Movie Review

I love movies that impact your soul. I've seen some good ones this month.

The Last of The Mohicans is my favourite film of all time. All though it will never be surpassed Apocalyto has a similar feel to it. Set in the end times of the once great Mayan Civilisation, it features Jaguar Paw as it's hero. It's pretty gruesome in parts but a must-see for any men who have a little wildness in their hearts!

Set in the Johannesburg township of Soweto - where survival is the primary objective - TSOTSI traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking. It's a beautiful story of redemption. A must for lovers of Africa.

On that theme....I had just finished reading The Last King of Scotland novel. An amazing story of the moral corruption of Idi Amin's Uganda seen through the eyes of a Scottish doctor, raising issues of power, greed and poverty. The film was sexed up a bit and a little disappointing. Worth watching but if faced with a choice read the book instead.

If you're still with me then Blood Diamond is the one you must see. An amazing movie combining a great story with some serious social questions. The diamond industry, child soldiers, poverty, war, western greed, african corruption are all targeted. It asks every individual questions about their choices and morality.

I didn't sleep on Saturday night after watching it. I lay awake bombarded by questions and unrest:

-Why is the world so screwed up?

-Why is life so difficult for those who least deserve it?

-Do I really give a shit about Africa? and if so then why do I find myself talking about it much more often than doing something about it? A passion for change has to mean more than giving money and going on summer trips.

-On the big picture can I really make a difference? I understand Mother Teresa (and Jesus!) preaching about 'changing the world for one' but I mean on the big picture. How can I actually change anything?

-I love my job and my new house...could I sacrifice them?

etc etc.

Pray for Lins

Go to Al's blog for God's promises and to focus prayers.

Boarding

Put somemore pics from Norway on flickr. Here's a taster.......

The Benedictine Monks

I spent a couple of days with the Benedictine Monks in Rostrevor. I wanted some time alone to reflect on 2006, set goals for 2007 and pray for friends. This was just the place.

Guests are encourgaed to be silent during their stay. I found this quite difficult but extremely helpful in the end. It was quite amusing at dinner time on Friday. The monks cook up a big feed every night for themselves and their guests. Silence has to be observed during meal-times. It's like the awkward silence that can occur when you're at a person's house for dinner, except it carried on for the whole meal. I noticed that the monks were looking at me strangely and smiling to eachother. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable and felt like asking what the hell the big joke was.

The next day I was at a friends house wearing the same new jumper I had received for Christmas. It says 'Putta Madre' or something on it which she translated as 'Son of a Bitch'. I'm glad the monks saw the funny side!

I joined the monks for their prayers in the evening and the morning. This involved amazing singing and chanting of the Psalms and lots of incense. I immediatly thought of the things in the Catholic tradition that are missing from the Protestant tradition that I was brought up in (though I don't consider myself either now).

We have focused on a personal relationship and intimacy with God which is true and wonderful but I wonder has familiarity bred contempt in some cases. There was a sense of mystery, awe and fear in the monk's worship service that I feel we may have missed.

By the time Saturday morning came the silence was doing my head in so I found Brother Thierry and we had a great chat. I'll write more about this later.

Ciao Putta Madres

Hemsedal

Have returned battered and bruised from my extreme sports trip to Norway. Was a fantastic time. My first 3 days of snowboarding involved many wipe-outs and a lot of time on my ass. By the final two days j martin and myself finally achieved some semblance of mastery over the board.

This was also my first time a snowy mountain climate and I was constantly blown away by creation. One morning we took the lift as high as we could, took off our boards and climbed to the peak to watch the sunrise. I don't recall ever seeing anything as beautiful. Took some of the best photos I have ever taken but proceeded to erase the whole memory card by mistake (any computer whizz out there who can help??).

Can't imagine that a ski holiday can be topped. Physical exertion all day, relaxing in the jacuzzi and sauna then partying with great friends.

I'm hoping to spend a day or two with the Benedictine monks in Rostrevor before I go back to work.

Sing a new song in 2007.

Santa

Is it me or is the whole concept of Santa a tad strange. Most babies and small kids I know are scared of him. And rightly so.

Who is Santa?

• A fat old man with a beard who breaks into your house and eats your food.


• Us teachers teach kids about 'stranger danger', yet at Christmas little ones are forced by their parents to go into a dark room and sit on this fat strangers knee!


