Will you consider joining us in fasting tomorrow?

For the past 4 years Megie and I have fasted every Friday.  You can read about that journey here.

We would like to invite you to join us in our fast tomorrow.

This simple spiritual discipline has had immeasurable benefits for our prayer lives.  It is not a big deal! Here's what we do:

• We choose not to eat any food until dinner on Friday evening.  Basically we skip our meals, or any form of food, until dinner on Friday evening. We do take liquids (juice, water, coffee, tea etc. So you can see we're not too strict!)
• Whenever we feel hungry we remember to pray.  It's amazing how often one thinks of food when you are fasting!  So, I get a lot of 'little' prayers in during the day.
• Use the time and food you would have used for eating for something else.  I normally take the time I would have used to eat lunch and breakfast and set it aside for reading the scriptures and engaging in specific prayers for particular people and causes.  Our prayers have focussed on children who are sick and their families for the past four years. You might even consider taking the food you would have eaten at lunch time and sharing it with someone who is hungry?

Would you consider joining us in prayer and fasting tomorrow?  Only do this if you are not suffering from any medical condition!  I would also ask you to use some of your time in prayer tomorrow praying for our daughter Courtney who will go for cancer surgery next week Thursday (23 September).

If you do choose to fast and have anything to share from your experience please would you share your experiences and thoughts with us here?

Thank you! Second most popular South African blog in religion

The Mail & Guardian newspaper runs a service called Amatomu that ranks blogs and websites on various criteria.  One of the metrics is the number of visitors to a blog.  

Among the top blogs in South Africa are friends such as Steve Hayes' Khanya blog (which is a far better blog than mine!), my friend Gus' Church blog (Paarl Methodist Church), Mark Penrith's very popular 'Because He lives', Roger Saner's Future Church blog (also a favourite), and then there's Stephen Murray's blog - perhaps one of the best designed blogs among us, and Thomas Scarborough's "Urban Ministry Live" blog.  

I'm pleased to say that Mark, Steve and Stephen are also members of the Lausanne Blogger Network!

However, your visits have placed my blogs at numbers 2 and number 15 respectively in South Africa.  Thank you for looking in from time to time, moreover, I am grateful that you interact with the content that I post (I realize that some of it is rather eclectic!).  This blog - An uncommon path - actually gets more hits than Dion's Random Ramblings.  However, it is listed 13 places lower on the ranking.  The list can be a little flaky at times (I have seen with a few blogs that they often get stuck at the point where the amatomu.com code loads...  So, I removed the code from this blog for a few weeks.  I have since discovered that it is better to use the non-java version of the tracker code.  That seems to have sorted the problem out!)

I have had both of my blogs in the top 5 a few times, and Dion's Random Ramblings has been at number 1 a few times.  I'm not sure how accurate the statistics are (as I said above), but it is great to be able to give the blog some validation as a source of religious (and particularly Christian) interest in South Africa.

How many visitors do I get per day?  

Well, I normally get around 250-300 visitors a day to each blog.  This blog has gone as high as 1500 visitors a day - depending on the topic of my post and its relationship to a particular event in the news.

If you have any suggestions for improving both the content, and making it easier for you to interact with me and the content, then please leave a comment below or drop me an email.  I would love to hear from you!

I know that I break some cardinal 'blogger rules' by not posting only within a single genre, writing posts that are a little too long, and not posting enough 'link bait'.  But, my blog is a fun and personal space!  It reflects my life and thoughts...

God bless,

Dion

Update on Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 9:14AM by Dr Dion Forster

Well, it seems that the 'non-java' version of the amatomu.com code that I am using for my blog ranking works better than the previous 'java' code.

As of today (Sunday 19 September 2010, which is less than a week after the original post above) this blog has climbed 8 places from 15 to 7.  It may soon be back in the top 5.

One of the questions I was asked was how my other blog (Dion's random ramblings) could still be so popular even though I no longer post to it.  As one person rightly pointed out, when they don't update their blog for a while it looses popularity.

