Yesterday on TV we were shown racist attacks on Lebanese men at Cronulla Beach, Sydney. The fact that the media had spread the story and inflamed it before showing up to film the violence was bad enough. But to hear Australians talk about it today you’d think we were living in a multicultural paradise.
Was racism behind the attacks on Lebanese men at Cronulla? John Howard says that this behaviour is unacceptable but earnestly tells us that Australia does not have a problem with racism. We have politicians telling us that it was alcohol that made this happen. Talkback callers start by saying they’re not racist but go on to make blanket statements about these Lebanese people who are behaving badly and need to be pulled into line.
Such denial of racism reveals a disturbing lack of self awareness. Having lived in Australia for five years I’ve heard a lot about being multicultural. We have many cultures living here. That’s about as far as it goes. I have met very few white adults who have any interest in the language or customs of other ethnic groups. In the Uniting Church we talk about multicultural churches as the ones who are made up of ethnic migrant groups. They’re the ones who must make the effort to maintain their ethnic identity in a predominantly British Australian culture. The majority of Australians have no need to engage with the ‘other’.
I like what Leslie writes at Singular Existence in reference to Anne Jacobsen’s now infamous blog post on a fearful encounter with Syrians flying with her on a Northwest Airlines flight.
Most of us don’t like to think of ourselves as racists. It conjures up visions of angry men in white sheets burning crosses on people’s front lawns. We like to think we are better than that. We like to think we judge people for what they do, not what they are. But the fact is, we’re all racists.
White, black, red, yellow, burning crosses or not, race provides the context for our perception of the world around us, particularly where other races are concerned. If we’re smart, we acknowledge our inherent racism and filter our observations accordingly to ensure they are not too tainted. We second-guess and sometimes third-guess ourselves. But we make mistakes. And when we do, we’re ashamed.
If we’re stupid, however, we refuse to acknowledge our inherent racism. We protest vehemently that we are “tolerant” individuals and dredge up endless examples of pleasant interactions with members of other races as proof positive that that ugly “racist” label doesn’t apply here, no sirree.
But it is this refusal to acknowledge our racism that perpetuates it. After all, if it wasn’t racism that led her (Anne) to believe that fourteen innocent Muslims were undercover terrorists, that must mean that she was justified in her belief. Which, in turn, means that it’s not racist to draw negative aspersions about strangers simply because of their race, creed, or color. Which means that it’s okay to do it next time as well.
Jodi Rose has just won the title of Australia’s best blog. The competition, run by internet company SmartyHost, attracted 530 entries and was open to all corporate and personal bloggers in Australia. The top prize was $10,000 cash.
Based on content, creativity, uniqueness, and frequency and currency of postings, Singing Bridges Travel Diary received the highest combined score from the Smarty Host panel.
Jodi describes “Singing bridges” as a sonic sculpture, playing the cables of stay-cabled and suspension bridges as musical instruments. To create this work she amplifies and records the sound of bridge cables around the world, listening in to the secret voice of bridges as the inaudible vibrations in the cables are translated into sound.
Jodi describes herself as an Australian sound artist, writer and freelance cultural commentator, who works ‘producing audiovisual performance, sound installations, experimental music, radio programs and large scale sonic art events in the local and international new media arts scene’.
Jodi’s CD, “Singing Bridges: Vibrations and Variations”, a CD of her bridge compositions with remixes by experimental and electronic artists from around the world, was released earlier this year by Sonic ArtStar.
Erik Erikson’s material on identity development is a useful resource when considering the emergence of distinct generational values.
Life Story When looking at Erikson’s theories it’s helpful to look at his personal context.
Erik was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1902. His mother was Karla Abrahamson who raised him alone for the first three years of his life. His biological father was Danish and left the home before Erik was born. He was adopted by his Jewish stepfather and took the name Erik Homberger. As a child Erik was rejected by his Jewish neighbours because of his Nordic looks. At school he was teased for being Jewish. It’s not much wonder Eric became interested in the development of identity!
