active and engaged political as it once was, but also less communal. Students now spend as much or more time off campus than on. [Would like to see stats about this, and are Universities less politically active than in previous years?]

In some ways it is the community aspect that VSU strikes out against; VSU as proposed by the current government makes the payment of student (Union) fees voluntary, and in doing so removes the budget from organisations who are in-effect either service providers (the food outlets, the medical services, child care), or community builders (as either the campus magazine, the band comps, the sport and other interest societies).

Does the acceptence of the policy [VSU] reflects this change; community is no longer built around activities at University, but elsewhere. Anyone want to comment here?

In some ways Universities are home to at least some of the dissent toward the government, and I can’t help but wonder if the government is simply removing the viability of dissent – reducing or removing funding from organisations that promote views counter to its own. (Hmm I feel like I’m being a cynic here – this is unlike me).

Yes, I would agree that I might not like what the student magazines present, but the solution is join, and help write articles. Comments and criticism is a huge factor in improving people’s writing. And informed dialogue, and debate help creates a great climate for growth.

Yes, I might not like the political persuasion of the Union, but they have as much a right as I do to share. (And perhaps it is worth noting when we as students agree with the government – this is something that I need to do, I need to commend politicians for making the right decisions, especially as at the moment I often tend to disagree with them).

Perhaps more problematically, I may not be able to afford the fees the University charges, I’m not as sure of the solution here, perhaps the Union should show more compassion and either reduce or waive the fees. I would also like to look at the breakdown of where the fees paid by students actually go.

But I do not think the argument that I do not use the services means that I should not pay. I rightly pay for roads, hospitals and schools I do not use. I can’t coherently argue that I shouldn’t pay my taxes. This seems to be a somewhat selfish mentality, if I can be blunt. I feel that from those who have much, much should be expected, especially to those who don’t have much. (I think this is prevalent throughout or society – especially in how we look at the ‘refugees’ coming to our shores, largely on the hope of a better life. Why should where you are born determine whether you live or die. The life we have, we have not earned; the opportunities and choices we have, we did not earned, therefore we should be generous to those whose circumstances of life deny them a life of the same opportunities. The fact that there might be sponges should not lead us to stop being generous. Sorry, /rant

Campus life has changed, and it will continue to change should this legislation pass our parliament, (which come July is inevitable). I’m not sure how the campus will change, and maybe this change is for the better. There will be disadvantages to the new system, but I suspect we will learn to adapt to these changes.

Cultural Psychology

Found this interesting piece that builds off the article I referenced on Saturday. It talks about the movies as the dreams of society, and Psychiatrists have been “reading” modern films such as Mystic River, The Life and Times of Peter Sellars, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.

I thought the reading of Mystic River was interesting. I saw the film earlier in the year, it was quite a disturbing film, and echoing in part the article I thought it detailed the responses of four characters to trauma, and the cycle of trauma. And that is the beauty of the median, you can speak to your audience on many levels, be it that people can enjoy the film, as entertainment, or read it as a text reflecting on the society which created it.

But to a degree as well each of these psychologists in the article are coming to the film with a particular mindset and are likely to read into the film their schemas for seeing the world. It perhaps is also worth noting that film, like music, because of the range or emotional experiences they deal with, are of benefit to therapists and practitioners – though I do wonder how the professionals view the way they are shown in the films.

In spite of perhaps these adventurous readings of some films, I found the article make some interesting points about film, and its role in society, perhaps as an expression of the dreams of society. I would say they definitely reveal points about the society in which we left, but how much exactly I’m not really sure of. I found the point about Germany seeking to deal with its past through the arts quite interesting.

As Kathleen commented, is the absent father in more prevalent in films now than it was previously? I don’t think I remember many films dealing with this topic – which I why I think I was struck by Finding Nemo. However after thinking about this – over the past little while films that I remember dealing with Fathers – Father’s Day / Liar Liar / Sleepless in Seattle and further back Kramer vs Kramer. But do any of these really centre on fatherhood? Of these I think the one that speaks mostly about fatherhood is Finding Nemo. (Are there are other recent films in which the leading character is told what it means to be a father?)

Anyway, sounds like worthwhile stream at the conference. Would have been worth hearing a little bit more about what they said.

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Frustrating watching my Swans play on the weekend. Not only did they get thumped on the scoreboard, but they go a mouthful during the call and in the press. I’m desperately hoping that they would win over the weekend – its Carlton, in Melbourne, but given the way Sydney has been playing a win is no guarantee.