Indeed, that is often the case when your blog visits are from a regular group of persons who navigate to your blog to view your content.  However, search engine optimization does account for a large number of the visitors to that blog.  By this I mean, Google ranks a blog based on how many successful searches terminate to that blog (i.e., when people search for a topic, your blog is listed as an option, and it gets clicked - your blog's prominence is increased by google and you rank higher on the search page).  Another element that makes your blog more prominent is the length of time that it has existed (older blogs with higher terminated searches rank higher than new blogs with higher traffic).  Since this blog has been running since 2005 it has had years and years of terminated search traffic to make it a popular blog.

Let me list an example of this.  But, first let me give a caveat.  You may notice from some earlier posts that I follow a discipline of not 'googling' my name or my posts.  It may sound silly, but I don't really want to get sucked into responding to what will get me a higher ranking or more popular ranking on google etc.,

However, that being said I was alerted some time ago that my first name 'Dion' ranks on the first page of google when it is searched for.  Now, that is quite remarkable since there are some very famous Dion's in the world (Celine Dion, Dion diMucci etc.) Yet, if you search for 'Dion' my name will appear on the first page of google in the top 5 ranked pages for that name. In truth I am not a person of any kind of consequence, I certainly have no public profile, yet there it is... And of course the reason is that the page ranks high because it has existed for a long time.

There is one other reason why that blog (which I no longer update) still grows in popularity - linkbacks.  Any website that is linked to by other websites (particularly more prominent and popular websites) give prominence to it.  Over the years my site has been linked to from thousands of blogs and websites (for various reasons).

So, there you have it!

In short, as a minister of religion, I would of course be happy to have my blog climbing in prominence and ranking.  This allows me to share the message about which I am passionate (God's transforming and gracious love for the world) with many more people.  It is a bit like having a 'growing congregation'.

Suffering and ministry - an interview with Ajith Fernando

Yesterday afternoon I had the privelage of participating in an interview with Ajith Fernando. The interview was arranged by Jon Hirst who heads up the Lausanne Blogger Network. Please also see this article by Jon Hirst on the Lausanne Blog (Barriers don't equal thwarted ministry).

Among the participants on the call were 'Tall Skinny Kiwi'. You can read Andrew's post here - thanks Andrew, it was good to hear your voice.

The interview with Ajith was structured around a pre-Congress paper that he has prepared for the upcoming Lausanne Congress in Cape Town.  You can read his article here:  “To Serve is to Suffer.”

Central to Ajith's discussion is that far too frequently Christian workers (ministers, missionaries etc.) see suffering and hardship as an indication that they are NOT within the will of God.

As a result there is a tendency to leave service in a particular region, or within a particular ministry area since suffering and hardship is seen as an indication that God is not blessing the work the person is involved in.

This line of thinking raised a number of critical points for consideration.

Subtle hedonism in contemporary Western ecclesiology - the allure of prosperity and success.

As I participated in the interview a thought emerged - perhaps the subtle influence of secular hedonism has found fertile ground in the Christian West, and even found theological substance through the triumphalism of the Christian Church in first world countries?

In a world where success is measured by the size of the Church building, the budget for media and outreach, where the most successful ministers represent CEO's more than servants, it is not surprising that we have 'bought' the notion that success can be directly equated with God's blessing.

I have heard colleagues speaking of a particular Church or Pastor being blessed because they have a large congregation, a healthy salary (or stipend) and perhaps drive a fancy car and live in a good neighborhood. This is certainly the image that is portrayed by popular Christian programming on most Christian television stations.

As a result some Christian ministers can easily come to believe that if they face hardship, struggle, or simply are not seeing massive numerical growth in their ministry, that they are not within God's divine will.

Somehow we have forgotten that God chose to establish His gracious reign not by power, but by grace, not from an earthly throne, but from the suffering of the cross of Christ. I would do well to be reminded that servanthood requires humility, and humility often involves humble circumstances and even suffering.

Pseudo martyrdom - the glorification of suffering and poverty.

Another interesting thought that emerged for me was the notion that in some contexts suffering and poverty are romanticized (e.g., missionaries who go from first world settings to serve in poorer settings. Or, in South Africa where we have urban ministers moving to impoverished rural areas). I have little doubt that so much good work gets done by persons who take such a sacrificial approach to ministry. However, I am always concerned for their wellbeing, and even more so for the wellbeing of their families in such circumstances.

