I confess to being a bit of a cultural snob. I can be quite disdainful about the mindless drivel that is being fed to the all-too-willing masses over the radio and on television. It is completely beyond me that thinly-veiled sexual innuendo and exhortations to live recklessly are considered good art. Although I do find... Continue Reading →
What Are You Looking For The Devil For?
When I was younger, many in the church were fearful of a process called backmasking. There was much concern that certain (usually metal) bands were leaving subliminal Satanic messages on their albums, which you could hear if you played songs backwards. One of my favourite gospel bands at the time, Petra, decided to do some... Continue Reading →
Why Christians Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Art
I believe that those who refuse to read certain books, or listen to certain types of music, on the basis that they are not “Christian”, are on dangerous theological ground. Such refusal reflects – in my opinion - a fundamental misunderstanding of the Biblical concepts of law and grace. It also neglects to take into... Continue Reading →
In Memory of Sir Terry Pratchett
It was with great sadness that I learned yesterday of sir Terry Pratchett’s passing away. To quote a friend and colleague of mine, it “felt like losing a close friend”. He was certainly one of the great minds of our time, and was a writer who made me think very deeply about my world and... Continue Reading →
The Best Way to Find Yourself is in service
Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, once made the claim that “joy can only be real if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness”. Much of the current research into human resources management would bear this out... Continue Reading →
Dancing on the Ceiling of Life
The problem with caring is that eventually you get hurt. Pain and passion are, for all intents and purposes, synonymous. When you give your heart away, it will get handed back to you in pieces. It is as inevitable as the tug of the moon on the tides. Life is not to be found in... Continue Reading →
When Necessary Use Words
When I was 15 or 16, and sitting in church, my Sunday School teacher (I do not remember which one) – during a pause in the sermon, whispered to me: “One day that could be you up there.” Perhaps it was a spontaneous whim that compelled his words; I doubt he remembers saying them to... Continue Reading →
Making Our Children More Human
Our country is facing a real crisis of leadership. It seems that nowadays leaders refuse to take responsibility for their actions; there is little remorse shown when they are caught engaging in morally dubious behaviour, and instead find ways to justify themselves and blame others. And it is not just a political predicament either. Our... Continue Reading →
Revealing Beauty
Most of us, at some point in our lives, will be guilty of judging a political, cultural or social group by its hypocrites – those whose actions and lifestyles contradict the values they purport to endorse. As unfair as it is to do so, it is perfectly understandable. Hypocrisy is deplorable, and was one of... Continue Reading →
Grace Under Pressure
The first time I read Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I was hooked. His insights were a revelation to me, a young man too much at the mercy of his own wild emotions. One of the most profound gifts the book gave me as I began to give his ideas more than... Continue Reading →
Vapors In The Wind 