Here’s wishing my dear brother and sister in Christ; Guan and M, a fantastic relaxing and God-filled time away in the US. I'm looking forward to catching up with Guan for lunch tomorrow, and hearing all about his trip when he returns.

Another unrelated point, I emailed the four members about the immigration bill, all of whom responded. Found out via the news today that the issue was debated today, and they resolved to debate it again in the next few weeks, while not the resolution I was hoping for, it is a start.

A needle in the haystack

Finally some movement. Since 2001, I have been horrified of the leadership of my country. Seeing the dehumanisation of some of the weakest amongst us left me dissappointed and feeling betrayed. Last week we are at last seeing glimpses of hope for dialogue about how we detain those or seek to "illegally" enter or country.

I admire the courage of the three Liberal MPs seeking to introduce a private members bill to begin dialogue to reform our immigration system. Bruce Baird, Petro Geogriou and Judi Moylan, I admire your courage. I admire the fact that you have stood up and said that it is time to debate the issue. [And it is my belief that a judicial enquiry into Australia's policy of Mandatory Detention is necessary].

This is a struggle of small steps and this week, the Australian Liberal Party will debate these issues. So I ask that you give consideration to this, and if you agree that the current policy that sees children locked up is inhumane, write to these liberal MPs or your local MP, if they are Liberal. (The Liberal Party is discussing this on Tuesday). [I will update this with a link to a paper written by the Social Issues Executive (Sydney Anglican Discose)]

I was dissappointed to find that both John Howard and Kim Beazey saw fit to see a vote on these bills is not a vote of conscience, say what?

But the needle is this. I disagree with Howard on a lot of things. But a soundbyte from yesterday, in which he was asked about the verdict in the Corby trial, and he said that he hoped that Australians would accept the verdict, saying that we would not like it if another country interferred in our judicial process, so we should not interfere in the Indonesian judicial process. To a degree this rings true for me.

I don't want to say much about the Corby trial, and verdict, save this. I have never seen such a hysterical outburst from the media and public to an Australian caught for drug-trafficking. Here is today's editorial from the SMH. Which makes the point, far more eloquently than I. (Incidentally Corby is one of 155 Australian's (including two on deathrow) accused or found guity of drug-trafficking).

Another editorial, comments on Immigration, and Corby.

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To change the tack, I did manage to wake up for the Champions League Final between Liverpool, and AC Milan. Boy was it worth it, at halftime Liverpool were all but out, trailling 0-3. While having half an eye watching the game, I'd started doing other things, my full attention gradually returned as in the space of 7 minutes Gerrard, Smicer, and Alonso all scored making it 3-3, setting up a gripping final period. The rest is history, the match went to penalties, and Liverpool won. Too bad, at this point they are not able to defend the title.

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And a different sort of article, from the Weekend Herald


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UPDATED: Here's a link to the latest paper from the Anglican Social Issues Executive

Blog-roll

Well, I've gone and done it. I've added a few more people to my blogroll. Huh? belongs to a friend of mine Melissa. I met Melissa through Beach Mission, and I value her friendship, and I am soo encouraged watching her minister to the littlest amongst us, a valuable ministry which I simply am not good at. Keep shining out like a light in the world Mel.

I've also added Lara. Lara, I don't know IRL, but I've enjoyed reading her blog, and her comments on my brothers blog. So welcome Lara, and God Bless you too.

Thanks to Guan, I actually watched Dr Strangelove: Or, How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Well worth the view :). One of the classics on my too see list, now with a strikethrough.

Owing to an early morning this Thursday, to watch two great soccer teams meet on a football field in Istanbul its time to head to bed. (For those going "What the?"; this Thursday is the Champions League Final between AC Milan and Liverpool, should be fun, even at four-thirty am) :)

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‘.. we crash into each other for our human interaction …'

On Friday, I saw a very different film. Crash will be up there as one of the best of the year. Crash attempts to tackle the theme of racism head on. While not preaching; through introductions to a series of people and events gradually intertwoven into a story we are shown the complex web of feelings tied up in race. The film is set in the city of Los Angeles, perhaps a city through which the story can be drawn into our experiences (Sydney is becoming close to the melting pot of cultures that LA already is).

The characters are breathtakingly real, and the stories are beautifully woven together into a some scenes which will reasonate. It is perhaps not a pleasant film to watch, but well worth the effort. Surprisingly good performances from Sandra Bullock, and the ensemble cast. The film moves relatively quickly as the characters weave through each others stories, set over a period of 36 hours.

Definitely worth a (second) look.

Star Wars – Revenge of the Sith.

Ok, here's a review of the new (and final) Star Wars film - their are some spoilers below.