Erik became an artist and a teacher in the 1920s, changing his name to Erikson. Erickson married Joan Serson in 1930 while studying at Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. On graduation he moved to Boston where he established a psychoanalysis practice. He enrolled in a doctoral program at Harvard but dopped out after a few months. Eventually Erikson taught at Harvard. He won the Pulitzer prize for his writing on Mahatma Gandhi. He died in 1994.
Erikson Theories
Erikson outlined an intrinsic relationship between psychosocial and psychosexual stages. He taught that psychosocial development incorporates the influences of society, history, and culture. He worked to develop theories that could encompass the entire lifespan development, building on Freud’s five stages of early life.
Erikson focused his work around the ‘epigenetic principle’ in which all developmental stages are present at birth but unfold according to an innate plan, with each stage building on preceding stages and paving way for subsequent stages.
Erikson’s eight psychosocial stages of development are:
Trust versus Mistrust First year of life
Is my world predictable or supportive?
Conflict centred on learning to trust others & the world
‘I am what I am given’
Central Task: Receive Care
Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt 2nd and 3rd years of life
Can I do things myself or must I always rely on others?
Conflict created by growing self control pitted against feelings of shame or doubt
‘I am what I will be’
Central Task: Imitation
Initiative versus Guilt
4th through to 6th years of life
Am I good or am I bad?
Conflict centred on learning to take initiative instead of feeling guilty about one’s actions
‘I am what I can imagine I will be’
Central Task: Identification
Industry versus Inferiority
Age 6 through to puberty
Am I competent or am I worthless?
Conflict arises when feelings of inferiority develop if industrious behaviour is discouraged
‘I am what I will learn’
Central Task: Education
Identity versus Role Confusion
Adolescence
Who am I and where am I going?
Conflict involves establishing a consistent personal identity
‘Who am I?’
Central Task: Role Experimentation
Intimacy versus Isolation Early adulthood
Shall I live my life with another or live alone?
Conflict centred on establishing intimacy with friends, family, lover or spouse
‘We are what we love’
Central Task: Caregiving
Generativity versus self-absorption
Middle adulthood
Will I produce something of real value?
Conflict between stagnant self-interest & interest in future generations
‘I am what I create’
Central Task: Creativity
Integrity versus Despair
Late adulthood
Have I lived a full life?
Conflict between sense of personal integrity & despair over regretted life events
‘I am what survives of me’
Central Task: Introspection
Later students of Erikson added two more stages to cater for an extended adolescence and an extended later adulthood.
Group Identity versus Alienation
Early Adolescence (12-18)
Who am I with?
Conflict between conformity and standing alone
‘I belong’
Central Task: Peer Group
Immortality versus Extinction Old Age (75 years - death)
Who will succeed me?
Conflict between legacy and loss
Central Task: Social Support
Generations and Identity Development
So what are the connections between Erikson’s eight stages and the development of emerging generations? Some generational theorists have claimed that distinct generational values are formed in the years of early adulthood in which whole generations are affected by nation-wide or world-wide common experiences. If we take Erikson’s work seriously we have to consider the effect of parenting styles and education approachees on whole generations. A cohort who grow up unsure of identity are likely to approach early adulthood with a handicap. The healthy nurture of new generations could be stunted by a cohort who focus on their own self-interest at the expense of children, adolescents and early adults.
The Generations in Conversation group looked at how the church resources people in each of these psychosocial stages. Of particular interest was the tension between the early adult and middle adult stages. Worship styles made popular by groups such as Hillsong are focusing on the quest for intimacy experienced by early adults. ‘Praise and worship’ songs are full of the language of love. We noticed that many people in their thirties and older are tiring of this approach and are looking for a spirituality that leads to action rather than intimacy.
John had not yet been put in jail. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was a lot of water, and people were coming there for John to baptize them. John’s followers got into an argument with a Jewish man about a ceremony of washing. They went to John and said, “Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him.”
John replied: No one can do anything unless God in heaven allows it. You surely remember how I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of him. At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just to be there and to hear the groom’s voice. That’s why I am so glad. Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.
I grew up with the King James version of John’s phrase, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” At times I interpreted this as meaning I should be quiet and unassuming, not promoting myself or my ideas. The character of Jesus was to be seen in my life, not the personality of Duncan Macleod.
