Thursday, July 31, 2014

The House That Tom Built

E. and I visited our house in Tesselaarsdal today (pictured). One now sees both what one did think of and could have thought of in the design. What comes as a nice surprise is the size of the attic. Originally this was about 0m / 0' high at the sides and 1.3m / 4' high in the centre -- a storage space. Now it measures about 1m / 3' high at the sides and 2m / 7' high at the centre -- enough for two small rooms. The question remains ... how to get up there? The preferred solution at the moment is a pedal lift.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Science And Humanities

Much of my writing has focused on the divide between science and humanities. I touched on this among other things in a paper for The Philosopher, suggesting how the two might be reconciled. Here is a cartoon that illustrates the problem very well I think, although it has been derided by students of science. Instead of Tyrannousaurus rex, imagine nuclear power, modern transportation, genetically engineered foods, and so on. You may click on it to enlarge. There are jokes in reverse, of which this is perhaps the most popular: Q: "What do you say to a humanities graduate at your door?" A: "How much will it be for the pizza?" OBSERVATION: These are perceptive jokes. It is one of the great dichotomies of our (post) modern world, beginning with the way that our universities are laid out on the ground: science buildings, and humanities buildings.

Doctoring A Doctorate

I had to do with a clergyman last year, a doctor of psychology. But having a few modest qualifications myself in the field, a few things didn't add up. I obtained his qualifications. Nothing checked out -- beginning with the institution which conferred the degree. It was reported as "bogus" and "fake". That need not be fatal of course, but it does arrest one's attention. I approached his denomination: did he have the doctorate? They would not respond. Or rather, they referred me to their legal department. And that, I thought, would be a perfect waste of time.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Rhenosterfontein

Some of the places marked on South African roadmaps hardly exist. This is one of them, called Rhenosterfontein (in the Cape). In fact, it is hardly more than a farmstead, a dairy, and some labourers' cottages. It is about 200km/120mi east of Cape Town. That's my previous vehicle in the photo -- one of its more ambitious excursions. OBSERVATION: Other places you shouldn't depend on as a fuel-stop are Paleisheuwel, Hottentotskloof, Sandberg -- and more. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 200k.

Opening Up

A year ago, I was attacked and injured in my robes. At the time, I removed a blog post about it, and I made little mention of it since. But recently, some things changed. A doctor who had been decidedly strange about it, now made a statement about the "events which took place on 26 May 2013", and the "injuries that he observed on 28 May 2013". Soon after, I received a surprise letter from someone who was "so sorry" about the "physical violence" I had experienced. OBSERVATION: It comes as a relief, to witness things opening up -- although the documentary evidence was there from the start. The situation as it now stands puts paid to those who claimed that it never happened. Last year in August, the police rejected any wrongdoing on my part. I have declined to lay charges, although the option is open.

NOTE: It was through another incident, on 5 June 2013, that I resigned from urban ministry. But that is another story.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Designing A Lift

I have been designing a lift for our small cottage, to take one up to the attic -- as far as I can see, a new concept. Whether it will become a reality remains to be seen. However, news of my daydreams seems to have assumed a life of its own: "He's building a lift!" One conjures up automatic glass doors, a smooth electric powertrain, and so on. In fact, the design needs to be human-powered, and it needs a very small footprint. OBSERVATION: I got my first response to a design from an engineer this morning: OK, we'll make it, but you need to give us the details for each piece.

Worthwhile Consulting

I knew a professional Church consultant and mentor whose position on interventions was this: "If I discern that the Spirit is present in someone's life, then I take them on. No matter how big or how complicated the problem, I know then that the Lord is at work. If I do not discern that the Spirit is present, I don't waste my time."

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Blog Statistics

There are three sets of statistics which inform me how many people read this blog. Amatomu is frequently non-functional (no statistics at present). SiteMeter shows over 70,000 total pageviews. Blogger shows over 190,000 total pageviews. Based on the number of pages which are viewed by each visitor, it is likely that about one-million posts have been surveyed. OBSERVATION: Readership about doubled at the point where my late wife was diagnosed with cancer. It increased perhaps a further 20% at the point where I resigned from urban ministry.

