this is something that my friend Deborah Dowlath reminded me in her simple blog post, A Drop in the Ocean which included this line: I wish that followers of Christ would be as vocal about the injustices that occur on a daily basis as they are about the progress of their favourite team. and this passage: Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then [...]
A community of friends who pool their money to meet the needs of people they know. That is what Common Change is all about. And that is the non-profit that my wife, tbV, and i work with and have been for the last year and a half. Almost every time we explain the concept to people and they get it, it excites them and they want to know more. But many people in that boat [...]
i am busy reading this poetry book which was a gift to me by a friend i have only met online and know through friends of friends but his gift of words and wielding them to weave and create and display and be creative is at the same time obvious and captivating here is a second one that really resonated with me [maybe cos i am all that kinds of crazy myself]: [from the book, [...]
"I'm not sure what God's will is for my life!" i hear this a lot, or some other version of it. And i have spoken about/written on this before, but feels like a good time to bring it up. YES, YOU NAILED IT, GOD WANTED THAT BABY TO GET SICK AND DIE possibly the worst scenario this plays out in is when someone gets an incurably disease or a person dies and somebody who is chatting [...]
If i was sharing every chapter and excerpt i enjoyed from ‘Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion’ by Father Gregory Boyle, which i have been reading and really being deeply moved by, then the whole book would pretty much be in here. But i am wanting you to get hold of the book and so am only sharing a story or a passage from every couple of chapters in the book. There is some [...]
What does the term 'Rape Culture' mean? The phrase is off-putting and in some ways misleading [to someone who doesn't understand what it means at any rate]. Tell a guy he is a part of the existing rape culture and he is most likely to react strongly against that: "How dare you suggest I'm a rapist? Or put me in the same grouping as rapists as if I could be one of them." Well, sometimes [...]
Sometimes two sides of a vociferous argument can both be right. A silly [but true] example could be someone from Americaland arguing that mayonnaise is horrible [i have lived here for three years and am still to find one i find overly edible] Whereas, having tasted South African mayo, and especially the no name brand big jar version, i might argue that mayonnaise is incredible. We would both be telling the truth in terms of [...]
i go outside and sit on the top step in front of my apartment and look around... taking in the sights listening to the noise a family preparing for a celebration across the street the sound of a car backfiring, further down the road a laugh, an ambulance siren, a child's excited scream, the sound of two cats fighting, the music starting up and all seems normal this all feels right and good i pause [...]
A short while ago i introduced this panel to you made up of friends of mine from South Africa who are from a variety of different race groups/backgrounds and then invited you to ask any race-related questions you might have. The opinions of the members of the panel are in no way expected to represent the thoughts, feelings and ideas of a whole race group or culture, nor are they anticipated to be complete expositions [...]
[a guest post by my friend Lindsay Brown] Dear 70’s/80’s child, Enough! I get it; you were beaten, neglected, starved and lived without (TV, computers, electronics; etc.) as a child. Strangely enough you want to remind us daily on how well you turned out despite your horrific childhood - With phrases like “I was beaten and therefore I have respect” and “I was sent outside to go make my own fun”. I’m an 80’s child [...]