This has played out in my life in positive and negative ways. In my line of work I regularly speak to large crowds or write for wide readership. To talk to large crowds you have to be larger than life. To inspire people you have to be inspiring. To intellectually stimulate people you have to be thinking on the edge. Being quiet, unassuming and reluctant to share goes against all the requirements of effective communication in these settings.
John wasn’t aiming to become quiet and unassuming. He wasn’t planning to drop his up-front personality. But he was preparing his followers for the long term impact of his life. He wasn’t aiming to have his reputation grow at the expense of anyone else’s. His goal was to enhance the reputation of Jesus. He wasn’t so much concerned about what people thought of him. What counted was what people thought about Jesus.
Over the past week I’ve posted on the following television commercials at Duncan’s TV Adland.
Radiohead Fan
At a Melbourne railway station there’s a guy in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy. He’s singing some very strange words - something about chicken voices in his head. He’s getting strange looks from a girl standing nearby. What she doesn’t know is that he’s listening to Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” on his MP3 player. The text: “Relax. It’s just another Radiohead fan”. We’re encouraged to see the person, not the disability. It’s an ad produced free for Scope.
Science World Boardroom Kisses In a Vancouver boardroom men and women are introduced to each other before a board meeting. Instead of shaking hands they kiss passionately. The scene gets more and more absurd. The text: “Shaking hands spreads more germs than kissing.” We’re encouraged to go to Science World.
Honda Impossible Dream
Filmed mostly in New Zealand this ad for the Honda brand features British comedian Paul Day driving/riding a number of Honda vehicles while lip syncing the song, “Impossible Dream”.
Starbucks Red Cup
A series of ads prepared by Starbucks for the holiday season. Two of them feature the red cup in which Starbucks serve their drinks over Christmas. One cup goes for a taxi ride, on the roof. Another heads through the airport.
Mercedes Sleigh Ride
An effects-intense ad promoting the Mercedes Winter Event. A convoy of Mercedes vehicles escorts Santa in his red coupe through a snowy forest.
National Bank Ballet Discus An athlete trains in a ballet school, perfecting his twirl in preparation for throwing the discus at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The ad’s only available in Vividas at this point.
Ampd Mobile Senator & Rockstar
Two scenarios in which dying men are urged to stay alive so they can experience the new multimedia broadband-speed mobile phone network being launched later in December in the USA.
Coldplay won the Best Song at the Europe Music Awards Lisbon 2005 with ‘Speed of Sound’ in November 4. They were up against Gorillaz ‘Feel Good Inc.”, James Blunt ‘You’re Beautiful’, The Chemical Brothers ‘Galvanize’, and Snoop Dogg (featuring Justin Timberlake) ‘Signs’.
A month later the Speed of Sound music video features as the second post at Music Video Spots. The great thing about this video is the lighting connected to the voice of Chris Martin.
I need to come up with a better name for the music video spots site. A name that ensures that people find in Google, but one that is memorable enough to distinguish it from other sites. Any help appreciated.
The UK and USA have had their premieres of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Narnia opens in NZ tomorrow. But in Australia we have to wait until Boxing Day. Maybe it’s because we don’t have such an investment in the movie. The book was written by a Brtish writer born in Ireland, C.S. Lewis. The film was directed by a New Zealander, Andrew Adamson, known for his direction of Shrek. The filming was done in Auckland and parts of the South Island. No doubt the money came from the USA.
So we have to rely on trailers and reviews on Narnia from around the world.
One interesting resource I came across recently was the Christianity Today interview with Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis, Honorary Vice President of the C.S. Lewis Foundation and the co-producer of the film. Gresham points out that even though he has a Christian faith he chooses to interpret the Narnia books and movie in broader terms. He points out that there are dying/living stories connected with Hinduism and Norse mythology.
“Christians who watch the movie or read the book will look for Christian symbolism. But I think that’s the wrong way to approach it. I think it’s far better to read the book or see the movie and try to find out where you fit into Narnia. Analyze yourself and how you would react under these circumstances. Who are you? Are you an Edmund? Are you a Peter? Or a Lucy or a Susan or a Tumnus? Where do you fit?”
