pain and Hope

The Character Equation: Saying and being sorry

"It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man." [Jack Handey] Ah, i love me some Jack Handey, but as i continue to look at some different aspects that define the character of a person, i'm not quite sure that would be the best approach. However, when we hear the word "Sorry!" coming out of our mouth, we should always be asking ourselves one key question: [...]

Taboo Topics: Race – Meet The Panel

I am very excited to introduce this Panel of Race Experts... and by 'Race Experts' i mean friends of mine who happen to be from a variety of different race group backgrounds and are not claiming to be experts or to speak on behalf of their particular race in any way, shape or form. I have invited them to be on this panel because they are people who i respect and who are passionate about [...]

some thoughts on Truth in terms of coffee and life and race-related things [meet Susan Hayden]

This is a reblogged post courtesy of Susan Hayden who posts some worthwhile musings over at Disco Pants & A Mountain - you should check her out... but this felt really relevant to some of our recent race conversations and so i asked her if i could add it here...   When you’re told a coffee shop is the best coffee shop in the world and that coffee shop is not in New York or [...]

Be the Significance

a short while ago i stumbled on to this link about these 2 college students who snuck into an empty classroom and then did some incredibly creative stuff. i can only imagine the effect it would have had on the students. the anticipation that it would have built up in the whole school of which class is going to be next, what saying is going to appear, how is it going to look and all [...]

Taboo Topics: Race – Identity: What makes me me? Meet Caley Daniels

What a shock some of you reading this will get when you discover that my dad, yes, my biological father, is coloured. “But you look so white!” many have noted. Well done. It is true – I am a mixed baby, although I got the paler skin of our mother while my brother has many a time been compared to a Mexican. We’ve heard some interesting guesses of our ethnicity over the years: Portuguese, Brazilian, [...]

Taboo Topics: Race – Identity and What makes me me?

Here are simply a collection of stories from people who have lived in countries or areas of diversity and have a race theme to a part of their story which they have so graciously decided to share with us: Meet Deborah Dowlath [Trinidad and Tobago] Meet Kevin Lloyd James Lok [South Africa] Meet Caley Daniels [South Africa] Meet Susan Hayden [reblog of 'Disco Pants & a Mountain' post]

Taboo Topics: Race – What makes a person? – Meet Kevin Lloyd James Lok

  What makes a person? What makes me, me? For me I’ve struggled with identity for my entire Life – one of the biggest struggles I’ve had over my identity is the one over ‘race’ (now many would consider it strange for a white guy to struggle with identity over race and don’t get me wrong – I’ve never thought I am not white) the reasons being that I was brought up (My mom assisted [...]

Mark, my words: I'm telling you I don't even know the man! Ooh, a rooster?

Wow. Boom. Things just got real people. Having just witnessed Simon Peter's 'Life or Death' declaration of absolute faithfulness to Jesus at the Last Supper, we now have this follow up story where Peter is denying Jesus left, right and centre... until suddenly, the piercing sound of a rooster is heard... Join me as i work through Mark 14.66-72:     [For the next passage which sees Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate, click [...]

Taboo Topics: Race – White Guilt – Meet Noloyiso Lange

I woke up on election day, my thumbs ready to be inked and itching to say something to challenge people to get up and vote seeing as a friend of mine  had just expressed disinterest in politics and thus voting itself. As I lay in bed contemplating if it would be better to sleep the morning away and vote later, my brother sent me a message; a speech  allegedly delivered by PW Botha in 1985. [...]

Taboo Topics: Losing a mom/Fostering a child – Meet Cambria Hooven and Clarissa

My First Motherless Mother's Day Being a Mother I want to be angry. I usually reserve this day [Mother's Day] as my right to be secretly bitter and jealous. You all go on and on about how great your mother is all day long while historically I would hide in my room with the covers over my head, counting down the hours until it was safe to emerge. I am allowed to do this once [...]

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