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.