The Smell Factor

As I make personal choices about how to live my live by my values I am wary of the slippery slope I’m on. Whilst I aim to live my life in such a way as to empower the marginalised, promote equality and diversity, love others, protect and sustain the world and it’s peoples; the more hard core I get, the more I smell.

No offence to people like Ghandi, Jesus and Mother Theresa; their contribution to the world was monumental, but we all know that the very acts of changing the world for the better are often opposed to personal grooming.

Here’s an example of some thing that are good, but make you smell: Riding your bike instead of your car, avoiding aluminium deodorants, mulching manure, etc. I put together this sliding scale of ‘normal’ to ‘smelling’ people, I’m still pretty close to the ‘normal’ end, but am heading further down:

note: spelling in this may be ‘near-enough-is-good-enough’, also, the order of events may differ from individual experience.

Anyway, I’d rather smell and live in the world I hope for. You know, that is if I can’t have both. I’ll just take more eco-friendly showers. How far are you down the list?

Perspective

A drawing I did a while back. I can’t remember why, but I’m sure it’s as relevant now as ever.

A different kind of Christmas

I think you should all be empowered by this new video, which has become my favourite clip on the cost of materialism. I think it says very simply what we all know about the price of a consumerist society, and what we can simply do to have a better life and community now.

It was posted by Christine Sine on her blog with a lot of other cool tips and resources on how to do Christmas differently. I highly recommend checking it out. Merry Christmas.

The future that may never come

Jess and I try to live our lives as presently as we can, and prioritise our families and relationships. One thing we often say is that we wont ‘Sacrifice the present for the future’. That may hit your ears oddly, as it still does mine. Aren’t we supposed to work now and play later? Didn’t the ant live through the winter while the lazy grasshopper froze to death outside. This type of living seems odd in our current uncertain times, when many are trying to secure their financial future. But we find we have more than enough, and that the future is even more uncertain than we realise. Perhaps the future we’re trying to save is not the one we want, better to enjoy the present. Just my thoughts…

So, now what…?

I always wonder about the day after. What the ‘end of the world’ style cults will do when the world doesn’t end. As a teen I was amused when this happened, now I’m pretty sad. Lot’s of people invested fully in the idea that something was going to happen, and then it didn’t. I’m especially sad to read all the articles about pensioners investing all their savings into ad campaigns warning people, or parents who have neglected their children’s interests in the same pursuit. There’s nothing amusing about this. I don’t think these people should be punished for committing to what they believed in, I just hope there’s some understanding in their community for them.

So, what now? I think Richard Dahlstrom summed it up in “And if the world doesn’t end this Saturday… Getting our Priorities straight” this week. But to put my own two cents in...

I think that we clean it up. The world isn't going anywhere fast, and though we have a lot of work before us there is really no other option. Some look at the mess and are willing to give up because of the size of the damage, but I'm more hopeful than that. A comment I saw recently said:

“I just don’t see everyone learning to love each other happening without His direct intervention. I don’t see the mega-rich stopping their exploitative business practices. I don’t see the rights of indigenous people being recognised; instead the genocide is covered up. I don’t see the poor and the disposed being cared for. I don’t see swords being beaten into ploughshares. I don’t see slavery and oppression coming to an end. So in a sense I am looking forward to the end of the world”

I think we can all relate to that pain of living in this broken world. But I see something different. I know that there is so much war, but then I do see places where swords are being beaten into ploughs. There is oppression, but I do see a transformation where that oppression is replaced with justice. I do see hate and greed and exploitation and genocide and lies and fear, but for all that God is working and transforming lives in real ways that brings about His kingdom on earth. I think this world would have rotted a long time ago if it was in constant decay, but it hasn't, because it's being slowly built up as well. I have a big hope for the future. A future that starts now.

Augusta 26/2/11

Here’s some sketches I made while in Augusta recently. I coloured them as well. I like the colours, but I’m not sure it was exactly like that. Thanks for reading. Theo

Hazel Vs. the World

Hazel has a amazing ability to put things in her mouth. Whilst this seems to be a simple task, most people could not accomplish it with such skill as Hazel. her repertoire is extensive and includes, but is not limited to,:

Toys, cutlery, her feet, a pedestal fan, chair legs, bed sheets, the steering wheel on our car, guests, etc.

If you still think, that’s not that hard, then my challenge to you this week is to put all of the above items in your mouth. let me know if you succeed.

Hazel’s mission about the house seems to be to discover and explore. this got me thinking, that maybe that’s what we humans do. We constantly find new was to engage with the world around us. First we touch then taste, then crawl then walk, then talk and socialise, etc. Maybe that’s what drives us to the exploration extremes of space travel. I think I should find a new way to engage with my world this week. All of you with out pedestal fan’s in their mouths are free to join me.

Same Old Story

Why is it that I never seem to see the signs before it’s too late? And then I climb back out and brush myself off. It’s not that I want to avoid all the holes, it’s just how can I be falling into them again and again, same as last time.

I guess I’ll have to keep my eye closer on the path, these distractions are annoying. Also, I’ll build a barrier at the edge of the whole. maybe I’ll tell some friends where I ‘m going, and they can watch out for me. Or I could get busy doing something useful, a goal could keep me from wondering. I don’t want to see this hole again.

All’s fair in love and war

 

This is a result of an ‘Ends justifies the means’ thinking. I’ve been reading some Lee Camp, and am reaffirmed in the need to teach more creative ways of achieving our goals and resolving conflict than violence.

Metaphor

Self-explained. Thanks for viewing. Oh, and I fixed the site so anyone can leave comments now, you know, if you want to. It’s always good to get feedback. So if you comment I’ll critique your comment against a set of select criteria.