Invited Article

I have an article scheduled for publication in the morning, on African Philosophy. It is an invited article -- it wasn't on my own writing schedule. I don't yet have the link, but it will have top billing for a week at Philosophical Investigations. African philosophy is something people find hard to understand. With this in mind, the purpose is simple: to describe what African Philosophy is, in a way that (hopefully) will be understood by most. Bearing in mind of course that Africa is a big place, so that one can only speak very generally about "African Philosophy".
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NOTE: The link now: African Philosophy. Four days after publication, the article has entered Philosophical Investigations' Top of the Pops.

Congregational Balance

The Congregational Church has had a long tradition of drawing on both the spiritually young and the spiritually mature to minister in the Church: one thinks of prayer, sharing a verse, or giving a testimony, among other things. Some would say, but one should only use the spiritually mature. However, the young and the mature contribute different things to the Church, all of which are equally valuable. The young may bring enthusiasm for instance, while the mature may bring experience. But always, say Congregationalists, there needs to be this kind of "broadness", on a weekly basis in fact. OBSERVATION: One can make mistakes in who one calls upon to minister, no matter whether young or mature -- but in my experience, usually not. It is a risk which bears fruit, all in all.

Petty Scam

I was caught this month in what appeared to be a petty scam. This is how. At a chemist's, I fetched medications at a dispensary, picked up a few more items in the store, and presented them at the till. I paid cash. The cashier scanned the items (so it seemed) and put a receipt in the bag (so it seemed). But afterwards, the dispensary's figures didn't match the cashier's. On the surface of it, I hadn't paid for the medications. The chemist said (showing me a pile of papers): "Don't feel bad about it, the same has happened to a pile of customers." OBSERVATION: This seems to be a classic example of endangering others for one's own selfish gain. My saving grace (and that of all the rest) was that it happened to all of us.

Google's Birthday Wishes

Google wished me happy birthday today. I joked to wife E. that soon they would be asking me whether I enjoyed my walk today. She said they would congratulate me on a good day's writing. OBSERVATION: It's not that far-fetched. Facebook, for instance, states: "We may associate the information we collect from your different devices ... activities on and off Facebook, people you are connected to, how you interact, geographic locations [which means you, among other things tracked by satellite], payment information, your file names ..." and so on. See their Data Policy for the full details.

Old Secretary

It is my birthday today -- and who among others should have remembered me but my old Church secretary in Port Elizabeth -- more than twenty years later. She stands second from the right in this photo. She has been one of the good things in my life. Her election was by no means a foregone conclusion back then -- we doubted that she was up it, and so did she. But it was a divine appointment. Once she was in office, she was a gem from start to finish -- for the remaining years of my ministry, and into the next. OBSERVATION: I am here turning the sod for the building of a new Church. This photo was taken (I think) in 1986.

Berg River Sunrises

In the past, I have spent many of my days off on the Berg River, about 160km / 100mi north of Cape Town. Here are some photos I took of sunrises overlooking the Berg River wetlands. The variation is stunning.  This is almost the same scene, taken over a period of about a week.

Advice For Aliens

This one is about human aliens. I have spoken to hundreds of aliens in our country over many years, in what for many must have been the ultimate challenge. Here is my personal advice for those who find themselves newly in this situation: • Trust God. • Commit absolutely to a Church family. • Get your papers in order and keep them safe. • Obtain introductions for yourself and use them. • Keep one set of neat clean clothes for appointments. • Set a priority on obtaining a cell-phone so that people can contact you. • Find a training course for specific employment, then a sponsor (even if you are already trained). • Endure hardship and injustice at work, don’t duck and dive. • Avoid degrading behaviour, you have a life ahead of you. • Don’t underestimate the ruthlessness and heartlessness of criminals. • Learn the language (bilingualism is a great advantage anyway). And • Divide the burdens if you can, with close friends or relatives. OBSERVATION: If anyone can add to this list, I’d welcome further input. It may help anyone who looks in here.

Church Safety Net

A major goal of my charitable work in ministry has been to prevent what I have called "people falling through the safety net". In my experience, individuals may reach the point where they are unable to rebound. For example, once you lose your identity documents or your cell-phone or your clothes -- and so on -- you may be past the point of recovery. I am pleased to say that, together with the generosity of the whole Church, we have enabled many people not to fall through the net. As recently as last week someone contacted me who, years later, is still thankful that we caught him and his family at that point.