In my opinion romanticizing suffering in ministry is as dangerous as chasing after success and comfort.  Whilst some are called to suffer for the faith I am always extremely cautious of those who 'seek out suffering' for the sake of their ministry.  In my own experience, and I share this with great authenticity and even embarrassment, I have sometimes suffered for the faith in order to make a point or to satisfy a need for attention for a cause, or worse even my ego.  It is even more frightening when one considers that in some instances innocent persons (the children of ministers) may be subjected to emotional, or even physical, harm because of choices that are made on their behalf.

I would encourage persons who intend to enter the mission field or ministry at great personal cost to do so under very careful advice and care of a group of persons.  Be sure to understand the implications of your choice, and as far as it is possible please set up structures of support for yourself and your family.

I personally believe that God cannot be honoured when families are destroyed through suffering in ministry.

Obedience versus balance

What stood out for me from Ajith's engagement with the bloggers was his strong emphasis upon radical obedience to Christ and Christ's call. The contemporary secular call is for a balanced life. What is most often implied in this is some form of balance between physical demands (the need for rest, a stable income, amiable working conditions etc.) and emotional wellbeing (stress management, good working relationships, support to deal with traumatic experiences etc.).

Indeed, balance is a very good start, but it is not enough in ministry! What is needed is obedience, and not the kind of obedience that leads to suffering, but the kind of obedience that leads one to live and act within the will of God. Surely this kind of obedience is contextual (being an obedient minister in Sri Lanka may be different from being an obedient minister in California).

Ajith was not naive about the hardships and struggles of ministry. In fact in answer to a question he suggested various means to support persons who face physical, emotional or spiritual hardship. Among other things he suggested the need for a strong and supportive community of care, accountability to wise and trusted persons on matters of scheduling, financial commitments etc. He also encouraged the creation of space for open dialogue, the sharing of frustration and disappointment as well as the opportunity to craft realistic expectations within a particular ministry context.

In short, I found his approach very pastoral and responsible. It balanced the reality that sometimes a call to ministry will involve struggle, and perhaps even suffering. It acknowledged that we have created a culture in which we try to avoid struggle at all costs (sometimes even 'spiritualising' necessary sacrifice by labeling it an indication of a lack of God's blessing). Yet, at the same time he encouraged the formation of structures to support ministers and their families in their servant role in community. Service is seldom easy, and the calling to service will require a great deal of spiritual, emotional and physical support.

Concluding questions.

I am still left with one question - in the tradition of spiritual discernment there may be some instances in which a lack of personal fulfilment, or the presence of some form of suffering (spiritual, physical or emotional) may be an indication that the person is in the wrong place or doing the wrong things. How can one tell the difference between true spiritual discernment and plain struggle?

You may have some answers or suggestions! I'd love to hear from you if you do.

Please let me also encourage you to join the Lausanne Global Conversation. It is a wonderful platform for engagement around a myriad of issues related to knowing Christ and making Him known throughout the world.

Update on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 12:20PM by Dr Dion Forster

P.S., some friends responded to my tweet about how I did the conference call for the interview (see the original tweet here).

I had a meeting just before the call (scheduled for 7am Eastern Standard Time, which is 15.00 Central African Time), and had to drive to another meeting that started at 16.00.  So, I connected my mifi 2352 and launched skype on my iPad and connected to the first part of the call while driving.  Fortunately by the time all the participants were on the call and we were ready to start I had reached my destination.

Skype works really well on the iPad - I have some skype out credit loaded so I can also use it to make phone calls to regular and cell phone numbers.  But in this case the call was hosted by freeconferencing.com - so all I had to do was dial their toll free number in the USA to be connected at no cost.

I am truly grateful for the technology that I have been blessed with.  It helps me so much as I try to fit in all of the different parts of my ministry (in my case I could have done with a bit more 'balance' yesterday ;-)

Making memories

This weekend was a gift to our family! Since all travels have been halted until after Courtney's surgery we enjoyed a rare weekend at home without any commitments!

We slept in, went to the beach, rode our bikes in the back yard, went to Church and also drove through to beautiful Hermanus to see the whales.