Gresham talks about his stepfather’s unease with the movie industry. C.S. Lewis wrote a letter to BBC producer Lance Sieveking in 1959 in which he outlined his reluctance for the books to be made into movies. The text is available at NthPosition. “Anthropomorphic animals, when taken out of narrative into actual visibility, always turn into buffoonery or nightmare”, Lewis wrote.
[eminimall products="Douglas Gresham", "Narnia"]
Lewis was a writer and a man of his time. I imagine he may have seen things differently now if he had seen the work done by Jackson on Lord of the Rings.
OK. I’ve managed to track down some details on Brian McLaren’s visit to Sydney and Melbourne, courtesy of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. You can now download the brochure from the Mission Consultants site at UCA Queensland Synod. Or click on the brochure picture below to download the pdf file.
Friday 17 February
6:30 - 10:30pm: Exploring A Generous Orthodoxy
Dinner and conversation. (Numbers limited) Cost: $60
Saturday 18 February
9:00 am � 5.30pm: Exploring A New Kind of Christian(ity)
Cost: $100 (includes all meals)
Special rate for both events $150
(students and concession card holders $125)
VENUE: Ryde-Eastwood Rugby Club, 117 Ryedale Rd, West Ryde.
Please note: Standard club dress standards will apply.
MELBOURNE The Melbourne Events are being presented by Urban Seed Church.
Tuesday 21 February
2.30-4pm: Tabor College Seminar 1.
To Register phone Tabor College, 03 9844 8800. $10
Wednesday 22 February
9.30am -1pm: Rev Up: Whitley Baptist College.
To Register contact Simone Rickerby at Whitley College, 03 9340 8100
Cost $25
Thursday 23 February
10.30am-12pm: Tabor College Seminar 2.
To Register PH: 03 9844 8800 Cost: $10
2.30pm-4pm: Tabor College Seminar 3.
To Register PH: 03 9844 8800 Cost: $10
7.30pm: Postcards From the Edge.
New Zealand
Brian will be in Auckland on February 24. Rich Johnson has his ear to the ground there. Steve Taylor, Emergent Kiwi, has posted a pdf file with details on Brian’s visit to Christchurch on March 4-5.
I’ve been working with colleagues on alternative approaches to ‘closing the deal’ in evangelism training. We’re committed to helping people avoid manipulation. And we’re commited to finding a flexible approach that takes seriously the variety of ways in which people first encounter the good news of Jesus. So here’s a talk I’ve prepared for one of the sessions. What do you think?
Coaching for Response using the ‘GROW’ model
Have you ever thought about your role as a coach for people considering their response to God. When I coach church planters and other leaders, I use the word, “GROW” as we focus on their next steps. G stands for Goals. R stands for Reality. O stands for Options. W stands for What Will You Do? So how might that look in a conversation about faith?
Goal
First of all the goal. In the last session we talked about finding what God is doing in the person’s life. What is the good news to which God is calling this person to respond? Of course - Jesus himself is the good news. In this person Jesus we see God in the flesh - God with skin on.
In the way that Jesus lived we’ve been given a glimpse of the character of God - even 2000 years later. In his death something amazing has happened that has made it possible for us to be in full relationship with God without fear of rejection. And in his resurrection we have the assurance that there is so much more to life than we see between birth and death. The resurrection shows that this Jesus is not just a great guy, but is indeed God with us. And the good news doesn’t stop there. It continues with the offer of God coming to live in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
If that’s the good news for all of us, how is God calling your friend to respond? Maybe it is to work through the four spiritual laws - fronting up to sin - broken relationship with God, and accepting the total forgiveness of God. Maybe God’s calling your friend to learn to trust again - trust the acceptance of God, the acceptance of God’s people, learning to live with faith. Perhaps God is calling your friend to put their life on the line, like the rich young ruler, and give away a life focused on acquiring money and possessions.
You get the idea? There’s a personal response that you may not be able to predict. Now, maybe your friend already knows what needs to happen. Maybe they need to do a bit more thinking. A non threatening way to find out where your friend is at after sharing your story and explaining the good news, is to ask, ” How does that all sound to you? Make sure you stop talking at this point and let your friend name where they’e at.