**SPOILERS**

To be honest I was quite disappointed by this film. It did promise a great deal, and in terms of its special effects it is hard to fault the film. But I simply don’t think it lived up to any of the first few films, or far more importantly, the promise of the story. The dialogue was weak, and the acting not much stronger. I groaned almost as much in this movie as in the second – and often in the crucial scenes for plot development.

In plot the motivation for Anakin to turn his back on the Jedi simply wasn’t credible. Love, it seems was the motivation for Anakin to turn away from the Jedi. Sure he wasn’t trusted by the Jedi, and craved the power the Sith could offer him, but it was simply for the love, and life of Padme that he would turn to the Dark Side. Love incidentally is what revealed the good in him at the end of Return in the Jedi, love caused him kill his Master. Perhaps this goes to highlight the complexity of love as an emotion, and perhaps “the blindness” it causes. As I read the AMS review, I didn’t quite get, and don’t get how she has cast Lucas as anti Christian as he linked evil [Vader] and Christian mythology?

It seemed in the blink of an eye, Anakin went from accusing the Emperor of treason, to declaring the he would serve him. It was too quick, for the Jedi he was, (or promised to be) to turn at the drop of a hat. It didn’t work.

There were other issues. I still find it quite hard to except that Leia is the child of Padme and Anakin. Yes it is possible, but I don’t see the steely resolve of the Princess who would stand up to Darth Vader in Star Wars.

I find it hard to believe that the Emperor did not know that Padme was pregnant. For a man who is supposed to have the power he did, to be as blind as he was, it doesn’t quite work. What do you think??

It is not that much comfort to say this is the best of the three, it promised much, but delivered very little.

21st Century Relationships / World: “Un42n8”

Among a few articles that grabbed me over the course of the weekend was a piece by Megan Gressor talked about mobile phones being the substitute for meaningful communication. In her articles not only did she mentioned people being fired via SMS, people asking others out, or dumping them, but also how she received news that a friend “Un428lY took [their life] 2Day”. Eek.

Communication in this day and age appears to have been reduced to almost short strings of characters. Will we see “The Collected SMS and E-mail’s of (insert famous writer here)?

In a sense I get it. The phone is liberating – it increased the distance between us, and rejection. The phone is changing in the manner of our interactions, the mobile also allows us to be late - we say: “Will B L8, CU Soon”.

To quote from the article: “So we retreat behind our electronic barricades, tuned in, but turned off and unable to react”.

This is modern emotion - filtered through the screen, passed on strings of alpha numeric symbols.

I turned the page; and I found another poignant piece, detailing how, even in spite of the prosperity we are supposed to be feeling we live in a climate of fear. McDonald quotes a study which details how children in the 90s report higher levels of anxiety than child psychiatric patients did in the 1950s.

Perhaps this is because the world feels more dangerous, perhaps because we feel more isolated, insignificant, or impotent to cause change. McDonald talks about how though technology promised to make us more connected, instead, we email and SMS - not talk; we (I) chat on the internet; people can watch “reality” TV to view how people relate. Interestingly today we have more one-person households than ever before.

Community has been replaced, and we live in a disengaging, individualistic society. Richard Eckersly was quoted in the article as saying that materialism appears to create less well being, not more; our culture asks that we measure ourselves against criteria which we say is the root of the issue – materialism.

Are these challenges peculiar to our age, or is this anxiety simply normal? Two very interesting articles appearing to reveal a few truths about the 21st Century

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Highlight of the Night: The athmosphere - seeing B's R2D2 costume so well received , Y's Darth Maul effort, in winning one of the major prizes for the night(?), and an Ewok, who was also quite simply, brillant.

[Aside] A few short hours before we began our wanderings through the book of Exodus. (with Joe, as our guide, and map-maker). Great study, and discussion was had (thanks Joe) and I hope to post more thoughts from here over the weekend.

Spoiler free, Short Review: Inspite of several good moments, and a Williams score of the usual standard, it failed to live up to potential. Minor continuinity issues. Dissappointed I was.
Long Play review to come.

Though some, spoiler containing comments below, you will find.

AMS Review.

Another few related pieces grabbed me. From the Sydney Morning Herald and New York Times.

Cinema-inspired Religion [SMH]

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And in news just to hand Then Again, has won again. For the many shaking your heads as you read the last sentence, my Netball won a tense tight affair on Court Four at Moore Park. Well played team :)

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It's been a while ...