Megie and I needed the 'space' and time to catch up with one another and chart the course ahead. We are both feeling bruised and a little weary. And of course our hearts are very tender for our little girl and what lies ahead for her (see this and this for details). However, we are encouraged and strengthened by God's unfailing love and mercy! We have experienced His love, mercy and grace through to kindness of so many friends and family.

Both Courts and Liam are getting healthy again. Liam may return to school after his bout of tonsillitis, pneumonia and ear infection (which all seem to be clearing). Courts won't return to school until after her surgery. However, she will participate in the school concert this week and also in the guitar concert on the 20th.

Thank you for all the love and support we've received!

This weekend was a chance to make memories. These are a few pictures from the weekend.

A quick update on Courts and Liam 10 September 2010

It's Friday! Megie, Courts, Liam and I were supposed to be in JHB this weekend for a family celebration - Megie's brother Craig and his fiance Kath are out from England as well.

Alas, that was not to be. But, at least we have the weekend together at home! Which is a rare event in itself! We're looking forward to some quality (and quantity) time together this weekend. I have taken a day's leave today to be at home with Liam and Courtney since Megie has to get back to her office to get some work done for the Lausanne Congress for which she works.

I have also cancelled my trip to Hong Kong next week. So, I look forward to being home with the family for the week ahead as well. I am truly grateful to my friend Graham Power who amended his INCREDIBLY busy schedule to fly to Hong Kong in place of me and spend two days there handling the speaking engagements that Michelle Harding and I were to do. Thanks Graham! Of course if the truth be told I know that our friends in Hong Kong would have loved to have Graham from the very start, but he is just so busy. I know that they will be incredibly blessed by him and our team on this visit.

OK, update time.

First, Megie, Courts, Liam and I want to say how grateful we are for all the messages of encouragement and support. We have been so blessed by your care. Friends have called, sent text messages and posted messages here on the blog and on facebook and twitter. We also had meals dropped off (yum, yum!) Thank you so very much!

The picture below was taken last year (some time towards the end of summer) at our local beach (Strand beach). Happy times, ice-cream, sunshine and sea! We're looking forward to getting back to these joy filled days soon!

Yesterday one of Courtney's previous teachers (Mrs Bev Austen) dropped off two little books that her class of 3rd grade students made for Courtney. My goodness, these little kiddies have such a wonderful grasp of care and compassion.

Here are two pictures from the one book. Wonderful!

And here's another one with a little prayer.

So, our two little 'patients' are both doing better. Courtney will see her doctor today at 12.45 to check on the infection in her eye. I am pleased to say that the visible swelling is almost completely gone. She will still go for a CAT scan next week some time to be sure. But, she is in good spirits. As mentioned in a previous post she will not go back to school (probably until some time in early to mid October). However, since her surgery has been shifted to the 23rd she will get to participate in her school concert on the 13th and will still do her 'solo' in the guitar concert on the 20th. She is very excited!

As for little Liam - well, I think we just underestimated how vulnerable he still is to infection (even after all these years!) Having him at the hospital to visit Courts was obviously a little too much for his immune system. By Wednesday morning the doctor diagnosed him with tonsillitis, a double ear infection and pneumonia... But, I am pleased to say that he too is looking so much better. The fever has all but gone and we have him on a nebulizer and various medications. So, he too should be well by early next week.

My friend Cois sent me a very encouraging verse from scripture earlier in the week. It has been a source of great comfort.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. A Simple Guide for Behavior ~ Matt 6.34 (MSG).

Today is Friday, and that means that Megie and I will be fasting and praying again. This has been our spiritual discipline for the past four years (almost). As we pray and fast for children and parents. Today this journey takes us in another direction.

So, we appreciate all of the care, love and support! Indeed, we know that we are held within the loving and gracious hands of God; we hear His loving encouragement through your words, and feel his gracious power through your care.

God bless,

Dion

An update on Courtney 8 September 2010

A quick update on Courts.

We’ve just arrived back from the hospital – Courtney has been discharged!

Her eye is looking so much better. We saw the neurosurgeon. It was an emotional meeting. He was very calm and explained everything to Courtney and gave her a chance to ask questions etc. He showed her the ‘acorn’ in her brain and explained why it was giving her headaches and making her a little clumsy. He also showed her how he will remove it and told her that once we have it out we can see what the next step will be.