Half A Million

My personal profile, Google informs me, recently passed half a million views. The only trouble with that is that ... my profile is still empty. If only I had placed an ad next to my name of, say, Cuban cigars. I do however have other profiles out there, which will have had a few views of their own. As will be seen by Google statistics here on the right, this blog is due to pass a quarter million page-views. In fact far more than that, but that is the count that Google has captured. OBSERVATION: As best I know, the "popularity" (insofar as it may be so described) rests on electronic design, ministry experience, and more recently academic work.

Augmenting A Metaphysic

It seems a long time ago. In March, the Philosophical Society of England published a metaphysic, by myself, in twenty parts. This covered all the bases that mattered to me, but not all the bases that matter to metaphysics. With this in mind, I slowly settled on a further ten parts. I am aiming to have each of these parts published in their own right, which would give me some indication that they are ready for incorporation into the metaphysic. Today I finished a short piece, in draft, that goes to the heart of metaphysics: The Rebirth of Metaphysics. It is the fourth part out of the ten.

Children's Bible

Esther is the "godless" book of the Bible: it doesn't mention His name. But recently I read the story in the Tyndale Children's Bible -- which is more of a translation than a children's Bible story book. If, in the adult version, one didn't see God for the complexities, one cannot but see God in this children's translation -- although true to the original, it doesn't mention His name either. I highly recommend this Bible. I read it myself sometimes to gain a fresh view of a text. Tyndale Publishers underplay its uniqueness in their advertising.

Last Wishes

Not seldom, people leave their last wishes with a minister. I think it is advisable to have those wishes in one's will, though -- one reason being that a family may easily overrule a minister's notes (for instance, call another minister). This having been said, here are some unusual last wishes that a woman dictated to me:
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. . • If anyone tries to harvest my organs, I'll sit up and slap them.
. . • I have ten years of diaries. Hold them back.
. . • I'm not ready to meet God.
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What did she mean: "Hold them back?" Somebody got to the diaries anyway before I did. The third point I noted as if it was one of her last wishes. I thought that she was still dictating to me.

Awaiting The Coffin

A wider impression, this is, of the funeral I attended over the weekend. The hearse has arrived top left, and mourners await the delivery of the coffin to a home, for the viewing of the body. The little Church background right is the Congregational Church Middelplaas (UCCSA), which lies at the eastern edge of the Western Cape. OBSERVATION: Notice the many children here -- unlike funerals in my own culture. I may post about this soon. One may click on the photo to enlarge to a large 700k.

Tragic Death

Wife E. and I yesterday attended the funeral of an in-law. The clinic in the village of De Rust had been negligent in ordering her medication. She was furious, and said that she would travel to Oudtshoorn -- the nearest big centre -- to fetch it herself. But too late. Without the medication, she died in the night, at 50. I took this photo of her grief-stricken husband. OBSERVATION: Assuming her death to be what it seems, is the clinic responsible for failing to control its stock, or is it responsible for a woman's death? You may click on the photo to enlarge.

Clarifying Congregationalism

There are many ways which are suggested for establishing whether a Congregational Church is Congregational (Congregationalism is one of three major forms of Church government). Here's a question which does a good job of clarifying it I think: "Is the diaconate driving the Church, or is the Church driving the diaconate?" What do you feel spontaneously? If it isn't obviously: "The Church is driving the diaconate," then the Church may not (in practice) be Congregational. OBSERVATION: A "diaconate" is a Congregational leadership, which includes deacons and (sometimes) elders. Traditionally, both.

Meiringspoort

It is hard to imagine the reality of the grandeur of Meiringspoort (pictured). It seems that it cannot be captured on camera. Wife E. and I needed to pass through there on Friday. This is two wide-angle shots combined. OBSERVATION: Meiringspoort was flooded two months ago. In a little known drama, nearly thirty people were rescued from the gorge. This included twenty people on a Greyhound bus. Curiously, nine children on board would be rescued, but the adults (at first) didn't want to get off. That's E. in the photo. You may click on the image to enlarge to 120k.