Reality
So we now move on to R for realities. If they’re ready to respond, what will that mean in reality? We’ll talk through the implications. What will it mean for existing relationships? Will it change lifestyle? And what would happen if your friend puts off a response or decides not to respond? The chances are that your friend’s prepared to make a short-term response to God. “I’ll go this far with you”. That’s OK. After all, the disciples of Jesus went on short trips with him before becoming life-long followers.
Options
This is where we look at O for Options. Lsten for what’s holding your friend back and check whether they’d be interested in you supporting them as they work their faith issues through. For while they may not be ready to make a life-long response they could still be interested in taking a “next step” that they would see as helpful.
For example:
watching a relevant DVD on world religions - how does Jesus compare?
attending a small group with you - what’s it like to be a follower of Jesus?
trying a prayer experiment where over a month they make a conscious effort to talk to Jesus as though he’s real for them,
getting to meet your Christian friends - they may want to know that they can be a Christian without losing their sense of personality.
reading a book on spirituality
listening to Christian music
reading the Bible or perhaps listening to it on CD. Maybe they could use an appropriate study guide to help them know where to start.
taking part in a service project
going on recreational activities with Christians
The key thing is to keep connecting with your seeking friend supporting them with whatever steps they need to take to get closer to Jesus. For most people who become and continue as Christ followers, coming to faith takes time and usually best happens in the context of a supportive and accepting relationship with others. Helping your friend experience accepting, inclusive Christian community is pretty much always a good move.
Will Do
OK - we’ve looked at options. The “what could you do”. Now as you finish this part of the conversation you owe it to your friend to ask what they will do. That’s the W from GROW. Let’s say your friend is ready to make a life-long commitment to Jesus Christ now, trusting in him Saviour and following him as Lord of their life. If so that’s great. Celebrate the occasion with your friend and pray with them as they affirm the step taken. A simple prayer that they could repeat phrase by phrase after you aloud (or in silence if they prefer) could be helpful, eg: “Jesus, I’m coming to you now as best I know how. Thank you for coming into the world, dying on the cross and rising to life again so that I could have a personal relationship with God through you. I thankfully receive you into my life. Live your life in me and through me. Amen.”
And if they’re going to do some more exploring, you could make a time to follow it up to find out how they got on.
What we’re talking about here is getting on board with what the Holy Spirit is doing. Remember to ask for the Spirit’s courage, wisdom and compassion as you go.
The GROW model of coaching was developed by John Whitmore, a sports and business coach from the UK.
Whitmore believes that people are able to change only areas of performance of which they are aware. Whitmore encourages coaches to use questions to raise the responsibility of the ‘client’. In his third edition of the book, “Coaching for Performance”, he moves beyond achievement to issues of purpose and life meaning.
Thinking about recent TV ads for the newly released XBox 360, I’ve come up with an idea for the next in the series. So far we’ve had Jump Rope in NY City, Water Balloon riots in Buenos Aires, and ‘Joy‘ - an encounter with a Japanese-style horror monster in Lond perhaps. Each with the super, “Jump In”. Now it’s time for a real jumping experience.
The way I’d have it is:
Soundtrack: Enigma, “The Gate”, 1st track from Screen Behind the Mirror - incorporating samples of Carl Orff.
We’re free falling - getting our 360 degree views as we swirl around.
We see another jumper not too far away - the camera zooms in to show us a Halo-style Spartan super soldier taking aim with his battle rifle. There’ a flash, and the words, “XBox 360. Jump In” as we rapidly descend into the battlefield.
Duncan Macleod posts on life, faith and culture in Australia, drawing from his involvement in the creative industry, the Uniting Church, the blogosphere, generational research, the emerging church and life on the Gold Coast.
Based on content, creativity, uniqueness, and frequency and currency of postings, 
When looking at Erikson’s theories it’s helpful to look at his personal context.
One interesting resource I came across recently was the 
Friday 17 February
- incorporating samples of Carl Orff.