Of course she is a little scared and quite emotional, but we have assured her of God’s power and love. Also, we have great trust in the doctor’s expertise and skill. We know that the Lord will use every means at His disposal to restore her to full health before we know it!

The surgery has been scheduled for the 23rd of September – as we had thought the 15th is a little too soon. They need to be certain that the infection from the eye is completely clear before trying to remove the tumor. The risk of cross infection and meningitis is too high for an earlier surgery. The neurosurgeon feels comfortable with this new timeframe. We will see her other doctor on Friday and then go for a cat-scan before the surgery.

Courts will not return to school for the next while (perhaps mid October). We’ve met with her teacher and have their full support.

I’m afraid to say that the devil is still trying to break our resolve – last night Liam fell ill again! Can you believe it? We had him at his doctor this morning. The doctor has diagnosed him with tonsillitis, pneumonia and a double ear infection... He is on a bucketful of medicine! We would appreciate your prayers for his swift recovery as well.

Well, that is our news for now. Thank you so much for your prayers and care. We all appreciate it a great deal! Courts sends her love, as do Megie and LtG!

News about Courtney's health - please pray with us

Dear friends,

Megan and I wanted to write something to explain what is happening with Courtney's health. Rumors tend to fly thick and fast. We would rather that our friends know the truth, and in doing so hold Courts, Liam and the two of us in prayer.

What has happened so far.

On Sunday the 5th of September Courts woke up with a very swollen right eye. She had a bad cold the week before. Megie took her to our doctor - he later admitted her to hospital. Essentially it seems that an infection had spread into her sinuses and when she was blowing her nose it spread behind the right eye which caused her eye and face to swell up.

On Monday the 6th of September, after spending the night in hospital, Courtney went for an MRI scan to ascertain exactly where the infection behind her eye was, and if there was any damage to the lining of the ocular cavity that would need surgical repair, or if there was an abscess that would need to be drained.

While examining the MRI our doctor discovered a tumor of about 2.5cm in height, and 1.5cm in breadth in the fourth cerebral ventricle of Court's brain.

A few requests from our side.

Naturally this comes as a great shock to all of us. Here's what we would like to ask of you.

1. Please pray for Courtney. Naturally we are asking for God to heal her completely. We believe God is able to this in many wonderful ways. We are blessed with a wonderful team of doctors, but please pray specifically for our neurosurgeon. 2. Tomorrow (8 September 2010) we will share the news with Courtney as we meet with the neurosurgeon again. Cancer can be a very scary thing for a little girl! We have told Courtney that the doctor has discovered the reason why she has been getting headaches and been a little 'clumsy' over the last while. 3. Please silence any rumors that you may hear about Courtney's condition. We know that she will receive the best treatment possible and that she will be completely well. We are trusting God to use every means at His disposal to work this wonderful miracle! We are taking the journey one step at a time. First the infection in her eye needs to settle so that she can have the brain surgery. Then once the surgery is done we will know what kind of tumor she has and can decide how to proceed with treatment from there.

Please pray that she will be shielded from fear and that Megan and I will have all the wisdom, love and courage that we need to support her, Liam and one another.

The way ahead (as we see it today).

As of today Courts is in hospital receiving antibiotics and cortisone to clear the infection in her eye. She cannot have the surgery for the tumor until the doctor is certain that there will be no cross infection. Her eye is looking so much better today and so our neurosurgeon has scheduled to meet with the three of us tomorrow morning at 9am and then to do the surgery on the 15th of September.

Naturally an oncologist will do tests to determine what further treatment is necessary (if any). It is difficult to say what that treatment will involve. It may be that the surgery is enough, it may be that she needs radiation treatment or something else.

God's faithfulness.

We are so grateful for God's abundant mercy and grace. We know that we are experiencing what Romans 8.28 says, "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him". If Courtney did not have a cold, and did not pick up the infection behind her eye (as painful as it is), she would never have gone for the MRI and we may only have discovered this tumor too late.

Now, we have a great sense of God's love and peace. An abiding scripture over the last few days has been Lamentations 3:21-25 which says:

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him". The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him..."

