jesus

Just thinking…One of the interesting effects of the covid-19 pandemic this year is that it has introduced into our vocabulary a new palette of words and phrases that we now use in everyday life. After all, who ever said in 2019 that they were conscious of their ‘social distancing’? Another is the word ‘bubble’. We all…

Just thinking…The young people asked some profound questions in church a couple of weeks ago about suffering. I was once asked a similar question by a woman called Michelle. Here is part of a letter I wrote to her outlining my thoughts on this weighty issue. Suffering is caused by sin and its consequences (either…

Just thinking…Some sobering thoughts: More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users. Fully half of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardised tests. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably…

Just thinking…The day was full of light! The waves tumbled against the shore in a most inviting way, while a slight breeze made the palm trees shudder with delight. The scuba diving club decided it was a great day for an underwater adventure. Everyone geared up excitedly. After the leader assigned buddies, Jim, a member of the…

Just thinking…”Happy 40th, Rob!” So said the sign that was 6 story tall and plastered on the side of an Auckland high-rise in February last year … along with a smiling face of the man in question … Rob Harvey. He knew nothing about the sign, which was visible to 1.6 million Aucklanders, until he…

Just thinking…As you will no doubt be aware, on the day that we cast our vote for our next government, we will also be asked to vote on two important referenda: one on legalizing euthanasia and one on legalizing the use of cannabis in New Zealand. Both of these decisions are of enormous significance to…

Just thinking…Dave Goldberg, a physics professor at Drexel University (and I would suspect from his writings, not a person of faith) writes this: You’re almost unfathomably lucky to exist, in almost every conceivable way. Don’t take it the wrong way. You, me, and even the most calming manatee are nothing but impurities in an otherwise…

Just thinking… This is a bit more on the light side, but see if you can find all the weird things about the picture. There are things that at first glance seem to look ok, but on closer inspection we find that there are some things seriously wrong! It’ll be fun! On a more serious…

Just thinking…We are a society of contradictions, it seems. Yesterday I listened to talkback radio discussing the upcoming referendum on the so-called ‘End of Life Choice’ from the perspective of one of its proponents. It was a public discussion on a proposal for what is effectively state-sanctioned suicide. If this referendum gives the nod to…

Just thinking…I loved a story that came out of the last lockdown from the Bradford Manor Rest Home in Dunedin. This facility was home to a number of elderly residents including 26 dementia sufferers. During the lockdown, the home was closed to visitors, and family were not allowed to visit because of the fear that…