Australia.

Today is 26th January and a day to acknowledge the original custodians of the land.

Judith Durham has penned an alternate version for of the national anthem for contemporary Australia... the link and lyrics are below.

Australia, celebrate as one, with peace and harmony.
Our precious water, soil and sun, grant life for you and me.
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts to love, respect and share,
And honouring the Dreaming, advance Australia fair.
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.

Australia, let us stand as one, upon this sacred land.
A new day dawns, we’re moving on to trust and understand.
Combine our ancient history and cultures everywhere,
To bond together for all time, advance Australia fair.
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.

Australia, let us strive as one, to work with willing hands.
Our Southern Cross will guide us on, as friends with other lands.
While we embrace tomorrow’s world with courage, truth and care,
And all our actions prove the words, advance Australia fair,
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.

And when this special land of ours is in our children’s care,
From shore to shore forever more, advance Australia fair.
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance . . Australia . . fair.

upside-down.

Happy Silly Season everybody.

root.

Can all our social problems be unified?

Looking at two social problems 'Abortion' - a distinctive of the social conservatives and 'Climate Change' - a dinstinctive of the social progressives have more in common than one might imagine. I'm not trying to give these issues equal weight, but looking at something at the heart of each issue.

For a pro-choice supporter, a woman has the right to choose (before I continue I am an advocate for human rights especially those who rights have been marginilised by society, and I am not anti-abortion from state-rule, I believe we ought to address the roots of the issue of abortion, not the symptom itself). However what is lacking is reponsibility and I'm not solely referring to a woman's responsibiliy, I'm also referring to the responsibility of a man. So carelessness + lack of responsibility of both genders may lead to an abortion.

However in comparison environmental issues, namely climate change a free market and private enterprise supporter might ask the state ought to stay out of private business, claiming their own right to make decisions and perhaps pollute as they feel is neccesary. Again there is a lack of responsibility, and decisions may only benefit the pockets of the CEO. So again carelessness + lack of responsibility might lead to making capital at the expense of the environment.

Although this is only one example, is it fair to maybe argue that there is a unified cause to all our social problems??

Perhaps?

copenhagen.

here's definatley something to consider... based on the idea that climate change is human induced.

Conspiracy.

This is just a really good idea...

envious.

I was reading about a woman, who had adopted a no-impact lifestyle with her husband for a year and this is what she said in retrospect:

“What I realized was that so many of my rituals were so bad for me (my health), for us (our bank account and all the family time lost to my scurrying off to shop), and for the environment. What I learned from No Impact was that there is a steep cost to supporting all your stuff. To a life devoted to getting and having. In my days of high consumption, I'd been searching for something. It turned out that it was right in my own home.”

You can read the whole article here.

We’ve heard it said many times, that simplicity is important, but here it is in actuality. I’m incredibly envious. Such a life has the ability to recognise the connection that ought to with people, with the stuff in our trolley, the stuff our houses are made of, the stuff in the garden. That is truly inspiring simplicity.

Who wants in?

Check out noimpactproject.org

enemy.

Want to talk about loving enemies...

Watch this...



peace.

nh

earth.

"Your love O Lord is like the ocean - deeper than endless seas
Your faithfulness is like the mountains - and your word never fails."

In our day this is an odd lyric to sing.

I wonder if we consider ocean acidification, ocean dumping, oil spills, marine pollution and over fishing when we sing about God's love being like the ocean?

Do we consider over-mining, consumerism and the destruction of our habitat or melting ice-caps and avalanches when we sing about God's faithfulness like the mountains?

Quite possibly not.

We have the potential to do so much to taint and pollute God's love - yet it remains the same for his creation.

All of our experience, knowledge and drive has the possibility to exploit God's faithfulness - yet his grace still present within the created.

trip.

For those who know me, there ought to be no mystery as to why I'm feeling a little saddened today.

For those who don't know me that well, I should explain that I am one of the those eccentric Michael Jackson fanatics, the kind that my parents were quite worried about me at one stage.

So it's with deep deep sadness that I woke up hearing the terrible news of Michael's death this morning.

But I'm troubled in another sense... one man's death grabs the whole world's attention, meanwhile death and dying is all around us due to injustice, starvation, lack of sanitation.

But as I reflect, I think about many of Michael's songs, lyrics and poems... not the Billie Jeans or Thrillers - But the songs generally less glamorous and known that point us to some element of truth.

Here are the lyrics and video of two my absolute favourites. I won't comment on them, as I think they say enough in and of themselves.

They say I'm different, they don't understand
But there's a bigger problem that's much more In demand
You got world hunger, not enough to eat
So there's really no time to be trippin' on me

You got school teachers who don't wanna teach
You got grown people who can't write or read
You got strange diseases - ha! but there's no cure
You got many doctors that aren't so sure
So tell me why you wanna trip on me
Why you wanna trip on me - stop trippin'

We've got more problems than we'll ever need
You got gang violence and bloodshed on the street
You got homeless people with no food to eat
With no clothes on their back and no shoes for their feet

We've got drug addiction in the minds of the weak
We've got so much corruption - police brutality
We've got streetwalkers walking into darkness
Tell me what are we doing to try to stop this

So tell me why you wanna trip on me
Why you wanna trip on me - stop trippin'

RIP Michael and the "Children of the World"

peace.

nh

TED.

Watched an amazing TED talk on conservative vs. progressive thought.

have a look here.

peace.

nh

recession.

If you've ever got a half-hour so spare have a look at this South Park episode. themes present recession, consumerism, faith... obviously you wouldn't take is seriously - but it's great for a laugh.

love

nh

crash.

Been thinking.

We contrast the economic crises with that of the ecological crises and ask “where do we need to put our attention?” My observations of the world (my own life included) is that we tend to consider the economy of primary concern, whilst God’s earth is continually being plundered and the world’s poorest are most likely suffering the most. I am no expert in political matters, in fact I do consider myself an idealist.

I think that both crises’ are a result of the same problem. The problem = us and the selfish decisions we make, and perhaps the only way to solve these huge issues is personal transformation. The kind of transformation that Jesus brings when he confronts our evil. I feel so addicted to ‘stuff’, I feel as though I’m a slave to so many things, to products, image, status, wealth. I’m a slave to the culture that says to be someone you must be this or that, you ought to have this or that.

shit.

consume, consume, consume.

Perhaps YHWH was trying to save us from something when he said ‘worship no graven image’?

Perhaps the destruction of the planet, economy and peoples livelihoods are a result wide road?

I’ve unapologetically devoted my life to trying to consume less and asking the big questions in the meantime. In no way have I pulled it all together - and you don't need to point out where I’m failing because I’m quite possibly aware of it. But if you’ve up far a challenge - that is only good for the soul, come along with me, if you haven’t already done so.

Have a look at this video.



Don't stress about accuracy on the minor details of what she's saying - but try to grasp the whole concept - And if you have faith, I ask how does this correlate to what it you believe??

peace.

nh.