Anonymous Giving

As minister, I seek not to know what members and friends give to the Church. I feel that this helps me to minister to the person without their giving coming into consideration. Sometimes, though, I become aware of a special donation, and wonder what to do. Or, sometimes, people might have expected a response to a donation where I knew nothing. Different Churches have different practice. In some Churches, giving is all but completely anonymous to the minister. In some, the minister knows exactly what every person gives, and may even address them personally about it. OBSERVATION: With this in mind, there is an unfortunate tendency in Churches, similar to what one finds in political conversation, to be 'respecters of persons' as the Bible calls it: a feeling of (cultural) entitlement on the basis of the quantity of one's giving (or perhaps more accurately, one's monetary worth, since those of monetary worth often are not quantity givers in the context of the Church).

Sifting One's Mail

Yesterday I wrote to a security company, to pass on a contact for them to have "cheap PCB's made up". An hour-and-a-half later, by e-mail, I received an offer from a PCB manufacturer in China: "Our price is competitive." A coincidence? Here's something stranger. In November last year, an editor wrote to me that someone had, amazingly, asked if they could "still supply a Mini Lab PCB", twenty years after they had published it. I briefly corresponded with him about the Mini Lab. The same month, by e-mail, I received an offer of "spare parts, accessories" for the Mini Lab from China. That's not a coincidence. OBSERVATION: It would seem clear that people are intelligently sifting one's mail.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Notable Quote

A few quotes have made a special impression on me through my theological studies. Here is one by Cyprian (abridged): "This is a cheerful world as I see it from my fair garden, under the shadow of my vines. ... [However] it is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people ..." Cyprian was right: it was a cheerful world, but he was beheaded. Perhaps he had in mind 1 John 5:19-20: "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one ... and we are in Him who is true." OBSERVATION: In my early ministry, I puzzled over why Scripture seemed to give the world such a "bad rap". It isn't the common view. For the full quote, see: They Have Overcome The World.

Bestselling Kits

A few days ago, I referred briefly to the kits I have designed. Yebo Electronics sells two security kits which were designed by me. I make nothing from these kits -- for the reason that I exchanged all my future royalties to have my copyrights back (which was my idea), several years ago. This would seem to confirm my dreadful business sense, as I note that both of these kits are now in the Bestsellers list (at no. 3 and no.6 respectively), all these years later! The image shows my Force Field Kit.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Scruples

One of my most popular sermons was on "Scruples" -- the subject of Romans 14. I was surprised by its popularity. I said look, Paul doesn’t even bother to provide answers here to the scruples that he lists -- rather, the whole of the chapter focuses on Christians' love for God, and whether they are able to see God at work. OBSERVATION: Here’s an unusual example in my own experience: Some women came to Church with Primus stoves -- and cooked chicken in the sanctuary through the service. I said if you have scruples, you’ll criticise such crazy women. If not, you’ll appreciate their eagerness to hear the Word of God, even though they need to cook. They were cooking for a Church lunch.

New Herd

In November last year, an entire herd of (marauding) pigs in Tesselaarsdal was wiped out by a flood. Only one sow was still to be seen -- perhaps a survivor, perhaps a new purchase. The sow just had little ones -- I counted ten. This means a whole new herd. OBSERVATION: Pigs bring some life and amusement to the village, but they dig up everything.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Kingdom vs. Reign of God

This one's for serious students of theology. Something that one is bound to come across in theological writing today, sooner or later, is a distinction between the kingdom of God on the one hand, and the reign of God on the other. What’s the difference? Putting it too simply, the kingdom of God tends to correlate with premillennialism, while the reign of God tends to correlate with postmillennialism. These views tend to be typical of evangelicalism on the one hand (the old definition), and postliberalism on the other. Another way of putting it, again too simply, is that the kingdom of God tends to be a place that saved souls enter, while the reign of God tends to be a people who are moving towards shalom. The "reign of God" diagram is typical, and is taken from Missional Church, 1998. You may click on it to enlarge.

