Have you ever checked the label on a product? Maybe you're health conscious, carbon miles sensitive or boycotting for whatever reason. We expect the labels to be accurate in whatever case. When it comes to people and the discussion of politics, religion or ideology, we need to be more careful that the label truly represents what's in the box. I see things people post and wonder how often I've done the same. One might choose the most outlandish of things and use this to represent the whole. Sam Harris would call moderates hypocrites and say only the extremists are true to the faith. Or thos ..read more

I got up this morning to see the odd anti-religion meme in my Facebook news feed. Rather than engage them directly, I wanted to take a step back with a favorite quote. Perhaps another time I'll spin off some of them. This quote by C S Lewis should get us thinking about worldviews. We might say we believe in x, but the way we live our lives says more about what we believe that often what we say. A worldview consists of symbols we uphold, things we do, stories we tell ourselves and questions we ask about the world. I recently saw a meme that compared Donald Trump to a church building - both ..read more

I've started preaching a sermon series on the seven deadly sins while my minister has been away. We've done pride and lust to date. The aim has been to focus on the positives rather than just the negatives, in these cases the value of self-forgetfulness over self-loathing, and sexual desire in marriage over rampant lust. Gluttony is the next cab off the rank is gluttony - something you might not hear discussed. There are plenty of issues to cover - associated health issues (non-pejoratively, no one needs to guilt people with disorders), fast food, vegetarianism, poverty, famine, etc. There ..read more

Ok so I'm getting older and more crotchety, but do you ever stop to think about the songs you sing? I can remember going to a primary school concert and being dumbstruck that pre-teens were singing 4 ever by The Veronicas. It's a catchy pop song (I love the guitar) but it is very typical of hook up culture, and young children shouldn't really be singing that should they? Coming away from a carol service I was reminded of subtle assumptions in music. I'm assuming this matters (if you think theology is the study of nothing leave this blog now and go back to cat pictures, LOL). Two we sang that ..read more

I've waited a while to post this, partly letting things cool and partly becoming apathetic about blogging. This cartoon represents some people's approach to the Facebook profile picture changing over the Paris shootings. I wanted to say a few things about this. The first thing is, that people want to be able to respond to tragedies. Particularly in the absence of religious belief where you can say "I'm praying for Paris", even a simple act of changing a profile pic is an act of empathy and grief. I can understand the cynicism towards tokenism, but people want to find ways of expressing the ..read more

I've recently been doing some reading about ecology and ecosystems. In his recent encyclical, Pope Francis wrote about natural ecosystems and ecology, but also about human ecology - well functioning societies where individuals flourish, and not at the expense of natural ecosystems. I've even recently read a paper that considered education as an ecosystem. So why not consider BJJ as an ecosystem. I think there are three aspects. Firstly, techniques don't exist in isolation, but in a rich ecosystem of other techniques. One simply doesn't drill a technique again and again without reference to ot ..read more

Sorry to the dispossessed and sorry to those who have been left behind the progress that loss has paid for. Sorry to those who’ve heard the lies of promises made, but in disguise an agenda deeply hidden, a lack of understanding, by those with eyes that cannot see. Sorry for those prison deaths, for this whole rotten bloody mess where cells make easier solutions than teachers, classrooms and inclusion of native tongue to speak, to listen and to learn. Sorry for a land that’s stolen, for rent not paid, for home invasion, for mother earth her guts ripped open and laid bare in service of th ..read more

Nope to all compassion and nope to having heart. Nope to international law and nope to showing class. Nope to showing leadership and nope to having vision. Nope to planning for the future, nope to a clear mission. Nope to fighting climate change and nope on funding science. Nope to all but mining freebies so nope to the environment. Nope to solar cause coal reigns, nope to those wind turbines. Nope to saving the GBR and nope to stopping coal mines. Nope to care for poor and needy, nope to taxing emissions. Nope to reviewing iron ore cause nope to independence. Nope to land rights, nope to ..read more

Well, after nearly 30 years training in the martial arts, reaching brown belt (or equivalent) in two stand up arts, I finally received my black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after 13 years in the sport. As I said to a class last night - my skills in wall walking, levitation and walking on water have not improved. Despite the fact that I now have the coveted faixa preta, as I believe Royce Gracie said, your belt covers an inch of your ass, you have to cover the rest. So what does it feel like to be a black belt in BJJ? Well what is it meant to feel like? And at 45? Is age an excuse or a limita ..read more

We all know what it is like to grind through our days, working on automatic pilot. Perhaps we are bored, frustrated or unengaged. Unmotivated to improve, adapt or explore. Sometimes we fear failure and our inner monologue is our own worst enemy. We need an on switch. As I approach the prospect of a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a number of these thoughts cross my mind. To be in the moment is the need to be switched on, attentive and deliberate. It is to have goals of trying new techniques, of mastering favorites, of rolling without mistake or losing points. Whatever the goal, one has to ..read more