Country Burial

Not knowing whether I shall be within range of mobile Internet at this time, I am scheduling this post. All being well, this is where wife E. and I will be at this moment, a stone's throw away from where this picture was taken. We are attending a country burial. I took the photo four years ago, with a wide angle lens and forced flash. Donkey-wagons are typical in South Africa -- sometimes one sees them even in city streets. You may click on the photo to enlarge.

Wifely Ruse

Now here's a ruse that I can tip other husbands off to. I was being absent minded, and wife E. wanted to establish whether I was really listening to her -- so she told me gently that she was going to call me, then she called me. I jumped with surprise, and she had her answer. That's her on the phone. I imagine a suitable caption might be: "They dropped the Bomb on Chicago?"

Iffy Mail

My computer informed me last week that (maybe) "someone is tampering with your connection" -- which is, my mail. I contacted my Internet service provider MWEB, whose Technical Support Team (Ashley Anthony) returned the answer: "Our engineers are aware of the problem ... and are investigating." OBSERVATION: At the same time, they provided me with access to a mirror -- which is the same service on another server. My computer reports that the other server is secure. But that doesn't seem to be much use if the real thing (maybe) isn't.

Slice Of Ministry

This one's just a slice of ministry, a description of two days of ministry in 2012, which I found on file: "I set out my priorities before my winter leave, got in touch with about fifteen members over a variety of things (several calls were pastoral), wrote a 3 000-word sermon, organised several items for our forthcoming Sunday service, typeset an evangelistic booklet, wrote our next Church newsletter in outline, outlined our next leadership agenda, had photos developed for our Church notice-board, checked in at the Church office, met with two members of staff, discussed issues with a number of ministers, put together property valuations, checked minutes, did some visitation, did much forward planning, and (if this is ministry) spent time in personal devotions. Among other things." OBSERVATION: Often people find it hard to envisage what ministry is really about.

Strangers In The Mist

This is a giant new sculpture on our western sea front in Cape Town. I took the photo through the mist, yesterday morning. There has been a lot of interest -- and controversy -- surrounding new sculptures on this part of our coast. One of the artists (of a nearby artwork) was said to be fearing for his life.

Popularising Death

A number of my articles have entered the Top of the Pops (the top three) of the new incarnation of Philosophical Investigations. Today, an article on Death entered the top three for the first time -- but only due to a strange quirk of the new publication. Articles which are still under development can be seen only by editors and authors or through private links, but they are invisible to the public. Even so, they can enter the Top of the Pops, if they are read. So here is the "private" link again: Death, Philosophically.

Not Competent

One of my favourite Christian authors of the past -- and I still reach for his books from time to time -- is Dr. Leslie B. Flynn. One of the quotes I jotted down as memorable is still a core belief I hold: "Often what we think a failure in our Christian service turns out to be used of God ... Let us realize the reality of our weakness, and rest in Him who delights to show His power through our infirmity." OBSERVATION: It is a crucial principle, both for ministers and for congregations. "It is not that we are competent," wrote Paul (2 Cor 3:5). Yet both ministers and congregations so often assume that we are indeed competent, or need to be. That is completely upside-down.

No Number

It's been the strangest day and a half. I have received, since yesterday, an endless stream of calls from [no number] and from various numbers besides. It was mad. In every case where I picked up the phone (many times, though not all), it was the same: the caller killed the call (see top right). I checked several numbers with our friendly telecommunications giant Telkom, but only one of them was listed. One wonders who would be doing the same strange thing across several telephones while hiding their identity, not to speak of the reason why.
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NOTE: The madness continues the next day. Sorry folks, please e-mail me at scarboro@iafrica.com. My phone needs a nap. Here are two possible answers I have to the mystery: calls may be dropped because an agent wasn't ready to speak, like a secretary whose boss wasn't ready, or it may be calls purely to determine if the answerer is there.

No Worries

People have often asked me in ministry: "Does it worry you who wasn't in Church today?” or “Does it worry you whether you were on form?” or “Does it worry you that we had a bad month (financially)?” Well, no. It didn't and it doesn't -- not more than fleetingly. The reason for this is a doctrine which Churches almost completely lost around a hundred years ago, namely that ministry is a means of grace -- a means through which God’s sovereign grace operates. Basically, it is the Calvinistic teaching on the means of grace, only broader. OBSERVATION: I once interviewed a new deacon in Church. I asked him what his first impressions of his fellow deacons were. He said: “I was worried that they weren’t worried!”