Action Day

I am enjoying seeing a house go up. Today was an "action day". They dug for the conservancy tank (see the photo). Also, the makings of an attic are now to be seen. I climbed up the ladder in the background and walked on the joists. On Monday the roof should go on. OBSERVATION: Conservancy tank regulations are very stringent in this location, for the reason that our plot lies alongside a river.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The Super-Church

A curious phenomenon I have encountered as a minister is what one might call the Super-Church. Supposing that one has several Churches in an area. One then has members of various Churches networking as if they were a Church within the Churches. Such Super-Churches may have an agenda, explicit or implied, which is then felt through the various Churches. OBSERVATION: This may be suggested by the theological concept of "territorial spirits", popularised by C. Peter Wagner.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Attentive To The Wife

Through most of my ministry, my wife and I generally followed this pattern: On my day off, a Monday, we would go out for breakfast together, and essentially the whole morning was set aside for that outing. Also, every day of the week, we would sit together for afternoon tea/coffee, for which we would buy some special treat. OBSERVATION: From the point of view of a wife, she needs at least this much attention -- it is, I think, written into the fabric of the universe. However, I know of couples in ministry who don't manage as much.

Accessing A Loft

E. and I planned storage space above our little house. In fact that's what got us started with the house, in faith -- the urgent need to secure some possessions. But as time went on, the storage space expanded to a little attic. Now the question is how to get up to the attic if you don't have room for a staircase. Those who have experience say that a ladder is a chore -- so are steps if they are too steep. But a cage ladder, that would be much easier to climb, enabling one to rest one's back against a wall on the way up. OBSERVATION: I have invented a pedal lift, in concept. However, I would need to speak to an engineer.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The Langkloof

Son M. grabbed my Leica from me to take this photo of the Langkloof at sunset -- a 160km/100mi long valley near the southern coast of Africa. It is a fruit-growing region -- and interestingly, the only area in Southern Africa where a mummy has been found. I mean, the deceased kind of mummy. OBSERVATION: Off the camera to the right is the plateau on which my wife grew up. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Hypnotised

Yesterday I met a man who reminded me of a story my father once told. My father had attended a dinner where a hypnotist was present. The hypnotist got up, circling the table, asking the guests one by one: "Are you under hypnosis?" The answer was no, no, no. When one guest said no, the hypnotist said: "Sleep!" The man instantly dropped his head and slept. OBSERVATION: Perhaps the man who slept had previously been influenced by this hypnotist? Yet sometimes I wonder to what extent we all are under hypnosis. I ask this question from my experience in counselling. While there is a problem as to how to define hypnosis, here's an interesting attempt by Prof. Michael Laitman: Life Under Hypnosis.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

My Inventions

My hobby over many years has been electronic design. At least ten of my designs have gone into full production, of which a few are now well known. I think this would be the first time that I have listed them all (comments in brackets):
Baby Doll Swing (a number of variants in production)
Chinese Box (nice product, but lost the magic of the original)
Clap Robot (circuit stability was improved for production)
Firefly Strobe Necklace (one of many production models)
Lightstorm Flashlight (this company patented my copyright!)
Matchless Metal Locator (various design tweaks)
Revolution Microbot (an excellent production model)
TENS unit (100% my original design in production)
Solar Spider (the manufacturer cleverly removed my tether)
Wart Abater (also one of several production models)
OBSERVATION: I had little profit from these products, as I sold the copyrights. Some are certainly based on my original copyrights, while some are thought to be, on the basis of "good guesses". For instance, the photo shows a product (bottom) which is thought to be based on my original copyright (top) -- on the basis of its function, design, and date. (Many more of my designs have been produced as kits).

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Appreciation

Some people show a minister deep appreciation. Apart from appreciation for the ministry per se (1 Thes 5:13), every now and then, through God's grace, a very special bond is created which is never undone. As an example, there was one man in Church who, every month or two, gave me a small gift -- a book, or a chocolate bar -- and he bowed his head low when he handed it to me. A light came on in his life when he received Christ as his Saviour. OBSERVATION: However, a minister cannot afford to live for appreciation.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Literally Off The Map

The village Tesselaarsdal (population 2 000), where E. and I are building a small cottage, is literally off the map. A detailed MapStudio map, which shows even farm roads, shows no Tesselaarsdal. Not even Google Maps shows Tesselaarsdal -- only a Primary School Tesselaarsdal. People ask us how, then, we ever found the village. After being forced off the road one day onto a very long detour, we rescued a couple in a downpour. They asked us to take them to Tesselaarsdal, and showed us the way. OBSERVATION: Tesselaarsdal is about as far from Cape Town as Saldanha or Worcester. The co-ordinates of our new cottage are -34.3721, 19.5256 (as the crow flies, 10km from Stanford).

