Solidarity and hope are my Easter words, thanks to a German theologian called JĂĽrgen Moltmann. He was moved by his experiences in the Second World War to contemplate suffering in a profound way. The result was his ‘Theology of Hope,’ and it is a major influence on how I think of what happened when Jesus came. […]
Strange way to start a revolution Strange way to get a better tan Strange way to hold a power breakfast Strange way show your business plan Strange way to test if wood would splinter Strange way to do performance art Strange way to say “I’ll see you later” Strange way to leave behind your heart […]
When I was little, my internal picture of God was nothing like the white-bearded-old-man clichĂ©s. I’d never had any exposure to that idea. If you’d asked my six-year-old self, I’d have said God looks rather like Sam the Eagle from the Muppets. Sort of stern. And definitely male. I could articulate from young adulthood that […]
Sadly, I’m not at the Service of the Shadows at West Baptist tonight. Sitting in a dark church, lit by seven candles sitting on a rough wooden cross, every Maundy Thursday, people at West listen to the dark story of what Jesus experienced in his last hours, in seven parts. My contribution to the ever-growing tradition at […]
You’d think the task of ‘explaining Easter’ would not be a tough one for a minister. Hm. I have the privilege of writing occasionally for the parents’ resource website Kiwi Families. Mostly it’s great fun, but sometimes it’s flippin’ hard work, like the other week, when the editor, Rochelle, asked if I could write something […]
Which of these comparisons are you most interested in discussing further?
There’s an emptiness inside her And she’d do anything to fill it in But all the colors mix together – to grey And it breaks her heart My dear friend Angela did something extra brave today, and you can hear her do it by visiting this Radio New Zealand National page. On Afternoons with Jim […]
My lovely cousin Scott recently visited the grave of my great-great-great-grandfather, the last of my Drysdale ancestors to be buried in Scotland, before his widow and children emigrated to New Zealand in the 19th century. A cousin of my Dad’s had done the sleuthing to find the unmarked grave in the 1970s and wrote […]
I’ve been reminded this week why the ‘un’ in unschooling is not the same as ‘anti.’ First this challenge from Buffalo Mama, who is unschooling/homeschooling her son after traumatic school experiences: “Unschooling,” maybe, can be seen as an attempt to open up the pressure valve and let some of that build up out of everything […]
A good listener is never short of friends. Some people are naturals at this popular skill, and you might be lucky enough to know one or two. Plenty of us have to learn the skill of being a good listener, though the kind intention does go a long way, too. The headline ‘act’ for the Do […]