Moral Torpor

There has been a great shift, I think, in our present generation, towards a moral torpor. One finds it in society, one finds it in the Churches, and one finds it in ministry. Society speaks for itself -- but as for the Churches, the last generation which passed through and is now gone, was I think the last of an old principled and upright generation. The same goes for ministers. In my early ministry, one did find scoundrels in ministry, but that was different to the moral torpor one finds in ministry today. Perhaps, though, ministry is half a generation behind the rest. This is all speaking very generally of course.

Cranky Camel

This is a famous citizen of our Cape Peninsula -- and surely the crankiest camel in a thousand miles. Elsewhere on this blog, there is a video clip of wife E. mounting this camel, for which she received a Special Commendation for Bravery (Nulli Secundus).

A New Economics

Over several weeks, I have written two draft essays on economics. The first of these received favourable comment this week from an expert in securities, which gave me confidence that it has some merit. That's A New Economics Part I. The second part is A New Economics Part II. These essays can be accessed at the moment only through the links here shown. OBSERVATION: In Part I, I trace the history of economics through three major phases, and make some basic observations. In Part II, I suggest a new perspective on the third major phase, based on little-known economic principles of the Church. These are drafts, so may still contain mistakes.

Death, Philosophically

I have a philosophy article in the pipeline, which may or may not see publication. That remains to be seen. It is on death: Death, Philosophically. It may be accessed by clicking on this link, although it is not yet visible anywhere else to the wider world. If I say so myself, I found it a helpful essay. But if anyone should find a fatal philosophical flaw in it, I would be most grateful for your comment. If your input doesn't sink it, it should improve it. OBSERVATION: In keeping with philosophy in general, it doesn't stray into revealed religion.
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NOTE: It looks as though this is headed for publication in time. Editorial comment: "Maybe cheer it up a bit?" Sounds like trying to cheer up a funeral!

Failed Mentoring

The concept "mentoring" is large in the Church today. Paul Stanley and Bobby Clinton define mentoring as "a relational experience in which one person empowers another". With this in mind, Jesus is frequently portrayed as the ultimate mentor. For instance, Regi Campbell, Richard Chancy, and Andy Stanley state: "Jesus was (and is) the ultimate mentor." However, Andrew Murray suggests in his book Humility that Jesus failed as a mentor -- or perhaps rather, that His disciples failed His best efforts, which amounts to about the same. As the prime example, Murray offers the words of Jesus: "Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29), and then at the Last Supper: "There was a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest" (Luke 22:24 -- no meekness or lowliness here). So they learnt nothing. It was only when they were empowered from on high that things changed.

The Right To Know

A few posts on this blog have described my attempts to obtain statements from the police. It has seemed like trying to hack through impenetrable jungle. No, said senior officers, you can't hold statements against your own self without due permission. Nobody else agreed, except the people who made the statements. But sometimes, in my view, the Lord does what one would think to be beyond belief. One of the same senior officers held a statement against his own self without due permission. He put his signature over it, scanned it, sent it to me (ref. 25/7/2/1092 2015004003), and effectively cautioned me to remain silent. As will be seen, I am not remaining silent. I have asked the police: What's this? Now you need to hand over those statements. Either that, or you have a senior police officer (maybe more) who is in deep trouble.* OBSERVATION: It looks to me that there is a more general problem in this country, with police and civil society in complete disagreement at times over the right to know. *Alternatively, someone could turn on me.

Course Outlines

A local lecturer wanted to see how Fuller Theological Seminary present their courses. The first course outline I laid my hands on was Ecclesiology and Eschatology, by Dr. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen -- a course that I took towards an MA. The mere outline of the course (which is, not the course itself) is 35 981 words. OBSERVATION: For interest, I called up a course outline of a local seminary: 1 685 words, although that is mid-undergraduate level.

Stand And Sing

When hymns are sung in Church, the congregation typically stands and sings. In some Churches, however, to stand and sing may not look quite the same as it does in others ... I took this fifteen-second video in a Gospel Messengers Church.