“Get Rid Of Him”

I shall, for now, pass over the mystery as to how I came by this document (pictured). A consultant wrote it up, in his own handwriting. He shall here remain nameless. He composed the document in preparation for a meeting, which was the first of a series of meetings. It is a document about me. The first point on the document is: "Just get rid of Thomas". OBSERVATION: There are people and events, unfortunately, which darken our lives -- yet the Lord brightens all. I will add this: consultants should be above board. One may click on the image to enlarge.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Judas Syndrome

This one's a re-post from 2009, yet no less true for added experience: "Charles Spurgeon said something to this effect, to his students: 'When you are in the ministry, look at the person who is closest to you, the person you trust the most. This is the person who will betray you.' I once thought that Spurgeon was being unnecessarily cynical. I found out, however, that this may be quite incredibly true. OBSERVATION: But this is not as though I am now a paranoid minister. I think it would be true to say that I minister as though Spurgeon had never spoken -- except that I would now not be surprised."

The Cost Of Building

I visited our rising house today. I am told that, in South Africa, the current price for a first-grade house with a flat(ish) roof is R2 300 per square metre. For this reason, E. and I designed a house with a small footprint -- a mere 37m² plus 12m² balcony. The price increases if one adds, for instance, cavity walls, robust windows, or strong joists (one sees all of these in this photo of our house). OBSERVATION: Having said this, we are creating additional space above, with an attic under a pitched roof. It will be 29m² at its base, and its apex will be a little higher than I am tall.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Blog Gallery

There's a nice gallery of my more popular photos if one searches Google Images for 'Urban Ministry Live and Unplugged'. Surveying the photos at a glance, they would seem to be characterised by portraits, nature, social or religious gatherings, cross-culturalism, and 'iconic' buildings.

Arranged Marriages

One might think that arranged marriages are a thing of the past. In my own culture, they are. However, a recent survey in India revealed that 75% of the population "vouches for arranged marriages", and that the divorce rate in arranged marriages stands at only 4%. In a "viral" article today in the Indian Republic, the following point (among ten) especially caught my eye, as reflecting my own experience with an arranged marriage: "8. Agreed that the meeting in an arranged set-up will not lead to a situation where Cupid strikes at first sight, but after marriage affection develops slowly between the couple. The love that grows over the period with adjustments on both sides, mutual understanding or strong commitment is a beautiful feeling for many. Since the other person is totally new to you, it is a fresh romance that blossoms gradually. It creates a strong foundation over a period of time with the sense of responsibility, since it is an association not only between them but among the families too." The photo shows the signing of the register at my wedding, the bridesmaid and best man at the sides, Rev. Natalie van Rooyen officiating.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Company Gardens Tap

This is arguably Cape Town's most famous tap. It has been gobbled by a tree. That is about all that I can say about it, except that it is very old, and may be found in the city's Company Gardens. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 250k. (For the ultimate gobbling tree, see Vashon Island's Bicycle).

A Strong Redeemer

A young Christian mother started chemotherapy. I e-mailed her: "I think this is a time where you will need to think deeply about spiritual things and Bible teachings, and you will find in fact that God shakes you but also greatly deepens and expands your understanding, and that there is blessing and peace in that when it is complete. Actually [her daughter] will also expand spiritually, and while you may not be a strong Mom you can remind her that you both have a strong God and Saviour." OBSERVATION: I think that that last point is an important one. Parents try to be too strong. We have "a strong Redeemer, the Lord Almighty is His name" (Jer 50:34).

