new beginnings

Once a year a very strange thing occurs.  Around the world on the exact same day, as if guided by some unseen force, thousands of people stop smoking, start a diet, pick up an instrument, or go for a run for the first time in a very long time.  And then they continue this behaviour for at least a couple of days. 

Then there are the special few who set out on endeavors like learning to burp the alphabet or sampling as many different meats as possible, such as crickets and deer penis wine.  A bizarre phenomenon but then there is something cool about a marker in time which signifies a new beginning, a second chance and focuses in on new possibilities for the future.

While I’m not the biggest new years resolutioner I am increasingly finding the break at this time of year is a good opportunity to reflect, learn and set some new goals. As I have reflected I’ve come up with a list of those things which I’m always glad I did, but which rarely feel urgent enough to end up on a ‘to do’ list.  These have helped to shape some of my goals for 2012…

I want to develop a daily routine which includes Reading, Exercising & Praying.  I’m going to call them my daily REP’s.  Clever hey.  I also plan to go for more walks, play more music and once a month to go on a day trip somewhere to take photos.  (Oh, and start blogging again).

So there it is.  What about you?  Are you an exerciser, burper, or does new years resolution mean nothing more than a possible shift to 1024 x 768?

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south sudan

Last weekend a new country was birthed. South Sudan.

As with many states which undergo a split, South Sudan is a country birthed in pain.  The North and South of Sudan have struggled through some five decades of violent conflict in which millions have lost their lives.  The recent history of the country is a sordid story of gross human rights abuses and ethnic cleansing which led to an arrest warrant being issues for Sudan’s president Al Bashir by the International Criminal Court.

As South Sundan now officially finds its own identity it faces some tough challenges.  It is one of the least developed and poorest countries in the world and its main resource – oil – remains a point of conflict with the north through whos territory the pipelines flow.  Apparently, even as South Sudan came into being it fit the criteria of a failed state.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the country, however, is the challenge of reconciliation.

The creation of a separate recognised state might alleviate some of the pressing issues within the area, offer some autonomy and recognition and to some extent pave a way forward, but it won’t necessarily push people towards reconciling relations which have been broken for a long time.

I hope that reconciliation doesn’t become the issue most conveniently pushed to the side in the face of all the other issue pressing on this young country.

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9 out of 10

Did you know that nine out of ten people who have a blog haven’t updated it in the last two months!?* Yep, that’s right!

Well, I’m a conformist, and it occurred to me that I have been bucking the trend for far too long. It was time to stop and allow the statistics to reveal their truth. To take a bit of a holiday (or a sabbatical as Matt would suggest) and stop fighting the facts.  So now that I’ve fulfilled my obligations to the inevitable it is time to return to the bloggosphere and prove that even I, in the face of overwhelming statistics, can change.

*For those who actually believed these statistics, I feel compelled to remind you not to believe everything you read on the internet – unless, or course, it is on wiki.

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traffic jam

According to research by David Batstone (Not For Sale), there are currently around 27 million people living in slavery!  That’s a scary thing to read.

The youth team at my work are promoting “Traffic Jam” to stand against the issue of human trafficking:

“Traffic Jam’s about jamming our schools, communities, the net and gov’t’s with a rally cry to stop sex trafficking and restore hope to victims. It’s more than a weekend and a cause, it’s a way of living. Are YOU Traffic Jam?”

Check it out here.

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because child protection is everyone’s business

Did you know that one in three girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused in some way before the age of 18 years? (Australian Institute of Criminology, 1993)

This week is Child Protection Week.  The purpose is to raise awareness in the community of child abuse prevention.  I’ve read through some of the statistics and reports and I have to say it is both confronting and sad.

To find out more and how we can take a stand against child abuse, visit NAPCAN and Bravehearts.

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where has all the news gone?

 Where has all the news gone?

Manuel Bessler, head of the UN’s coordination agency OCHA, has recently described the flooding situation in Pakistan as “a humanitarian operation of an unprecedented scale.”   Almost 20 million people effected by the floods, around 1,700 dead with the number expected to rise significantly, and estimated economic losses of $US43 billion.  The scale of the situation, the loss and pain, and what it will take to rebuild and restore is beyond my comprehension.

I wonder then why, when I log onto sites like SMH’s, that while I can read all about the stupid things that celebrities are doing, I cannot find a single thing about Pakistan and the flooding.  In fact, even if I search long enough to find their page of world news there is still not a single article listed on this page!  Sadly it is a similar story even for other news websites which actually report news.

How easily do we distance ourselves from the reality of people’s lives who we cannot actually see.  Is this news just not popular because of the image of Pakistan that has been portrayed in politics and the media?  Do we just not know what to do?

I reckon that there is stuff that we can do:

1. Be aware and  show that we are interested.  You’re not going to find much on SMH, but try sites like Relief Web for better information.

2. Pray for the people.

3. Donate.  There are heaps of great organisations doing great stuff who are very easily supported.  Find out about some of them, such as here to support World Visions work, or here to buy a t-shirt and help flood victims in the process.

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growing in strength

What is strength?  Arnold Schwartznegger’s muscles (20 years ago)…the ability to control…pulling a truck with your teeth…?  While these are probably some of the first things that come to your mind it seems that there might be more to it.