Thank you for your friendship and care! Please remember to pray for Courtney and for us. I'm afraid that we don't have the time to return all the calls and text messages we receive, please do feel free to leave any messages here and we will make sure to share them with Courts at the appropriate time.

God bless,

Dion, Megan, Courtney and Liam

Daniel conference / konferensie 2010 - just what I needed!

Just like a motorcar needs a 'tune up' from time to time in order to run well, I have discovered that I need constant reminders of what matters most in life - a spiritual and emotional 'tune up' of sorts! A renewing of my faith in community!

The speakers at this year's Daniel Conference / Konferensie included Braam Kloppper, Alan Platt, Jannie de Beer, Stephan Joubert, Peet Grobelaar and myself. Lious Brits took care of the worship in such a magnificent way!

Last week we kicked the conference off in Cape Town - it was such an incredible time! We had about 600 men together of all ages and races. I was reminded of my need for a deep and intimate spirituality. I was also reminded that as a father and husband I have a great responsibility to care for the needs of my family and reach out to the community in which I have the privilege of living.

My own talk focussed on taking up the responsibility of being a faithful Christ follower in the work place - I am convinced that as Christians we have such incredible opportunities to 'touch' the world with God's transforming love. Not only can we reach people through God's transforming love, we can also encounter systems with God's justice, mercy and grace. On Monday at work you can do as much to declare God's worth by changing a policy that causes pain and suffering for people as you can by declaring God's worth and glory in song, prayer and liturgy on a Sunday.

Your interactions with people can create great blessing and joy for those around you. Work can be worship (Col 3.23).

If you are interested in reading moreabout the practical ideas and scriptures that can inform you to turn your WHOLE life into an act of blessing and worship then please take a look at the book that Graham Power and I wrote together called, 'Transform your work life: Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling'.

Please see http://bit.ly/transformwork for all the details about the book. Just to mention that the costs from the sale of these books go entirely to the Unashamedly Ethical campaign.

So, if you purchase a copy you're not only learning about ministry in your work life and work place, you're also supporting a good cause! You can also download the first few chapters of the book at the top of my website.

Today I will be speaking at the Daniel Conference in Pretoria. I am a little nervous (to say the least!) there are 3500 men gathered here. Please pray for these men, and also for me!

If you attended the Daniel Conference in Cape Town, or here at Moreleta Park, please share a testimony, some feedback or your thoughts! I'd love to hear from you!

I am humbled to have the opportunity to share with these men and I pray that God will use them and bless them to achieve His perfect desire to transform our nation!

The breakdown of social control and the democratization of intimacy

I remember when I was conscripted into the army more than two decades ago. I went into social isolation - it was long before cell phones and the remote military base where I was trained only had one working public telephone for the few hundred troops stationed there.

I forgot my birthday that year! The 14th of January came and went... It was some days later when I met the only other guy from my town at the dining hall when I realised that I had turned a year older.  Because I was completely cut off from my regular social circle during my basic training I had no concept of the social milestones of life.

This is an extreme example, but in reality contemporary society is shaped towards social control.  Pre-schools for infant children are little more than places in which children are lovingly (I hope!) taught to endure longer and longer periods of isolation from their regular social circle.  The children learn to be away from their families for extended periods of time.  They also learn to perform tasks that will make them a productive part of society at some point. Primary and secondary schooling takes this a step further (children dress in a uniform to differentiate them from home, they are ranked in classes and groups according to their language, age, and even intellect - all the while they are punished for using cell phones to phone or text friends and parents). Of course the workplace is another setting that enforces social control.  How many companies do you know that do not allow social networking technologies, such as instant messaging, skype, and facebook and such tools? With the advent of separate working and living areas people often leave their familiar surroundings behind for hours at a time (perhaps most of their waking hours) to enter into an environment that is not geared towards social support and intimacy.  The workplace is intended to restrict such distractions.  Sometimes there are safety concerns, but most often it has to do with productivity and finance.

However, with the rise of accessible social media technologies I have seen a remarkable trend towards the democratization of intimacy - what does this mean?  Well, let me give you an example.  This morning I arrived at my office at 5.45 AM.  I had an early meeting - however, at 7.30 AM I pulled myself aside and used my cellular phone to call my wife and children at home to 'connect' with them and wish them well for the day.  I was taking back my need for intimacy with my family.

