One Geek

Do we make Christianity too complicated.
Is it just me or what?

At it’s heart it has a very simple message, and requires a simple response. Somehow over the years we’ve over complicated the heart of the message. I think maybe because it’s all to radical and scary. To follow the Way is to be radically changed. Jesus’ example demands nothing less, but God provides his power for the change to occur.

And yet even though I say the message is simple I still don’t fully get it. Paradoxes abound.

God Stuff

Went to Soul tonight, it was very challenging.

How hard it is to give it all to God. To let go and put your trust fully in Him. To do what he asks, even though you know what he says will be good for you in the long run.

It can also be very scary.

God Stuff

Today was one of the most beautiful days in my life. I can’t quite explain how or why it came to be that but I’ll do my best.

Today was the wedding of Emily and Martin. It was the best wedding I have been to in my life. It made me cry a lot. But the tears were of joy not sorrow. From the moment the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle to colour blind by Counting Crows, (played acoustically by two fantastic musicians) I was sold. The day and the service were both so authentic, a true expression of love.

I am a very cynical person and yet the whole service I did not have a cynical or even sarcastic thought. Every stage of it was true to the people involved. The vow’s and prayers were honest and extremely meaningful. Declarations like “Do you want to share your life with me, all your joys and pains, all your hopes and failures with all your body, mind and soul?” Are truly moving. The way they included God also was great.

The music was well chosen. It fit beautifully with the service. The messages given were very authentic. They somehow managed to get a Catholic, an Anglican and a Uniting Church minister together to run it.

The reception was also great. It was very homely, who would of thought it being in their house and all. I loved it also. Speeches that are usually the most painful part of the wedding were good. Martin’s Mum who has come out from Peru for the wedding was particularly good. Emily of course was great and Jo was fantastic too. However Martin simply shone in his speech, sure he stumbled through it but his feeling was there for all too see. Struggling to put into words (in English his second language, though I am sure he would have had trouble in Spanish too) what is surely his great love for Emily just made it all the more real.

The variety of people who were there was also outstanding. There were people from nearly every walk of life. So good to see that happen. The food was fantastic and all were genuinely happy about the wedding (as far as I could tell). I even joined in some dancing tonight. That’s how good the night was.

Emily is a person who has greatly enriched my life. It is wonderful too see her so happy. Her journey has not been very easy through this life. She is an inspiration in her passion for justice and her love of humans particularly the outsider.

I can remember finding out a bit about Martin in Australia whilst Emily was still over in Peru. Gemma’s trip there helped us too learn a bit more about him. Then sharing with Emily in the struggles of trying to get Martin a Visa. I can still remember the joy and excitement I felt when whilst in Raxaul I find out that Martin’s Visa had been processed and accepted. The other time I really remember is meeting Martin at the airport on my return from India. It was exciting to finally see him, he embraced me a stranger as his friend.

Martin who I barely know is still one of the most kind and openhearted people I have met.

Emily and Martin may the Lord God in His power truly bless you. May you live out your days together through the joys and pains of this life. May you live up to the grand promises you made today.

I am going too stop now, though I could go on forever. But it’s past midnight so the day is over.

Church, Class Wars, General, God Stuff, India Stuff, Life, Religion, Stuff, Travel, music

I think I am changing. It’s all a bit scary really. Part of me wants to just stay the way I am.

God seems to be blessing me with the gift of crying. It seems to have happened a bit at churchish stuff over the past little while. So much pain in the world, it sucks.

I am being challenged to live a more authentic faith. To truly love the least in my communities. To love my neighbor as myself.

I am also being challenged to spend more time with God, reading the Bible and praying. I am realising that whenever I get lost it seems to be because I have stopped actively pursuing my relationship with God.

God Stuff

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

1 Corinthians 1:25 (New International Version)

God Stuff

I really can’t express with words how great God is. His grace, mercy and love blow me away. How did I ever get to have so many great people in my life. I don’t deserve the richness that others bring into my life.

In other news my heart is being broken by the poverty I witnessed in India. I see this as a positive thing though. I can’t imagine how much the suffering in this world hurts God. But I am starting to get a bit of a feel for it.

I am not getting lost in the pain of the world. I think God might be trying to kill of some of the selfishness in me. Maybe also giving me the humility I need to serve him better. It’s tough but good. There is joy burried in the experience too.

God Stuff

Went to Soul Survivor last night. Wasn’t going to go but decided at the last minute to go. God really moved me last night. The talk was on suffering. I really felt a strong calling to development. My heart of stone was broken again. I wept about what I had seen in India.

I don’t know what is in my future but I know God is good. I know we have to pour oitment on the wounds of the suffering. A person who was praying over me said God was telling him the words Strengh and Courage.

Holy Spirit stuff is still a bit wierd. I spend half the time trying to rationalise it away. Then I think maybe I just need to have faith.