Monday, July 14, 2014

Golden Weaver

I spotted this bird on our plot in Tesselaarsdal last week. It appears to be a male Holub's Golden Weaver. But if it is, we have a mystery. Holub's Golden Weaver has a well-defined range, and this one is about 1000km/600mi from home -- simply too far south. For a similar mystery, see Robber Fly.

Test Essays

I am looking towards writing an expansive, integrative work of philosophy. With this in mind, I am writing "test essays". That is, I am putting my thoughts to the test, piecemeal, in reputable public arenas. At the moment, my thoughts focus on ethics -- which is one of the last areas where I wish to put my thoughts to the test. Particularly, the relationship between facts and values, judgements and emotions. These are areas so tough that many writers have avoided them altogether. Two out of three essays I have written on the subject have failed -- yet one has succeeded, as well as snippets, and I feel that I am not far from turning out further work that will stand.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

'What Does A Minister Do?'

I attended a birthday party -- a lavish party. A wealthy businessman asked me: "What does a minister actually do?" I told him about the services, the Church groups, the administration. Then I got to the visitation and the counselling. When he heard about this -- about the sick and dying, and people in crisis and depressed, he said: "That sounds very discouraging to me. I don’t think I could do that." I said: "It’s not a discouragement to me -- and there’s only one reason for that. I see God at work. I see what the Holy Spirit does through suffering. I see the power of God in seemingly impossible situations. I see the life and growth of a whole congregation, which is the work of God."

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Another Niece

Having posted a photo of a niece on my blog two days ago, here is another niece: Natalie (Luli for short) aka Ntombozuko (Zuko for short). She is a quiet, clever child, and she lives in Thembalethu, which adjoins George. OBSERVATION: In Xhosa culture, one may have up to four first names -- I mean, names by which one is actually named. Two first names would be more typical for a child. You may click on the photo to enlarge.

Interpreting Nehemiah

Five years ago, I gave my Assistant Minister an assignment: To trace the activity of God in Nehemiah chapters 1-2. In the Christian leadership literature, Nehemiah is held up as a primary example, with the focus frequently being on “how great he was” (in the words of Ted Engstrom). Not seldom, this is to the exclusion of the role of God in the story. I thought that my Assistant's observations were astute: “While it is clear that he is a man of rank and capability, he is always pointing to God. Nehemiah could have taken the position that he would be able to pull things together through his own influence and character, but he is very deliberate about making it about what God is doing, and giving credit to God.”

Archival Photo

I happened this week upon an early photo of the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches of South Africa or EFCC (above). Those pictured (not all of them members) are Rev. Tyler, Rev. Smith, Rev. Mitchell, Rev. Dr. Bergins, Rev. Derbyshire, Rev. Dr. Scarborough, Rev. Dr. Schoonraad, Rev. Ruthford, and Mr. Adams (Rev. Woolard is off the photo). The Fellowship was founded on the 8th of June 1980. By the time of this photo, on the 13th of September 1980, the movement had gathered much momentum. OBSERVATION: I myself was a member from 1983-1998. The movement remained fairly small, yet had a significant influence on the Church in Southern Africa. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 500k.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Future Career

One wonders how early children are set on their future career. Son M. wore this jersey when he was a toddler. It has a tail on the back. Now, during the last three years, he has studied elephant bones in museums in London, Paris, Rome, Catania, Basel, Nairobi, Cape Town, and (next stop) Halle, doing research for a doctorate in palaeo-biology.

Rural Service

I took this nine-second video of a rural Church in the Orange Free State. It is an "outstation" served by Pastor Simon Lekgetho of Botshabelo, who has oversight over several such Churches. A few things are typical here: the wooden benches, the women's uniforms, Bibles used as drums -- and notice how staid we Westerners are. The language is Sotho. OBSERVATION: Interestingly, for cultural reasons Pastor Simon rises at 3:00 am each day for his "quiet" work -- before communal life kicks in. This is a Reformed Church.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Clergymen And Noblemen

My sister today handed me this advertisement from the Illustrated London News for the week ending Saturday, July 6, 1844 (170 years ago). You may click on the image to enlarge. This was before a time where "mind complaints or nervousness" were subdued by medication. What is particularly interesting is that clergymen and noblemen top this list, even as far back as 1844. Heading the list of symptoms is "groundless fear", which today no doubt would be anxietyOBSERVATION: I ran these symptoms through a modern Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). The presence of just one-third of these symptoms would suggest clinical depression. However, the list mostly omits physical symptoms, which are included in today's HDRS. (I myself have taken the test many times. The results? Perhaps in a future post).

