Ultimately we have just one moral duty; to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be also in our troubled world. Esther, or Etty, Hillesum, writer of these words, was born on […]
Merry Christmas! In fine mathematical tradition, I have three Christmas presents for you on this happy day. The first is the link to Julie Vivas’ winsome illustration of the Nativity. The angel wears Doc boots and gets more raggedy as the story progresses. The second is my favourite of St Paul’s nativity videos. I dare […]
St Paul’s Church in Auckland is famous for the impossibly cuuuuute nativity videos they produce each year, starring their kids. This year they have also released this compelling short film for adults, reminding us that Jesus was a Palestinian. There are several parts where my eyes widened. Watch for the shepherd (who has an accounting degree) talking about […]
If you love surprises, chances are you live in a rich and safe part of the world. There is a famous (but possibly not ancient, nor Chinese) curse that says ‘May you live in interesting times!’ (This Advent we are spending time with Mark Pierson’s Advent in Art series, a set of paintings by James B Janknegt, curated by […]
Children of Men (2006) is a remarkable film, and my pick for best movie to watch during Advent. Add it to carols, presents, the Jesse Tree and feasting, as something that can help us to connect to the Big Story we are invited to find ourselves in at this time of year. Yes, I know, a) a […]
In this week’s Advent in Art painting, Christ is born! We’re a little early, as I’ve said before, because in the Southern Hemisphere we don’t expect anyone to be around after Christmas Day itself. We have to get the whole story in before everyone goes camping. Kids really benefit from repetition and preparation. They love […]
I’ve never had a December like this one. Impressed with a friend’s insightful comment on Facebook about a school prizegiving ceremony, I asked her if she would be interested in doing a guest blog post about it. She was gracious in turning me down, just pointing out that being a pastor, it was a busy […]