Justice Albie Sachs

This one's just for fun -- a photo of me in conversation with Justice Albie Sachs, a former Constitutional Court judge who lost an arm in an assassination attempt. It's his hat in the photo, not mine. The photo was taken by a reporter of the Mail & Guardian. Albie wrote the book Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter. Legally, he may be best known for the re-definition of marriage in South Africa (a subject which I shall forego in this post)! You may click on the photo to enlarge.

Vision vs. Imagination

For my MTh thesis, I identified "vision" as a key characteristic of the "transformational" minister (a popular model for ministry): a minister develops a vision for the Church, then he or she drives that vision. But there are different definitions of "vision". Some call that kind of vision "imagination", while "vision" is insight into the condition of humanity without God: for example, Isaiah 6:3-8. Only after one has such Isaiah-vision does imagination come into play, as a response to vision. OBSERVATION: The first notion of vision is problematic in practice. George Barna writes: "Putting it into practice is punishing."

Tailor-Made

This is a post with a difference -- it's the tailor who made my wedding suit -- in fact, making my wedding suit. I thought it was an elegant suit -- an African design with stitched patterns -- all for only R1 000. At a good African tailor's, one can order an excellent tailor-made creation (for men or women) at a much lower price than at retailers ... and, well, tailor-made at that.

Alice In Wonderland

My life has seemed a bit like Alice in Wonderland. It was curiously reported to me that I had accused a minister to the police, in a meeting with the police. But that meeting was taped, which proved that it was nonsense. We set it aside as a mystery. Then last week, it was curiously reported to me that I had accused an attorney to the police, in the same meeting with the police. This time the claim popped up in a police affidavit in response to a SAPS 512 (an official request for information). It was the same meeting which was taped, which again proved that it was nonsense. The police are looking into it.

Kareedouw

I have been unkind to Kareedouw apparently, for calling it a one-horse town. In fact it does have two petrol / gas stations, one of which is pictured here. The nearby Assegaaibos is smaller. And beyond Assegaaibos, one finds Suuranys, which boasts a primary school, a big barn, and some sheep. Suuranys is where wife E. grew up. OBSERVATION: John Vorster is buried in Kareedouw. It was under his government that Nelson Mandela was jailed.

Church Flux

I have known Churches which have 80% turnover in a year (as a "normal" turnover), others which have virtually nil. In urban areas, the turnover will tend to be faster. I consider that if a Church is spiritually alive, it will reflect the social turnover. It is a sign that a Church is "up to speed". Stability in the midst of flux may indicate that a Church is focused more on social bonds than it is on Biblical priorities. OBSERVATION: In fact everything needs to be geared for the flux I describe. Having said this, one also needs a (not too) stable core for the continuation of the work.

Old Youth Photo

Someone e-mailed me a photo today of the Youth Group (presumably) of Sea Point Congregational Church, I would think in the mid-60's. You may click on the photo to enlarge. That's the old Hotel Aviv in the background. OBSERVATION: The group varied a great deal in size since then. It burgeoned in the 70's, closed in the 80's, was small in the 90's, then burgeoned again in the 2000's, remaining strong. These trends were probably general trends, at least for those Churches which had a heart for youth. Pictured here is a churched, White youth, while under my ministry it became an un-churched, Black youth.

Ministerial Exhaustion

A minister friend shared with me a mid-ministry crisis. He was ministering to a Church with several hundred members. He reached a point of such exhaustion, he said, that after one service he could only get into his car by lifting his legs with his hands. Then he thanked God every time a traffic light stayed green, because he didn't have the strength to work the pedals. He said to me: "If I hadn't resigned, I would have been dead."

Definitions

Yesterday, in an attempt to define "freedom" in the context of the vital Capability Approach to economics, I consulted a dozen papers, and made copious notes (pictured). So very often, definitions are assumed and not stated -- more so in American literature I find, than in British. I finally got it (circled, in the middle). OBSERVATION: Perhaps the British have an unwitting advantage through the famous catch-phrase of CEM Joad on British television: "It all depends on what you mean by (that)."

Oil Painting

Speaking of my little sister, she recently shot to prominence with an oil painting (pictured), a large 1.5 by 1.5 metres / yards in size. Apart from her appearing in the paper and on radio this week, the two editors of the journal Philosophical Investigations approved the image for an article I wrote on African philosophy. That is to be published Monday week. OBSERVATION: Do you see O'Mant in the painting? I do. O'Mant was her tutor, one of the better known South African painters. Both Arthur O'Mant and Richard O'Mant are the same man. I asked his son why he kept switching names on his paintings. He didn't know.

