Mertyl (the Vespa a.ka. The orange bomber) at the beach

It is a perfect winter's day in Cape Town, after doing a little work and taking care of a few things around the house we decided to take the 2 min drive to Strand Beach. I rode down on Mertyl, while Megan, Courtney and Liam came by car.

Another perfect day!

Film shoot for 'The invocation'

Today I had the great privilege to be asked to give an interview for a new movie called 'The Invocation'.

It is an ambitious project where the Director / Producer (Immanuel Etier) has gone around the world interviewing persons that he has identified as 'religious leaders' from various faiths - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and even politicians and scientists etc.

I'm not sure how I got on the list... But, I am thankful to have had a chance! Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and various other significant South Africans were interviewed for the movie.

If you're interested in finding out about the project you can watch the video below. It is a 7 minute youtube video.

I was asked questions about my view of God, my understanding of the role and function of religion, the relationship between Christianity and other faiths, and of course the role of faith in bringing about peace and combating religious fanaticism. It was wonderful to meet Emmanuel, he is a wonderful, energetic, and passionate person.

I'll let you know when I find out when the movie will be screened. The aim is to have it done by November this year and roll it out across the world.

It's a beautiful day!

A few clouds catching the rising sun over Radloff Park in Somerset West! It's a beautiful day - this 1 block from our new home in Land and Zee zight, Somerset West.

What's the plural of Thesis? Theses! Yes... I know...

Well.... I thought it was quite funny! (from here).

Cory Doctorow's Business lectures on "Life in the Information Economy"

Cory Doctorow is one of my favorite bloggers - his insights are keen, he is a leader in information rights and ownership, and he is a great storyteller and author. Cory recently delivered some lectures at Cambridge in the UK entitled "Life in the Information Economy".

One of the things that Cory has helped me to realise is that information has often been unequally linked to capital gain - i.e., people write not for pleasure or to share ideas and information, but people write in order to craft the most 'popular' and 'salable' work in order to make money... The problem with this equation is that it shackles one's thoughts to whatever is acceptable, popular and consumer oriented. This kind of mindset will seldom push the boundaries and present anything new. The second 'side effect' is that it robs you of sharing your real wealth with the world! If you have to sell what you produce you are limiting your audience to those who have money, and within that audience to those who are willing to spend their money on your product...

Cory was the one who encouraged me to give away my books (or at least make electronic copies available for free download). Since doing this I have had more readers, more feedback (and more sales!)... In Steve Biko's words I write what I like, and I am pleased to say that quite a few people are reading what I write because they don't have to stretch themselves to get it! They don't have to make choices about whether it is worth spending the money to buy a book, or whether my book is better than someone else's books... They can simply download the books, dip in, see if it catches their fancy, or move on to something else.

Well, you can watch Cory's lectures here! Enjoy...

Porn, hate speech, youtube videos of cats.... But, what would we do without you? Happy Birthday 'the internet'!

Happy Birthday internets!!! You're only 17 years old, and already you know so much more than anyone else on earth! Sure, you have your darker side (porn, hate speech, Britney Spears websites, and youtube videos of cats), but then you also have your wonderful aspects (internet banking, email, facebook, youtube videos of people miming Britney Spears songs...) So, on the whole we're proud of you, and we wouldn't know what to do without you!

So, here's wishing the internet a happy birthday, and many happy returns!

To read more about the 'birth' of the internet go here.

Even though everything's different, nothing seems to change!

A friend of mine is reading a number of books and articles on the History of the Church and the Christian faith at present - he is doing some research for a conference.

He's been sending through 'tidbits' of insights and quotes as something 'sparks' him. I found the quote below both challenging and interesting. The following section describes Christianity and society in England in the 18th century.

First, a bit on English society:

In 1776 England was in such shocking state that some historians says that some people became more savage than any since the world began. Some men sold their wives by auction in the cattle market. Immorality was so rampant that most birth registers were filled with illegitimate births. Drunkennes was so common that even five year olds would be seen lying drunk in the gutters. Public houses advertised: Guaranteed drunk for a penny, dead drunk for tuppence. Vulgar demonstrations were the order of the day. Sex shows with immorality openly displayed could be seen on the streets. High society had low morals, from the throne to the House of Lords and the House of Commons; many of these men kept mistresses openly and had children by them. Gambling was common among both rich and poor. Women wore such scanty dresses that one historian remarked: "She was as naked as a Greek sex goddess", at a ball where the king , who enjoyed the open flouting of convention by public showing, off women's bodies, was present. The country was crippled by depression, tens of thousands being unemployed. Sometimes church services were disrupted with cursing, profanity and sputum; colleges were burned down and it seemed as if there were no hope for society. People were hanged for the most minor crimes, like spitting over the wall of a nobleman, but for these otrosities, there was no condemnation. Children as young as eight were hanged.

Then some comments on the Church in the midst of this great social turmoil.

Commenting on England in the mid-18th century Ryle writes: "Corruption, jobbing and mismanagement in high places was the rule, and purity the exception. ... To be a Dissenter was to be regarded as only one degree better than being seditious and a rebel. Rotten boroughs flourished, bribery among all classes was open, unblushing and profuse.... England seemed barren of all that is really good. How such a state of things could have arisen in a land of free Bibles and professing Protestantism is almost past comprehension. Christianity seemed to lie as one dead, ... Morality, however much exalted in pulpits, was thoroughly trampled underfoot in the streets. There was darkness in high places and darkness in low places - darkness in the court, the camp, the Parliament, and the bar - darkness in country, and darkness in town - darkness among rich and darkness among poor - a gross, thick, religious and moral darkness - a darkness that might be felt."