Little Sister

My "little sister" paid her first visit to our plot today, together with my brother-in-law and two of their progeny. That's a niece in the foreground, about to cross our (seasonal) river. One sees building operations in the background. The battery on the ground powers the water pump which is raising the house. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 300k.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Visitation

Here's a photo that I took on visitation two months ago, near Thaba Patshoa. As will be seen, this family lives in very modest circumstances. However, what strikes me is the perfect tidiness of their little home. The young mother, inside, was cooking food on a paraffin stove. A little boy fled from my camera.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Hope For Others

My late wife Mirjam was an executive editor (subject: religious freedom). One of her final concerns as editor, which she was unable to see through, was that religious rights and freedoms are not enough, and the focus on such rights and freedoms is inordinate – in view of the people who actually suffer under persecution, and their pastoral needs. OBSERVATION: The problem seems to me to be typical of Kantian or Rawlsian ethics, which focus more on the imperative than the present reality. Rawls stated in his final work: "There is hope for those at another time and place."

Monday, July 7, 2014

Hapless Neighbour

Failing anything else to post tonight, this is my hapless neighbour Wilkie following the floods in Tesselaarsdal last year -- standing on his plot, Erf 201. OBSERVATION: He has made application to be compensated for his land. He can't develop it, for fear that this might happen again. He is one of the most faithful commentators on the building of my cottage.

Super Gloom

I have noted that some of my posts enter Super Status on the modest scale of this blog. That is, some posts generate an enormous amount of interest. One wouldn't think that a post with "Gloom" in the title would reach Super Status, but one did this week. Workplace Gloom would seem to have touched a nerve. One would think it is one of the most important things in the world to make a workplace congenial.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Wood-Fired Stove

Popularly called a Dover Stove, I bought a wood-fired stove (not a Dover) for the cottage we are building -- with legs and canopy as shown. This is called a Desert Fire. Our builder assumed that this was Made in India: the finish of a real Dover Stove is superb, while this is rougher. In fact this stove is manufactured in South Africa, by Ndebele Stoves. Without the canopy, it weighs in at 102kg / 225lb. OBSERVATION: The same company makes a cute kamerstoof (room stove) with a single hot-plate. For us, such a stove as the Desert Fire is not just quaint, but a practical and economical solution. Besides, wife E. is a pro when it comes to using one.

Missing Ministry

For the past year, I have not been fully engaged in ministry, but partly. Here's what I miss the most. In ministry (a word which means service), you are there for others. In fact you are there for others to the extent of putting yourself, continually, emotionally and physically at risk -- something which is well supported by statistics -- 'for nothing'. And it becomes a way of life, an attitude. In fact all walks of life should be like this, but they are not. OBSERVATION: Such ministry was hard for me at first, in the early years. Some vocations require a 'breaking in'.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Weather Report

I was with my father-in-law up on the plateau, when the radio forecast showers for George, about 200km/120mi distant. I said: "What's the weather going to do here?" He said: "Rain." I said: "Who told you?" He said: "The ants told me." I said: "Who told the ants?" He laughed and said: "The Lord knows." He said the behaviour of the ants on ants' nests predicted rain. He was right.

Rainbow Index

On a hunch, I checked out the state of racial goodwill in South Africa today:  that is, a hunch that it is in trouble. The news is not good. The latest Rainbow Index of the Institute of Race Relations puts racial goodwill at only 48% -- and slipping. The graph on the right shows the Race Relations indicator issued regularly by the Presidency -- sinking like a stone. OBSERVATION: This makes me very sad. I feel it everywhere I go.