I frequently travel (this weekend I shall be in Johannesburg, and in just over a week I shall be in Hong Kong and China for a week).  Skype makes this much more bearable!  It started for me back in 2005 when I was on a sabbatical in America.  While staying on the Duke University Campus in North Carolina I would connect my Apple Powerbook via wifi and use iChat (I have of course since moved onto Skype) to connect with my wife and infant daughter back in South Africa.  We would leave the video camera running as I worked, ate my meals, watched TV etc. My wife and daughter would go about their daily tasks.  It was almost as if we were in the same room!  We could see and hear one another, yet we were separated by thousands of miles!

More recently since my son was born I have truly come to appreciate this technology anew - for some years he was too young to talk on the phone.  Video conferencing (that is mostly FREE!) is an incredible way to cultivate and sustain a relationship when one has to be away from home - particularly when your son is too young to talk.

Of course there are many other ways in which people are subverting social control and 'taking back' intimacy! Text messaging is perhaps one of the most pervasive forms of 'communication technology'.  It is affordable and has a very broad reach (most people have cellular phones). For the wealthier population, facebook, twitter and other such social networking tools seem to be mechanisms of choice.

I wonder how long it will be before corporations realise that you can't stop people from connecting with one another; soon we will move from separating workers from their lives, towards integrating their intimacy needs with their family into a healthy working environment. I know that Google, for example, provides on site child care, flexible working hours and other such benefits to help staff deliver their best work while keeping this social balance.

The sociologist - Stefana Broadbent - did an amazing talk on this topic of social networking and intimacy at TED. It is well worth watching.  Her research shows how people are taking back intimacy in a world of social control. 

I'd love to hear how you keep contact with your family and friends in spite of the constraints of social control. What works best for you?  Is it the trusty old phone call, or do you use text messaging, skype, or even Apple's 'facetime'? I know a few people who have turned to Blackberry Messenger of late, and of course for those of us in the iPhone 'Whatsapp' is a great IM alternative!

Another article published (Lausanne World Pulse) - Business as Ministry

It is always humbling to have an article published! I am particularly grateful that my article on Business as Mission was published in the September Lausanne World Pulse!

It deals with a subject that I am passionate about!

I'd be grateful if you'd read it here and encourage others to do the same.

Thanks!

Dion

Two beasts in my garden!

[This post was roared last week Sunday, but I never got to post it. Tonight I am relaxing in Johannesburg, missing my wife, kids (and bicycle ;-). So I thought I'd post it]

Behind the tree is my friend Percy's Scott Ransom 30 downhill bike. This is a mean machine! He kindly loaned it to me so that a friend from the US (Nathan Wendorff) who is visiting us here in Cape Town can ride.

The Ransom is a very versatile bike, although a bit on the heavy side. But it does have lock out full suspension. It could work as a cross country bike if it is the only bike one has. However, it comes into it's own on fast, technical single track.

In front of the tree is my 2008 Mongoose Canaan Comp. It is the entry level full suspension bike - I would love an 'Elite' or a 'Team' (the new black and red ones are awesome). However, my bike has been fantastic! I've done close to 3000 km on it in the last three years and had a few spectacular tumbles! Yet, it just keeps on keeping on!

It is always in full suspension mode so one looses some energy on the flat and the climb. But on the downhill, single track and rough climbs it simply sticks to the track. It is very forgiving. I often manage to get over obstacles that more experienced riders on hardtail bikes struggle with. Partly it is comfort, partly it is confidence.

I was speaking to my friend Philip today and saying that I mostly ride for the pure fun of it. Of course I am pleased with the resultant health and particularly how it keeps my weight down and manages my stress. But most of the time I will wake up early, on sunny days and rainy days, just because I know that I'll have fun on the mountain.

Indeed, this is my 'otium sanctum' (Holy leisure). What do you do for fun and relaxation?

If you desire peace...

Indeed, this is true.

If you desire peace, cultivate justice, but at the same time cultivate the field to produce more bread; otherwise there will be no peace. - Norman Borlaug from his Nobel Lecture

Peace, justice and empowerment go hand in hand.