Olaf Wiig, one of the hostages recently released in the Gaza strip, says that being a Kiwi saved his life.
Last night on Close Up, on New Zealand’s TV One channel, Wiig talked about the two weeks in which he and US reporter Steve Centanni were held captive by the Holy Jihad Brigades. When the kidnappers accused Wiig and Centanni of being implicated in American oppression of Muslim Palestinians, Wiig said, “Dude, I’m not American, I’m a New Zealander”. He explained that New Zealand had a difficult relationship with the US, did not support war in the Middle East, and had no soldiers there. “We’re a different sort of people altogether”.
Wiig said that the conversation ended with the abductors saying “We realise you’re a New Zealander, we know New Zealand doesn’t kill Muslims. Unfortunately you’re with a very very dangerous American and we’re going to kill him”.
Centanni, obviously, would not have been glad to hear that news. Olaf kept the accusations to himself until after their release. The fact was Centanni was working for Fox, an American news conglomerate owned by an Australian-born naturalized American, Rupert Murdoch. Maybe these guys were getting Centanni to stand in for Murdoch? Centanni did work as an embedded journalist with the Navy SEALs during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
Olaf Wiig is a NZ born freelance photographer living in Sussex, England. Through this kidnapping ordeal he’s earned himself a Wikipedia entry.
I used to work in the same building as Olaf’s father, Roger Wiig, at that time editor of Crosslink, the newspaper for the Presbyterian and Methodist denominations in New Zealand. Last I heard Roger was living over in the UK, after a stint here in Brisbane. The world is full of Post Kiwis!
I’ve just taken advantage of Amazon’s offer to build a store where readers can browse and purchase material relating to generations.
At Generations Store I’ve included books on generations referred to in this blog. The DVD section begins with Star Trek: The Next Generation, but keep browsing and you’ll find material relating to generational values. The popular music section list titles with the word “generation”, like the B-52s “Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation”, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, “Blank Generation”, and “My Generation”, by The Who.
I found Ha! Magazine in the local newsagent today, the launch issue of a rag dedicated to serious Australian humour. Paul Dovas, editor, aims to acknowledge humour and comedy from an distinctly Australian perspective and put it ‘out there for the rest of the world to enjoy’.
The lead article is an essay by Allison Leo on “taking the piss”, an Australian cultural tradition. She says that piss-taking is about making a joke that demonstrates lateral thought, yet does it in a way that makes the target feel better about themselves. She traces this disrespectful and irreverent practice back to Australia’s early days in which convicts turned settlers failed often and splendidly in their enterprising schemes. ‘Taking the piss’ was refined as an art during the two world wars. For a contemporary example she points to the humorous capacity of the two surviving miners in the Beaconsfield mining disaster.
There’s some excellent reviews of Aunty Jack Season 2, Graham Kennedy, RV, and Click. Elena Lonergan reviews her own comedy web site, www.talking-fish.com.
It should be interesting to see if Ha! survives. I suspect that it is a little too intellectual at this point. The common reader is not so much interested in reading about humour, as in engaging in humour itself.
The next issue, due out any time now, is to focus on families and relationships.
I spent last evening with about 20 Christian leaders from around Brisbane, hosted by World Vision Australia, meeting up with Tony Campolo.
Tony’s been on a tour of Australia, giving World Vision a plug in a number of breakfasts and dinners. Last night, between courses, Tony reminded us of the challenge of taking Jesus seriously, putting into practice Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God.
Tony’s now in his seventies but he’s still quite capable of speaking animatedly to a group of colleagues, without the need for a microphone. He’s lost a bit of weight since I saw him last, probably as the result of his battle with diabetes. I appreciated hearing his appeal for an approach to faith and action that holds together personal conversion to Jesus and social action in obedience to Jesus.
We heard about the ‘Red Letter Christian‘ label developed by Tony, Jim Wallis and their colleagues to find an alternative to commitment to social engagement without tying Evangelical faith with a political party. The phrase ‘Red Letter Christian’ was coined by a radio host in reference to the words ascribed to Jesus in the Christian New Testament.
Down under we don’t have the same polarisations found in the United States, in which ‘Evangelical’ and ‘Mainline’ church leaders seem to live in different worlds. However we do face the same temptation of power in the political realm. As Campolo points out, love and power rarely go together.
We heard two of Tony’s classic quotes:
Tony told us about speaking at a conference where everything he said about the poor seemed to have no effect on his audience. They’d heard it all before. He ended up saying, “I have three things I’d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don’t give a shit. What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.” Tony pointed out that younger leaders warmed to the phrasing, older leaders frowned to it.
“There are 2,000 verses of Scripture that tell us we must be committed to protecting the poor and the oppressed…There is no concern of Scripture that is addressed so often and so powerfully as reaching out to the poor.”