As to the churches of the time, Ryle says: "They were sound asleep .... Natural Theology, (without a single distinctive doctrine of Christianity), cold morality and barren orthodoxy formed the staple teaching both in church and chapel. Sermons everywhere were little better than miserable moral essays, utterly devoid of anything likely to awaken, convert or save souls. .... And as for the weighty truths for which Hooper and Latimer had gone to the stake, and Baxter and scores of Puritans had gone to jail, they seemed clean forgotten and laid on the shelf. When such was the state of things in churches and chapels, it can surprise no one to learn that the land was deluged with infidelity and scepticism. The prince of this world made good use of his opportunity. His agents were active and zealous in promulgating every kind of strange and blasphemous opinion. .... Of the utter incapacity of the pulpit to stem the progress of all this evil, one single fact will give us some idea. The celebrated lawyer, Blackstone, had the curiosity, early in the reign of George III, to go from church to church to hear every clergyman of note in London. He says he did not hear a single discourse which had more Christianity in it than the writings of Cicero, and that it would have been impossible for him to discover, from what he heard, whether the preacher were a follower of Confucius, Mohamed or Christ!"

Going on to comment on the clergy of the day, Bishop Ryle says: "They seemed determined to know everything except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When they assembled it was generally to toast 'Church and King' and to build one another up in earthly mindedness, prejudice, ignorance, and formality. When they retired to their own homes it was to do as little and preach as seldom as possible. And when they did preach, their sermons were so unspeakably and indescribably bad that it is comforting to reflect that they were generally preached to empty benches." (J C Ryle: Christian Leaders of the 18th Century.)

It sounds so familiar! Corrupt leaders, bad sermons, a self obsessed Church.... Instead of getting the best persons to do the necessary work of Christ led renewal and transformation with courage and commitment they seemed to be saddled with lukewarm, halfhearted attempts at religion, rather than life changing faith!

Then Terhoven comments:

For more than 30 years John Wesley and George Whitefield preached to the masses. Hundereds of thousands were saved. Suddenly the whole of Brittain changed. The nation began to prosper, slavery was abolished, and people started to live respectable lives. (Breath from Heaven, Ken Terhoven)

Perhaps we need a few Wesleys and one or two Whitefields... I am reminded, once again, of John Wesley's exhortation to the early Methodists - "There his no holiness without social holiness..."

[the]... gospel of Christ knows no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness. 'Faith working by love' is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection.

Faith working by love! Now that's something I can give my life to doing! Please see this post from my friend Rev. David Barbour.

Community impact Conference in Kempton Park

Graham Power and I flew to Johannesburg this morning where he was invited to address a few hundred business people on community transformation and development. I also had a chance to speak about the 'unashamedly ethical' campaign, see http://www.itnafrica.com for more info.

It was wonderful to have a chance to challenge the attendants of the conference, business people, a few mayors, a head of some local prisons, and some pastors and ministers.

The emphasis is upon helping these persons to live and work in a manner that establishes God's Kingdom rule of justice, provision, care and grace in practical ways (feeding, educating, developing and uplifting persons). We had a wonderful response to the challenge with many of the people signing the pledge form and commiting themselves to an 'unahsamedly ethical' lifestyle.

We're visiting a few of our own projects now (Serengeti, our R21 road project etc.) this afternoon, then we fly back to Cape Town tonight.

A great day of creating strategic partnerships between 'pulpit' and 'marketplace' ministries for the purpose of God's Kingdom.

Achievements and dreams...

I am a driven person. I work hard, and I like it. Yet, I have frequently come to realise just how empty achievements can be! After all, we were not created merely to achieve things for the sake of our own satisfaction. Rather, God created us to do great things for God's glory and fame.

I am preparing for a business bible study that I lead each Monday - we get between 20 to 30 persons who gather to study the beatitudes and the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7). Today we are looking at Matthew 5v6.

I found the following wonderful quote in William Barclay's 'Daily Bible study series' (a real classic):

"In his mercy God judges us, not by our achievements, but also by our dreams".

Here's a picture of my daughter and some of her friends. They have many years ahead of them. I pray that I will have the courage and the wisdom to help her dream big dreams!

Some encouragement and challenge for this week.

In my quiet time this morning I read the following verses - they served as an encouragement and challenge for the tasks of this week:

'This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labour and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe' 1 Timothy 4:9-10.

Good morning Bettiesbay!

We live in a magnificent part of the world! However, it was not known as the 'Cape of Storms' for nothing! The wind is blowing and it is freezing! The waves are quite large and powerful! It's a lovely, clear, windy day on the Cape coast. We'll be packing up to head home in a few hours (it's only a 20 minute drive). Someone once commented that the Cape winter can be a bit like a baby - if it is not wet, it is windy!

Oh, and Sivin, you are WELCOME to come any time! Just let me know when you guys can be here and I'll make the arrangements!

Otium sanctum... Betties Bay

We are taking a bit of 'holy leisure' (otium sanctum) in Betties bay at a friend's hoise. Behind us is the mountain, and in front we have the sea. Have a blessed weekend! We all deserve a little rest from time to time!