I am a bit of a Thomas. When Thomas was told that Jesus had risen, he refused to believe it unless he could see Jesus with his own eyes, and touch the terrible scars (John 20:24-29). I, too, refuse to accept the Jesus presented to me by the Western church, until I can be certain,... Continue Reading →
When I consider the Heavens
I am immensely fortunate to have the colleagues that I do. They are more than colleagues – they are friends. It is why, even though it is difficult to be away from home as much as my job sometimes demands, I enjoy my work-related travels. This week we were in the Cape, the first stop... Continue Reading →
To Nathan On His Fourth Birthday
In October I attended the funeral of somebody for whom I have a great deal of respect and fondness. She was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident, and everyone expected the memorial service to be a particularly emotional and sombre affair. Indeed, when her daughters spoke, it was particularly moving. But not because her loss... Continue Reading →
The Abyss Stares Back
It is easy to feel despondent these days when one sees what is happening in world politics. It seems that the Western world is becoming progressively more right wing. With populism on the rise, and extremism dominating our discourse, reconciliation and peaceful multiculturalism seem like a pipe dream. That saddens me deeply. I have laboured... Continue Reading →
Don’t Save The Last Dance For Me
I dislike dancing, which is sad, really, because I am a sociable person, and it is a prerequisite skill in many social contexts. I am quite possibly the worst dancer in the world. If somebody decided to make a reality show entitled So You Think You Can’t Dance, I would win it by a country... Continue Reading →
Saying Goodbye to Gran
I am not convinced that God interferes in the affairs of men nearly as much as we think He does, but if I were a little less cynical I could be persuaded that God had His hand in the opportunity I had to visit my grandmother yesterday. I had travelled 1200km from Johannesburg to run... Continue Reading →
Life Begins at 40
My friend, Estelle, summed it up best when she found out it was my 41st birthday yesterday: “Is it your birthday today? I am not sure whether to offer congratulations or condolences!” Whoever said that life begins at 40 was quite obviously mistaken. I have given it a year now – I am not the... Continue Reading →
It’s Always Ourselves We Find In The Sea
maggie and milly and molly and may went down to the beach (to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and milly befriended a stranded star whose rays five languid fingers were; and molly was chased by a horrible thing which raced... Continue Reading →
A Poem About Being Haunted
Being haunted is, relatively speaking, easy. When you are old enough – and sometimes, more tragically, before you should be – you have interacted sufficiently with the darker side of human nature to have been hurt profoundly. People hurt other people. It is one of the inescapable legacies we leave. No matter how much we... Continue Reading →
No, All Religions Don’t Basically Teach The Same Thing
I hear it often. Whenever conversation turns to religion, as it occasionally does, somebody invariably makes the following statement: “After all, all religions basically teach the same thing.” It is normally stated in such a way that this should be completely self-evident. Except it isn’t. Entirely by the way, isn’t it bizarre that social... Continue Reading →
Vapors In The Wind 