Driving home I reflected on my efforts to wipe out my own debt and realised that I’m also called to help wipe out world debt. Not by myself.
Dave Andrews, author of Christianarchy, and a founding member of The Waiters Union, has teamed up with friends around the world to start a web site, www.wecan.be
The site links people up with the beatitudes taught by Jesus in his sermon on the mount, helping restore a lifestyle centred around what Jesus lived and evoked in others.
I will identify with the poor ‘in spirit’.
I will grieve over injustice in the world.
I will get angry, but never get aggressive.
I will seek to do justice, even to my enemies.
I will extend compassion to all those in need.
I will act with integrity, not for the publicity.
I will work for peace in the midst of violence.
I will suffer myself, rather than inflict suffering.
The domain was donated by a Belgian resident who had already registered the name and was waiting for a good use for it.
I’m part of a group of Christians, Jews and Muslims on the Gold Coast preparing for ‘Project Abraham’, a forum and exhibition being launched on September 10. The project is connected with an initiative of Jewish and Muslim leaders in Adelaide last year.
On Sunday September 10 we’ll be holding a forum at the Gold Coast Arts Centre, focusing on “Eating and Drinking at Abraham’s Table”, food and drink in the three Abrahamic faiths. This will be a little different to the usual summaries of faith and practice given at inter-faith dialogues. We’re working together in the afternoon to explore ways in which the Gold Coast community can proactively engage with the rich traditions brought by overseas tourists. At this time of year, for example, we have a lot of tourists from United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. I’ve been told that even back in the 1970s Surfers Paradise was known in Victoria as “Surfers Palestine”.
The exhibition will include artifacts and photographs from the three Abrahamic faiths. I’m working as a Uniting Church in Australia participant with representatives of the Anglican and Catholic churches in the North Gold Coast region. The Uniting Church doesn’t have anywhere near the number of artifacts and worship aids found in the two more traditional denominations. The other two have collected most of the work and given me the job of putting them together.
The Gold Coast City Council has provided the venue and two staff to work with the coordinating team. Funding comes from the Australian government’s Living In Harmony programme. Local schools are being invited to send students to the exhibition and participate in an educational programme.
Nebuchadnezzar, (Derek Barry) a resident of Wooloowin in Brisbane, has posted some very helpful stories this week, with insightful comments on the passing of the Maori Queen, the newly launched blog of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Queensland going to the polls, and the proposed legislation on asylum seekers hoping to enter Australia.
Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu died on Tuesday at the age of 75, after a reign of more than 40 years. Dame Te Ata was the longest serving head of the Kingitanga movement – the royal line, which started almost 150 years ago in an effort to stem the loss of native lands to the flood of white settlers arriving in New Zealand. I’m sure it was only a couple of weeks ago I was reading about representatives of the Methodist Church of New Zealand attending celebrations of Dame Te Ata’s anniversary.
On Monday Al Jazeera announced Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has started his own blog. Iranians found out about this after it was announced on state TV on Sunday and they urged members of the public to send the president written messages through the website. Nebuchadnezzar writes about the difficulty the average Iranian has when trying to publish a blog. Despite the roll-out of broadband, censorship is alive and well in Iran.
Graeme Diprose, in Eidsvold, Queensland, has developed a website, www.rural.unitingchurch.org.au, to maintain communication links, share resources, ideas and inspirational stories about being Church in rural and remote areas. The idea came out of a ‘rural muster’ held in Mundubbera from 31 March to 2 April this year.
Can we learn anything from Carl Jung? Or is he just too occultic?
I’ve recently received an email in response to a post at Driving With Purpose, my blog on Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. Back in November last year I reviewed Rick Warren’s chapter on personality, considering his use of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.
Here’s a portion of that post…
Rick talks about introverts and extroverts, thinkers and feelers. These categories come from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, developed by Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers during World War II, following the theories of Carl Jung as laid out in his work Psychological Types.
The Introvert/Extrovert category looks at how a person orients and receives his/her energy. The Sensing/Intuition category indicates how person perceives or receives data. The Thinking/Feeling category relates to how a person judges or makes rational decisions. The Judging/Perceiving category reveals a preference for linear approaches or subjective options. This last category would link in with Rick’s reference to routine and variety.
Rick Warren says that there is no right or wrong temperament for ministry. He refers to Peter as being ‘sanguine’, Paul as ‘choleric’ and Jeremiah as ‘melancholy’. These references are straight from the work of Tim and Beverley LaHaye who popularised the theory of the four temperaments among Evangelicals in the 1960s and on.
Theories relating to the four temperaments have their origins in Greece around 400 BC. It was thought that the bodily fluids yellow bile (choler), black bile (melancholic), phlegm and blood were linked with health and temperament. the take their names from the body fluids.