Recently we finished a series at breathe gatherings looking at how we grow in strength.  Here are a few of my random reflections:

1.  When we pursue strength it is so easy to actually chase the perception of strength (the desire to be perceived as strong by others) rather than strength itself.  Most of our societies ideas of what a strong person is are formed around this.  Real strength doesn’t always look “tough” externally.  It starts with the recognition of weakness.

2.  Strangely enough, love is perhaps the most strengthening thing that can be experienced.  I love this quote from John Piper:  “When the massive weather front of God’s love meets the massive weather front of God’s power in the heart of a believer, it produces a hurricane of confidence…”

3.  Strength is grown as we refuse to hide from the hard stuff in life, and refuse to hide the hard stuff inside us.

What have you learnt in life about how you become a strong person?

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just for you, matt

I sit down, my mind flicking through a bloated to-do list.  Ticking, crossing off, delaying…Suddenly I am painfully aware that my busyness of late has resulted in a shamefully thin smearing of blogs.  My mind wanders…I wonder what Matt is doing?  All that time waiting patiently by his computer at work with no blogs to read.

I feel a tinge of guilt.  I try to shake it off, but how can I ignore someone who has written more on my blog than I have?  How could I be so insensitive as to leave his joy empty, expectations and hopes shattered as he sits gazing at a screen that promised so much and delivered so little, the only consolation the barely satisfying re-reading of the good-ol-days when blogs flowed and everything felt like you were experiencing it for the first time…

No, I resolve.  I will not leave the worlds-best-blog-follower unsatisfied. Even if I have nothing to give, still I will find something from within the depths of my soul to bring a glimmer of light to a fading hope.  A hope that one’s bold steps of expectation this morning as you approach your computer will not once again be shattered.  May your hope live on…and may you stop asking me when I am going to post…

Matt, can you hear my soul plumbing the depths of nothingness, just for you?

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culture of violence or culture of peace?

A quick peruse of my dvd collection reveals something quite telling and maybe even a little sinister about my preferences. Mmm….I think to myself, V for Vendetta, The Kingdom of Heaven, the Bourne Trilogy, I-Robot (though Will Smith is fighting with Robots), Pirates of the Caribbean and Avatar. The common denominator – Violence!

I have been thinking about this for quite some time and it seems like violence pervades our culture and our preferences in a lot of things. For instance, it seems young people much prefer to play violent video games, which would certainly be having some form of influence in how they deal with things in life. Maybe this phenomenon accounts for the increase in violence at schools that has been prevalent in the news lately.

It seems that the reasoning underlying all this is that the only way to deal with difference and any form of confrontation is to ‘win’ ‘destroy’ or ‘beat’ the other person and to take revenge when wronged. Unfortunately this occurs at the international level too. It has been estimated that global military expenditure is $1.5 trillian annually, and therefore, $4.1 billion daily and  $2.85 million every minute (see here). That’s a lot of money going to a lot of violent conflict.

Maybe it’s just about being a guy that gives me this desire to watch violent movies, but I’m not quite sure that holds water. Maybe, and probably more realistically, I’m a product of the culture in which I live, a culture that uses violence a little too readily in order to deal with conflict. It is unfortunate that all too often we associate men and women of peace with weakness rather than strength. Maybe this is merely a cultural thing also. If we are forced to think critically of our culture maybe we will find that these people are not so weak after all. There seems to be a lot more strength and creativity demonstrated in dealing with conflict in constructive and life-giving ways than there is in lifting a hand or a fist in a fit of uncontrolled rage.   

On a personal note, I suppose the question we need to ask ourselves is how we have traditionally dealt with conflict in our lives? If I’m honest with myself, there have been situations in my life that I could have dealt with things more creatively and constructively rather than a quick harsh retort that leaves neither party satisfied with the result. How have you observed conflict being dealt with in violent ways in our culture and how do you think these conflicts could have been dealt with in more constructive life-giving ways?

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welcome dan

The green orange blog is pleased to welcome Dan Buckingham as a blog contributor!

Dan, apart from being the green blog administrator’s housemate, is a pretty cool dude, likes hugs in the morning…and evening…actually all the time, and likes to wear red boxers.  Let’s take a minute to get to know him.

What is the best thing about your housemate, Dave?  Well, first of all, let’s admit it…he’s just so damn gorgeous! Our coffee dates are always a good thing. We get to share life, passion, struggles, and pleasures together. (At this point Dave would just like to qualify that we have a purely platonic relationship).

It is a balmy, sunny day…how will you spend it?  I love getting out in nature to enjoy the scenery and engage all the senses. Spending time at the beach with a few friends is a fantastic way to spend the day! And if I can’t be bothered doing that I’ll just sit on the couch and read a book.

Why are you so obsessed with food?  I find eating food a very sensual experience. The flavours, the textures, the warmth, and the smell invigorate me as if possessing life-giving qualities. And as an added bonus, I guess the food does posses some important life-giving qualities!

Tell us about your passions.  My passions in life are what drive me. Essentially they are: my God, my friendships, and my care and concern for disenfranchised, poor, and vulnerable people. I have a particular interest in conflict resolution and peace-building so as to create peaceful environments in which people can experience the fullness of life Jesus intended.

Why do you want to blog?  I want to take over the world…mwahahaha… I also think that it is important that when a person is passionate about something they ought to share that, believing that they could potentially make another persons life richer.

We’re looking forward to your first blog Dan!

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