• Santa is the only concept whereby it is universally accepted for mummies and daddies to lie to their kids.


• SANTA is an anagram of SATAN. Could he be the devil's way of getting parents to lie to their kids and helping everybody to forget about Jesus?

Anyway, Merry Christmas! Forget Santa, remember the reason. Tell someone the truth.

Christmas music anyone?

If you thought that all music released at Christmas time is crap then think again. Here are two recommendations:

Your first buy should be Foy Vance's single 'Gabrial and the Vagabond' released today.

then...

'Songs For Christmas' by Sufjan Stevens

I purchased Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens a few months ago and was blown away. He has had critics drooling at his genius (he plays all the instruments in his recordings) and Christians poring over his lyrics (yes he is).

On hearing he has released a Christmas album I promptly headed down to HMV and snapped it up. It is a box-set of 5 cds. Great value for money. A mixture of old carols and his own Christmas songs. Classy stuff throughout. I especially love his version of 'Come thou fount of every blessing'. a beautiful words perfectly re-composed for 2006.

O to grace how great a debtor,

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

Cynicism

I hope my last post didn't come across as me being cynical towards the church. This is something I have been fighting. For as long as I can remember I have had a deep-seated cynicism that rises up inside me for much of what I see in Christianity and Christians around the world.

This may have come initially from from reading non-christian books, travelling to non-christian places, listening to non-christian music, having non-Christian friends, tv evangelists etc... I dont know but I know it has been a part of me that I have battled with.

I think to a certain extent this attitude was of benefit in working out my salvation for myself. However I am convinced that a cynical spirit in itself is destructive and a downward spiral. Oscar Wilde wrote:

"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing"

I don't want to end up as an old man with a chip on my shoulder slagging everything around me and grumbling about people's intentions. I pray the soul will overcome the cynic.

Give

I was speaking to the young people at RIOT last week about Africa. I was encouraging them simply to think 'what can we give?' rather than 'what can we get?'. This is how the Kingdom of God differs from the world.

Ironically I am becoming even more aware of how often in churchlife we are focused on what we can get. I've never been a great fan of contemporary Christian 'worship' music for this very reason. I love the stuff that echoes the saints of the ages...singing 'How great is our God' or 'Holy. Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty'. When we focus on God it takes our eyes off ourselves.

So why then are so many worship songs focused on us.....'I'm hungry', 'I'm thirsty', 'Here I am waiting' etc etc. Take the song 'True Intimacy' (A modern favourite that has always grated with me):

'Here I stand, Waiting Lord,

Touch me now like never before'.......

Come on! How can we truly give worship when we're so focused on trying to get something??

Anyway I'm trying to defeat my cynical side so I'll stop now...

Jacobs Ladder

I have been too busy buying and moving house recently to blog. I didn't get a chance to review of the Bruce Springsteen gig last week. It was an amazing, up-lifting, life-afirming show (note: I didn't say 'transcendent'!).

Instead here is the first 'top ten' of my blog. I've been to many concerts in my 26 years so here is a record of some of the best bits.

Top 10 spine-tingling concert moments:

1. U2 : Slane Castle 2001- The end of the concert when 'Walk On' has finished and choruses of 'Hallelujah' ring out around the 80,000 people.

2. U2 : Croke Park 2005- With my mates around me, an Irish flag on my shoulders, singing 'Miracle Drug'

3. Bruce Springsteen : Odyssey 2006: 18-piece band blasting out 'Jacob's Ladder for about 15 minutes through five key changes.

4. Damien Rice: Ulster Hall 2002- Singing 'Delicate' on a candlelit stage with his amazing backing vocalist.

5. Coldplay: Odyssey 2005- 'Fix you' encore.

6. Reef: Ulster Hall 1995- One of my first ever gigs. When they played 'Consideration' I knew I would attend many more gigs in my life!

7. Incubus: The Point 2001- For pure musical genius the drum solo takes some beating.

8. Foy Vance: The Spirit Club 2006- The first time I had heard 'Gabriel and the Vagabond'. It still warms the cockles of my heart when I listen to it.

9. The Frames: Ulster Hall 2003- I love their annual Christmas show. 'Fitzcarraldo' in 2003 stands out.

10. Foo Fighters- Birmingham NEC 2002- Expected slightly more from the Foos but 'My Hero' alone was worth the ticket price.