Looking around the internet I’ve found a few writers who have seized on this part of the Purpose Driven Life as evidence that Rick Warren has sold out to paganism. In some quarters there is a deep suspicion of anything that’s come out of ancient Greece or modern psychology. Jung, because of his interest in the occult, has been written off by some Christian writers. Clearly it is important not to become obsessed or stereotyped by the personality typologies of anyone, Christian or not.
Here’s what my correspondent wrote:
First, your statement does not tell the whole story. Jung wasn’t just interested in the occult, he was an avid practitioner of the occult. A spirit-guide named Philemon guided him since the time that he was three years old. Second, he took part in a seance with his wife, and wrote about the experience. He wasn’t merely interested in the occult. Rather, he practiced the occult, obeyed the demonic guide Philemon, and taught occultic matter such as the Enneagram.
All the detailed analyses that I’ve read — whether in support or doubt of the MBTI — acknowledges that its sixteen types were derived either from the basis of the nine occultic types of the Enneagram, or from the four ancient occultic types, or from both. How do you reconcile use of the Enneagram with the Apostle Paul’s admonishment in Ephesians 5:11? I’ve provided varying translations below.
NKJV – Eph 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
NIV – Eph 5:11 – Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
NASB – Eph 5:11 – Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
RSV – Eph 5:11 – Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
How do you resolve implementation of the MBTI with this Scripture, when you consider that the MBTI is considered as truth in the context of the SHAPE plan? Or do you believe this verse does not apply to administration and implementation of the MBTI? Maybe you could explain for me?
The Christian Research Institute, in the Christian Research Journal, has an article about the Enneagram. CRI produces “The Bible Answer Man”, the radio program hosted by Hank Hannegraaff, Tell Me Who I Am, O Enneagram.
Please forgive me for any untowardness. I just don’t see how a system as occultic as the Enneagram – or how an individual as spiritist as CG Jung – can simply be brushed aside with less than a grain of salt.
A few of my initial thoughts…
In what way is MBTI truth? I would regard the system as a source of insight, but not a source of authority on human development and personality. Rick Warren introduces the tool in what he calls a Biblical system, the SHAPE approach. I would be cautious about making the SHAPE system a standard for truth. What we are looking at here are tools, models, frameworks that can be examined in their own right, regardless of who developed them.
The words ‘occultic’ or ‘esotetic’ are often used to refer to examination of hidden truths. In same cases these words are assumed to be associated with secret ‘deeds of darkness’. Another meaning of ‘esoteric’ is the examination of inner development, the parts of us that cannot easily be seen or described.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
John 6:51-58
Cannabilism and the Early Church
The first thing that comes to my mind when reading this passage is how the early christians were often accused of being cannibals by informers and the Roman authorities. And reading this text it is not hard to see why people might think this!
‘Eat my flesh and drink my blood’ sounds more like something from some dark ancient religion than from our western churches. In fact, I think that we (that is those of us who spend far too much time in churches) often forget how offensive and hard to understand phrases like this can be. So often if someone asks what this means we just say ‘it just means communion – where we drink grape juice and eat a piece of bread and remember Jesus and what he did for us’ – certainly sounds a lot less offensive – but perhaps that is the problem – we have taken something that is meant to be challenging and offensive and turned into a nice little ritual where we can feel good about what Jesus has done for us.
Jesus… hero one day … whacko the next
To gain a better understanding of this passage we need to briefly recount what has just gone before (John ch 6 version according to mc)
* Jesus and large crowd in wilderness
* Jesus feeds crowd from 5 loaves and two fishes (from small boy)
* People like Jesus!
* People want to make Jesus King
* Jesus runs away … goes to other side of lake (transport method: walking on water)
* Crowd goes looking for Jesus and finds him
* Jesus says ‘you want me because I gave you free food … try this for size ..’
* Jesus talks about ‘true bread from heaven, which after people eat are never hungry’
* Crowd says ‘sounds great! what do we have to do to get this’
* Jesus says ‘I am the bread of life … I come from heaven … come to me and believe in me’
* Crowd says ‘who does he think he is? We know his parents!’
* Jesus says ‘I am living bread you must eat of me’
* Crowd says ‘how can we eat your flesh? what are you talking about?’
* Jesus says ‘eat my flesh (not shorts) drink my blood’ (today’s passage)
* Crowd says ‘this guy is nuts!’ and leave
Soooo typical of Jesus. People like him, he runs away, people want more of him so he does something to offend them and drive them away. Didn’t this guy read any evangelism books or go to any church growth seminars? This is no way to develop a successful and growing movement …
The crowd in this story are offended for a number of reasons
* Jesus claims to have come from heaven (yeah right buddy … we know your parents!)
* Jesus tells them they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood (obviously loony …)
In many ways these objections of the crowd are the same objections that people have to Jesus today (and this is in the church!!!)