Motoring Advice

Yesterday I had brakes and bearings replaced on my VW Citi Golf, which has done about 160,000km / 100,000mi. I asked the chief mechanic whether to keep patching the car / automobile, or to buy another one. His advice: "If the engine is fine, which it is, keep patching. As soon as the engine gives trouble, sell it." OBSERVATION: It seems, not only did they fix what was broken, they unfixed what was sound. I needed to take the car in again today. I said: "Are you sure it's fixed?" The mechanic said: "Yes." I said: "What was the matter?" He said: "I can't tell you, Sir." I thought so.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Who's The Sinner?

There is a curious feature of the Psalms. Perhaps an example would serve best. What does one make of David here, for instance: "Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed ... Pardon my iniquity for it is great" (Psalm 25). The two themes sometimes follow close on one another: The Lord will defeat sinners ... I am a sinner. OBSERVATION: What could David mean? I would think it is the difference between the sin of the redeemed and the sin of the unredeemed, what this means "in the heavenlies", and the God-given spirit that distinguishes the two.

That's Not A Raisin

On the left, one sees what one typically calls a raisin in this country. This particular one comes from Piketberg, about 130km/80mi north of Cape Town. On the right, one sees what they call a raisin in Vredendal, about 300km/190mi north of Cape Town. The Vredendal raisin is very sweet, with a hint of dust from the earth. OBSERVATION: To their credit, neither the raisins from Piketberg nor the raisins from Vredendal have sand in them, as many South African raisins do.

Francis Schaeffer Sketch

Both my sister and I (separately) crossed paths with the renowned Francis Schaeffer. She sketched him the year before he died, in 1983. It is probably the only sketch "out there" that captures him in a typical pose. She comments on this sketch: "He always wore those knee breeches and sat on the warm oven like that." Reproduced here with grateful acknowledgement to (then) Ann Scarborough, now Ann Moore. You may click on the image to enlarge to 500k.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Steel Eye

I am here revealing my very own, revolutionary contribution to security in this country. It is a massive steel eye -- of which we have inserted six in our new cottage, close to the foundations. Their shafts each pass through two courses of bricks. OBSERVATION: Their purpose? To secure items to the house. For instance, we have a cast iron bench. It might be nice to have this bench outside. Yet how long would it remain there, if unsecured ... ?

Philosophy Of Gestures

I did a piece on the philosophy of gestures recently. The first paper that I wrote on the subject was rejected as being too formal: written for "a student listening to a tutor" (titled The Foundations Of Ethics). So I removed much of the material and I turned it into, call it a cafeteria (Kaffeeklatsch) piece. This would seem to have propelled it into another league. It is open for scrutiny and comment at the moment: On The Philosophy Of Gestures.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Apple Mac

As a parting shot today, this is me admiring my son's new Apple Mac. Alas, the experience didn't last long. He wanted it back. Being afforded so little time to play with it, what did strike me was its silence, and its strong Internet connection. Otherwise it's, well, UNIX-based, as is my own computer.

Moral Dilemmas

Two Youth leaders told me a story (an old one). A student, in desperation, prays to the Lord for financial intervention. She stands at a bus stop behind a professor. As the professor boards the bus, his wallet drops onto the pavement / sidewalk. She picks it up. Is this an answer to prayer? or a temptation from Satan? I said: "Are you saying that you can't work this one out?" The Youth leaders said: "That's right." I said: "It seems obvious to me. You do what is right. You give the professor his wallet back. Then you trust God to do something amazing." OBSERVATION: It is surprising, though, how often similar situations come up. For instance: "Lord, help me to get this refugee visa." Then an official steps up and asks for a bribe. Or one prays for a roof over one's head. Then someone produces a form: "We've got a room for you. You just need to back-date this."

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Gauguin And Me

In the mission, where I was as a boy, the mad and the disabled were not removed or separated from society.  Nor were the dying.  As a young boy, I asked many questions about this.  It is something that is reflected in Paul Gauguin's paintings of Tahiti: when one looks closely, the grotesque appears amidst the beauty. A church photo (here) on the surface of it reveals a healthy, happy congregation.  I am seated next to my father on the ground, in the left bottom corner.  Next to my father is a local pastor, Koae.  At Koae's shoulder crouches a man who is seriously deformed.  In the land of my birth, the noble England, such people would by and large have been removed. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 80k.