Everything is not better now but it is not meant to be. I feel that God is going to give me the strength to carry on. That he will shape me in his image.

God Stuff

I can get prayers sung to me on my telephone. Good old Airtel. I love India.

God Stuff, India Stuff

Poverty and injustice are so overwheleming in our world. It’s hard to believe that just one person can make a difference. The Bible makes it clear that the poor will be with us until the end of the Earth.

In Deuteronomy 15:11 it says “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”

Jesus himself states we will always have the poor in Mark 14:7 “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ”

Why then should we bother if we can never stop poverty?

Maybe because the fight against poverty is an important one. God tells us in Isaiah 58 that a true fast is to help the poor, feed the hungry and to break the bonds of oppression. God spends a fair bit of time talking about justice.

I’m reminded now about the parable of the lost sheep the lost coin and the good Samartian too. I think that helping even one person is significant. So what if we can’t change the world. Is that really our job? Isn’t that God’s?

Our job is to simply love our God, and our neighbour. I also think that love also can inspire us to work for what to everyone else looks like a lost cause.

I am going to India in 11 months to help a hospital out with its computers. Maybe it is a lost cause. Maybe I can’t make any real impact. Maybe I’d be better off donating the money I am spending on my trip to TEAR instead.

What if I can make a difference. Maybe save EHA a few thousand dollars a year. Money they can spend helping the sick. Then is it worth it?

That will probably enable them to give care to another dozen people each year. That’s a lot, but still no real dent in the povery that abounds. In a country that has more then a billion people in it.

I think it does make it worth it. I mentioned the good Samartian before and the lost sheep. I think that changing just one life would make it all worth it. However everyone is precious to God, so though each person is precious I have a duty to help as many people as I can.

I know my life style doesn’t allow for this at the momment. I know I am far to selfish to be able to dedicate all of myself to this task. It is not a task I have to do by myself though. For one there is God, but also there are many other people in the world fighting the good fight too.

So I shall fight against poverty. Do my small part, and let God do his bigger part.

God Stuff

I really want to bridge the gap in our world. I really want to tear down the walls of the “digital divide.” Steve spoke tonight at church and I got all inspired again. Remmembering why I am doing what I am doing.

During the first half of his talk I felt like this stuff I am doing, like the whole India trip doesn’t help anyone much. But then I got thinking more and decided that, yes it is important. I think the digital divide is a bloody big issue.

For the first time in human history information and knowledge isn’t tied up in books. It’s freely accessible on the net. Communication is nearly instantaneous and very cheap. The world is suddenly much smaller.

The problem is that access to the net, and the skills required to access it aren’t freely availible. This means that whilst many people in the developed world profit from the net and computers in general others are left behind. The arguement for why they have been left behind is cost.

But really there’s no need for people to be left behind. It wouldn’t cost much to fix these issues though. Hardware is becoming VERY cheap, and the software to connect people is FREE. Why then are people being left behind?

I don’t really understand it. I think it’s mainly people just aren’t prepared to commit resources to it or are trying to make lots of money out of it. The other problem is people don’t think about these things creatively. The thing about technology is that it is limited primarly by the imagination. The problem is solving the right problem.

Lot’s of people are working towards addressing the issue. There is though lots of work to be done.

What though does this have to do with God and the Bible?
1) Freedom.
Technology provides a greater freedom to people who can access it. Through this free access people are free to learn. It is also a good way to provide access to extended Christian communities.
2) Helping the poor.
I believe technology provides a chance to break the cycle of poverty.
3) Helping those who help the poor.
Technology can play a big background role in assisting those who help the poor. Easing the management of organisations, keeping records and communicating with partner organisations. All these help the organisations to concentrate on helping people, giving them more time and money. I guess helping in that area falls under the administration spiritual gift.

4) Come up with your own creative way technology can help people. There are many ways.

The third point is the the focus of my India trip. I hope I end up doing some good there.

Anyway that’s a long enough rant I think.
Good night.

God Stuff

Sins of omission are of a much more insidious nature, how do you tell when you are failing to do what is right. It’s very easy to justify ones inaction, and maintain a moral high ground. Most people fail miserably to act out against the wrongs in this world. Deciding it’s not their place to act out, I know I do. It’s not just the big things too, it’s the little mundane things we know we should do too. Getting under changed, not helping friends as much as you can, failing to love others more then ourselves are just a few.

Jesus often spoke out about sins of omission. The parable of the good Samaritan is a good example of this. When He talks about the day of judgement in Matthew 25:31-46 those who are dammed are the ones who have failed to help the poor. He says “truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

This is a sobering quote. I am going to do my best to act. I am sure I will fail sometimes, it’s hard to get things right. But by the grace of God my failures will be forgiven. I think trying is the most important thing.

God Stuff