Jesus comes from heaven vs I know your mummy!
Today many people have problems that Jesus might actually come from heaven. While we might not know Joseph and Mary we know the Gospel’s ‘parents’. That is – we know that the Gospel’s were written by people who weren’t eyewitnesses. We know they collected and edited stories and put them together. We know that they wrote with specific communities and issues in mind … in other words we say to Jesus ‘we know your mummy! we know where you came from and the process used to write these Gospels – therefore you can’t have come from heaven – you are just another human’
Drink my blood vs can I have some grape juice please … the non-alcoholic type!
Eat my flesh and drink my blood – hard offensive statements that put people off Jesus and make him an offense to the authorities … not what we want. We want nice consumer Jesus with the action models and bland music and nothing that will challenge our nice Christian middle-class way of life. Eat my flesh!
No more Grape Juice Please …
So what then do we make of this passage – John is very clearly challenging us through Jesus words. What is Jesus saying , why and what does it mean for us?
Eat my flesh, drink my blood … this is the bread that has come from heaven
come from heaven …
Jesus is claiming that he is unique – he is what no other human before or after can say – he is from heaven – what he says and who he is and therefore worthy of acceptance
eat my flesh, drink my blood
acknowledging who he is (ie head knowledge) is only the start. To receive this gift of the bread of life we have to eat and drink of him. While this obviously has references to communion it is far more than just symbolism. To receive God’s gift of life (today and for eternity) we have to Jesus into ourselves (‘eat’ and ‘drink’) we have to feed upon him, allow him to become our sustenance. Just as Jesus lives in God in that close relationship, we have to live in Jesus – let his being be our very being.
This is not just some spiritual feeling – this is hardcore business of following Jesus. Showing love where there is hate, proclaiming justice where there is injustice, not being afraid to being an offense to Governments and authorities and most of all rejecting the bland bread and grape juice of modern western Christianity and wanting the real ‘flesh and blood’ of Jesus. Wanting the Jesus who rejected the legalism of the Pharisees and the insitution of the Saducees. who proclaimed a God who was active and involved in the life of all people, not just ‘good’ people, but called all people to a new life, a new community a community of life and faith.
We need more cannibals for Jesus!
People who take Jesus seriously and don’t want the bread and grape juice but want the flesh and blood. Let me give you a concrete example …
Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers … yet if you believe some people being a good christian is rolling over and accepting good ol’ George and co when they tell us that God wants us to make war. Then they lie about Revelation and say that the beast will come in the form of someone bringing world peace … (read Rev ch 13 and find that …) and so they turn the words of Jesus on their head.
Now rather than being cannibals who are an affront to power and authorities we have a nice bread and grape juice christianity who accept almost anything from the Government – as long as they say ‘I believe in Jesus!’.
Grape Juice. Give me the flesh and blood Jesus who wasn’t afraid to offend those who wanted a popular hero, or those in power.
‘Eat my flesh, drink my blood – come and live with me forever!’
Amen.
Soul Food Application – Enjoying Intimate Relationship with God
Often we think of intimate relationship as some fuzzy spiritual feeling (and sometimes in can involve that) – but there is nothing as intimate as eating the flesh and drinking the blood of someone!
Jesus doesn’t just want your spiritual feelings – he wants you to eat and drink from him.
Questions for Reflection
How often do you settle for a bread and grape juice Jesus rather than a flesh and blood Jesus?
How are you trying to ‘feed’ on Jesus – make him your sustenance and way of life?
Where is Jesus calling you to be someone who might offend others through taking a stand?
Postkiwi 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.
Duncan is the editor of The Inspiration Room, a site showcasing advertising, design and other work produced by the global creative community.
The lead article is an essay by Allison Leo on “taking the piss”, an Australian cultural tradition. She says that piss-taking is about making a joke that demonstrates lateral thought, yet does it in a way that makes the target feel better about themselves. She traces this disrespectful and irreverent practice back to Australia’s early days in which convicts turned settlers failed often and splendidly in their enterprising schemes. ‘Taking the piss’ was refined as an art during the two world wars. For a contemporary example she points to the humorous capacity of the two surviving miners in the Beaconsfield mining disaster.
Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu died on Tuesday at the age of 75, after a reign of more than 40 years. Dame Te Ata was the longest serving head of the Kingitanga movement – the royal line, which started almost 150 years ago in an effort to stem the loss of native lands to the flood of white settlers arriving in New Zealand. I’m sure it was only a couple of weeks ago I was reading about representatives of the Methodist Church of New Zealand attending celebrations of Dame Te Ata’s anniversary.
Postkiwi 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.
Duncan is the editor of The Inspiration Room, a site showcasing advertising, design and other work produced by the global creative community.