Winning Story

Reader's Digest, the world's best-selling monthly, ran a competition for the best one-hundred-word stories. I gave my sister a style suggestion, and she wrote the story -- and won a prize. Here is the story (pictured), about moments of suspense at a wedding. You may click on it to enlarge. Reader's Digest wrote: "The quirky style helped this story stand out in a pile of entries."

Taping Corruption

Is it ethical to tape corruption? I don't know. It was an expensive exercise for me (see previous posts), but on two occasions I correctly discerned that I was walking into doubtful situations, and I taped them. With hindsight, it was justified. If I hadn't recorded those sessions, I could now have three senior officers testifying against me, with no defence. But what worries me is, have other people experienced the same, without any defence? And how long has this gone on? OBSERVATION: And then there is the question, what were the pressures which led to the corruption in the first place, in my case? Or what are they, generally speaking? And (a question that I can answer) how much needed to happen before I decided to tape it?

Volunteers

There is the recurring story in Churches: the same people do the same work, nobody else does it, and so on. However, in my experience, people will jump at the opportunity to help the Church. They merely need a personal request, not a general appeal. Then there is the challenge that those who say that nobody else does it tend to be reluctant to act on their own wishes. See also Dane Sherrard.

Rural Pram

This one's just a pretty picture. I took it at the Berg River (in the background), about 150km / 100mi north of Cape Town. This conveyance has a number of advantages over a normal pram. It has all-round views for baby, plenty of room for accoutrements, and a fail-safe braking system. OBSERVATION: A pram (perambulator) is a stroller in the USA.

Lifting The Veil

In an unusual step, in a matter of police corruption, the police asked me to present them with a statement as a record of our last meeting (rather than doing the reverse). I have decided to place it in the public domain, off-blog: Statement Page 1 and Statement Page 2 (the magnifying glass enlarges). The reasons for this are outlined in the statement, but I shall state two motivations here: I have for too long been pursued by rumours in these matters, and I have had enough of the fear which has surrounded them.

The Pentateuch

Congratulations to wife E. for passing her second-year subject The Pentateuch today (the so-called Books of Moses). She passed the first half with good marks, and the second half with a distinction. It is a dense and complex subject, not for the faint-hearted. OBSERVATION: What I found particularly interesting about this course (it wasn't in my own courses) was comparisons and contrasts between the Old Testament sacrificial system and African sacrificial systems.

God Is At Work

A minister shared with me his disappointment that there weren't any miracles in his Church. There wasn't anything big, he said. In fact he said he couldn't see God at all. I asked him one by one about the small things, which are described in the New Testament as God's working. Yes, he said, they were all there. I said, so what are you complaining about? God is at work. OBSERVATION: The same applies to our everyday lives.

Twisting And Turning

I file some blog posts, I don't post them. Here's one which I filed last month, which I now put up: "I am appalled at the way in which officials have been twisting and turning, both inside and outside of the police. People push untruth further and further, at the selfish expense of others, no doubt hoping that they will hit on some untruth which finally cannot be answered. I would add that the police are addressing my concerns through an official inquiry, and this is good." OBSERVATION: What prompts today's post is false statements I received this morning, from the police, which can indeed "be answered". And that in the middle of an inquiry.

Bulgarian Yoghurt

I succeeded in putting wife E. off yoghurt for two days, after showing her this photo of Bulgarian yoghurt bacillae close up. It is indeed what squigglies in your yoghurt look like, although they are not as impressive as Mopane worms (caterpillars) -- a Southern African delicacy which in that case are visible to the naked eye, in fact big enough to wrap around a fork. The Mopane worm metamorphoses into the famous Emperor moth.

People And Power

There has long been a major debate in the Church: on the one extreme, those who say that all information is free and all should have decision-making power (which is my tradition) -- on the other extreme, those who say that the responsible treatment of facts and decision-making belongs only to those who have status and experience (mainly the Catholic tradition and derivatives). The results of both of these approaches may now be read in the pages of history. However, the same debate now rages on the world scene. Everybody is now in possession of generous information (if sometimes through channels like WikiLeaks), yet can one trust the public with this? In fact, is there not so much junk in public, and does this not lead to hazardous public sentiments which should be suppressed? OBSERVATION: It is more than just a debate. It is a battle.