Star Wars – Revenge of the Sith

It’s now very close; the last of the Star Wars movies is out tonight, or tomorrow morning, following our bible studies wandering the wilderness of Exodus we will (minus a few members) head to the Ritz to be among the first to see Revenge of the Sith. I recalled there were murmurings of an outcry that the new Star Wars film will get a M15+ rating (For the record it got a M13+ in the US), leading some to complain, that "my kids love these films, why are you making one they can’t see". I’ll hold my verdict, suffice to say, that I commend Lucas of holding to the spirit of the film, or as he is quoted as saying:

I have to tell a story. I'm not making these, oddly enough, to be giant, successful blockbusters. I'm making them because I'm telling a story, and I have to tell the story I intended.

In terms of the film I’m apprehensively nervous, as the arc of the story is one that holds immense appeal for me, and runs counter to the plot-lines of most films. And for this reason the film is needs to be dark; darker than the Empire Strikes Back (which is the best of the franchise).

Anyway, this film could be a work of art, or sadly like TPM or AOTC, it could be terrible (in dialogue and action), In spite of the nervous apprehension I am viewing the film with, it will be a great night, largely due to the athmosphere. (The only film that could rival Star Wars for audience interaction, in a cinema was the Lord of The Rings trilogy, especially Fellowship of the Ring, and Return of the King – but even then, no-one dressed up for them).

Anyway, expect a review later this month.

A few other updates about what has been happening follow:

Last week we had a bible study dinner and in honour of our bible studies link missionaries we ate Slovenian cuisine. (Courtesy of this website)

It's also coming up to ten days that my parents have been away. They are heading away to see parts of Itay, the UK, and spend quality time with their daughter (and my sister) And, it does seem strange to say, but the next time I see my parents, we'll be in New Zealand (celebrating my Gran's 90th Birthday with family).

Its been a while since I've mentioned my beloved Swans whose last two starts amounted to two wins. :) (It would help if they kicked straighter - less nailbiting action ;) This week puts them in a peculiar away game at home against the Western Bulldogs, and their former mentor, coach Rodney Eade, so it should be quite an interesting game.

Haoran's post on storytelling reminded me of a few clippings I've cut, talking about storytelling, and Star Wars, I'll try and post some excerpts in the next little while.

I want to add that Karen's post about a writers retreat sounds like a great idea. :)

Last weekend I spent at my new churches House Party. It was great to get away (in spite of initial reluctance), and spend a weekend getting to know my brothers and sisters at my new church better.

Some thoughts on “Mission”

I was prompted via reading Karen’s thoughts on mission and my brother’s follow-up to it to post a little of my own thoughts.

A lot of what they said resonated with me. I recall not so long ago my old church had a group from either Morling or SMBC College at our church in Wollongong doing a Mission. As I do recall there are both positives and negatives to this involvement. I wonder about the post mission impact the church will have. How effective will the mission by if those who build relationships with the regulars leave after one week.

I also am not a huge fan of “big events”, like Harvest Crusades. Which in the worst case without much follow-up produces conversions to an emotional state. To elaborate I remember as a “counsellor” seeing people get up from their seats and stream down to the floor, I remember the atmosphere, as Crystal Lewis, sang this beautiful song, people where in tears, perhaps being convicted of their sin for the first time, convicted of their need for a saviour for the first time. In a strictly human sense, without proper follow-up, and perhaps even with follow-up, what we see is seeds perhaps falling on the thorny ground, and as the emotion of the night goes away, they struggles and trials of life choke the Gospel out.

Don’t mishear me though – I do not think that these are limited to solely occurring at these big events, or that conversion is our work. But I do think we need to be careful, and or organised in how we follow people up. As one of the themes that I keep coming back to, is the importance of relationship in “evangelism”. I remember countless testimonies that include or began with the fact that one of their friends was different. A relationship existed that gave a context to the message, and I think that this is a crucial thing. In how we think about evangelism and mission, we must consider how do we build relationships between the church and the wider community. I think that’s better than having strangers sharing the gospel. I guess that’s another thing that I keep thinking about is that when we speak about overseas work we speak of the importance of raising up nationals to be the teachers and leaders of the future.

I’ve been struck again over the past few weeks, as the Revue is advertised, and a rally about VSU [Something I could definitely post on] was held, about the handing out of leaflets. I really felt imposed upon, and at the same time, in the past I have not felt too bad about handing out the Christian fliers. And to my mind there’s no difference, and should we worry about the litter, or how the fliers get treated once we let go of them?

I’m not sure really what I think about walk up; I think it is not something I feel particularly comfortable at. It is not something that I feel I’m particularly good at. And perhaps I should leave this to those who are gifted at this, and use the gifts I have?

Hmm, I think I’ll leave it here for comments.