20 posts tagged “god”
Two Turkish friends who are Christians sent me an email with these links about what is going on in their country at the moment - they are published on a Christian website - so, of course, they come from that perspective. But I provide for interests sake anyway. Turkey is currently 98% Muslim (I think?) but also has a fascinating connection with Christianity as many of the early churches were in that country.
Thanks bookmole for sharing these amazing photographs from UNICEF - please take a look.
As Fred Dagg once sang: "We don't know how lucky we are."
What small act of kindness have you done in the last thirty days?
Submitted by One Kind Act.
On Sunday, myself a friend saw an old man hanging around the food chiller at a chain coffee shop in the City of London - he was furtively handling an overpriced plastic container of salad. I could immediately tell he was homeless. I immediately offered to buy him something. He seemed really appreciative and told me he had been planning to steal something. He chose a ham and cheese panini - then went and sat outside and I brought it to him.
Clowns: delightful or terrifying?
Pathologically loathe them - especially couldn't stand that trend in New Zealand churches in the 1980s for cutesy Christian clowning - which was supposed to bring people to know Jesus. But probably just made people (most Kiwis are not interested in Christianity) think we were more lunatic than ever.
Me and the lazy feminist culture vulture (as she describes herself) went to see the very interesting Sacred exhibition at the world class British Library. It's a really lovely setting, design and surprisingly modern architecture - not at all stuffy as it sounds.
Very worth seeing the scholarly exhibition (I must go back and take a second look) - but we hadn't seen each other for a while so ended up chat, chat, chatting about things (which was rather girly and fun).
Decided to give up on trying to talk in hushed reverent tones and headed off for a coffee. As the theme of the exhibition was looking at common streams between Judaism, Christianity and Islam it made for some rather interesting dialogue mixed in with discussions about Nicole Kidman's acting ability and whether the characters in the American version of The Office are believable as the ones in the original British version. We did agree that Jim is pretty dishy though....
Experience this Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend as a 'single' once more - gee it bit the big one (eg it sucked).
Got attacked by terrible loneliness. I really hate being single. Plus the weather was horrendous, which meant you couldn't even hardly go out for a walk or anything.
I got out and about on Sunday - I visited a Holy Trinity Brompton (of Alpha course fame) church plant called St Paul's Shadwell. Has that friendly warmth about it that HTB churches generally do. It is known as the church of sea captains 'cos a lot of them used to live around there as it's close to the Thames. For a Kiwi it was very interesting to discover that the man to do the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand - Captain James Cook - was an 'active parishoner'.
Also visited the BFI building on the Southbank which has had a fantastic revamp - it used to be horrible with a cramped layout. Now they have added a wonderful shop, gallery (free of charge) and mediatheque (also free of charge). Definitely worth a visit.
Actually that part of my weekend didn't suck. What did stuck was being stuck at home in the miserable rain, unable to go out for a walk (well I could have - but it would have been a bit damp). For some bizarre reason I ended up watching some sappy bilge on BBC (at least they don't have ads to stretch it out any further). These films were:
I know - I can't believe I did that. Then there was a really decent thriller on TV later (most decent films get relegated to the post 11pm slot in the UK) - but I got too tired to watch the rest of it. It's one of the few I've seen where Jack Nicholson actually seems to act - rather than shout all the time like everything else I've ever seen him in recently. I think it's definitely worth me getting out on DVD at some later point in time - because I really want to know what happens. And I'm not a huge Jack Nicholson fan.
Had a phone call from my ex last Friday - poor guy was warning me that he had £174 ripped out of his account - he thinks someone cloned his bank card at the restaurant where we broke up. He wanted to make sure that the same thing didn't happen to me as well and advised me to check my bank statements....he really is a decent person to do that (which made me a bit wistful, thoughtful and sad).
I don't have enough money for anyone steal and I don't have an overdraft for them to exploit either. So- there are some advantages to having your bank hate you so much they don't want to give you credit!
Book: Show us a book that you like to give as a gift.
Submitted by Ross.
I always find myself giving the above as a gift or recommending it to people.
This above documentary made by BBC reporter Louis Theroux was broadcast on television here in the UK last night. It really is shocking. We were all talking about it at work this morning. Take a look at the clips, or maybe download the podcast and let me know what you think. What I do like about Louis is that he humanises the subjects in his documentaries - showing them as deeply flawed people rather than making them into monsters.
Book: Show us the latest book you bought, borrowed or received.
I was thinking of buying this at a Christian bookshop in Bethnal Green a few weeks ago - couldn't afford it. Anyway - the same day later that day I found it on the bus. Odd - no one claimed it even though I asked around - so I took it home. Was it coincidence or did God want me to read that book? As they say on Big Brother you decide....
Can't seem to shake this negative mood that seems to be besetting me - not sure if it's my beloved city London, spiritual causes, body chemistry or a few uncertain circumstances surrounding me at the moment. Feel unsure whether to stay in the UK/London or it's time to move on to greener pastures. But I think everything always looks better in a place where you aren't! No where in this broken, fallen world is perfect.
I would just like to know where (and when) God wants me to be - his timing is perfect and if I'm meant to be finishing up here. As I've mentioned before I want to finish well and finish when God wants me to. Not run away from problems - I believe there are worse problems in this world than the ones I face right here, right now in London town.