Take-Off

It has been a special pleasure for me to take part in the design and (re) launch of a journal -- the many details of policy and layout -- the rich experience of the people involved -- in an attempt to make it unique on the world stage. And it looks as though it is working. The beginning of April saw page-views touching one-hundred a day, while the beginning of this month sees page-views touching two-hundred a day. And the material is there, at least for the month of May so far.

The Prize-Winning Film

I recently blogged that my niece A. had won gold at the New York Film Festival. The three-minute film may now be viewed on YouTube -- a brief, "dark" movie titled (click here) Aeternum. Here is the announcement: "We are proud to announce that The New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards has awarded graduates of The Animation School the 2015 GOLD WORLD MEDAL." A. contributed the script and sound effects, among other things.

Wesley's Worrisome Diary

My pastor yesterday quoted John Wesley's diary from the pulpit. Afterwards he sent me the source (Bible.org):

• May 5 Sunday am. Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back any more. 

• May 5 Sunday pm. Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said “Get out and stay out.” 

• May 12 Sunday am. Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there either. 

• May 19 Sunday am. Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return. 

• May 19 Sunday pm. Preached on street. Kicked off street. 

• May 26 Sunday am. Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service. 

• June 2 Sunday am. Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway. 

• June 2 Sunday pm. Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me. 

OBSERVATION: I'd be a little worried to serve on a Church Council after reading this. (I wonder if these aren't abridged entries to his diary).

Expropriated E-Mail

A while back I blogged that people use my e-mail as if it's me. Here's the latest example. It was sent from "me", but could not be delivered -- so it bounced back to me -- without which I wouldn't have known anything about it. It was an indecent message. What gives it away immediately is the New Zealand date stamp. OBSERVATION: It is easy to change one's "surface identity", which here is "MEL LIM". Apparently it needs someone very clever to change one's "real identity" like this. You may click on the image to enlarge.

Cape Town Panorama

E. and I were invited for lunch today in Cape Town's so-called city bowl (pictured). This panoramic view shows Signal Hill on the left and Devil's Peak on the right (both covered with fynbos, a kind of heath). In the centre is the central business district, with Table Bay behind it. One is here looking north. Table Mountain is behind the camera. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 300k.

Post-Liberalism Simply

I have on many occasions sought to explain to Christians what they describe to me when they have visited a post-liberal Church. Most Christians, I think, will have heard of liberal Christianity. That, however, is now fairly much passé. It is post-liberalism which is in vogue, worldwide, and it may be stronger than liberalism ever was. I have described it in more theological terms on this blog -- but to put it simply, it means absorption into the Church. That stands in contrast to the typically sudden conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit, and the experience of being born again. So because it is about absorption, post-liberalism will often emphasise community, family, relationship, and so on. This is just one aspect of post-liberal theology, and one cannot say it is not in the Bible. However, see the Biblical emphasis of 1 John 1:3.

Alas, Poor Yorick

Alas, poor Yorick. He was a most excellent pigeon. This is (or was) yet another pigeon which fell prey to our resident owl, on our plot outside Cape Town. OBSERVATION: Our owl is a magnificent bird.  It impresses me absolutely.  Its great size, its silent passing in the dark, its frozen gaze, the camouflage which it wears among the poplar trees ...

Favouring Philosophy

I am often asked what an ordained minister might have to do with philosophy. There are just two direct references to philosophy (literally, the love of wisdom) in the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is something which brings joy. In the New Testament, we are warned not to be spoiled by it (the wrong sort). Here is why I think that philosophy is important: • For most of history, it has been a part of seminary curricula. There are reasons for that. • Like it or not, philosophy is a powerful driver of theology. There need to be Christians involved. • No small number of ministers are in the "engine room" of philosophy today. From my personal experience, this changes philosophy's treatment of religion. • There need to be Christians who know what is happening "out there". • And the apostle Paul knew philosophy and used it in evangelism. Many Christians continue to do so today. OBSERVATION: I myself have received both congratulation and antagonism for my philosophical writing. I would say this: that philosophy is basically human. One needs the divine. (The vocabulary I use in ministry is incidentally far from that of philosophy).