“Our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh when we learn where the outcast weeps.” Brennan Manning I remember walking through the doors of a house we had built in semi-rural Melbourne. It was a home that in years ahead would be the place where many friends and family members would gather – a place…Continue reading Oh The Places You Will Go … And The Places You Must Leave …
Category: Human Rights
Apartheid and the Ideas about God that Upheld It
This is a blog post from 2 years ago. As I travel Germany and am confronted by the many monuments that remember the holocaust and persecuted minorities, I am again aware of the fundamental role that dominant religions often play in oppressive regimes. May we never forget. I still remember the feeling of stifling hot air hitting…Continue reading Apartheid and the Ideas about God that Upheld It
A very brief Introduction to Christian Fundamentalism
“There are few things more dangerous than inbred religious certainty.” – Bart D. Ehrman This is a REPOST of a blog I wrote a couple of years ago … most fitting at this time of Australian religious and political discussions! There is a danger in assuming that every Christian belief and practice that we adhere to…Continue reading A very brief Introduction to Christian Fundamentalism
Lisa’s Story: The Path of Courage
“Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is ‘cor’ – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant, ‘To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.’ Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds.…Continue reading Lisa’s Story: The Path of Courage
Joy and the Narrow Path
This post is dedicated to the LGBTI community who were and are a prophetic voice in my life – I am forever grateful. On the 15th April it was two years since Dean Beck, Nathan Despott and I sat down at the Joy FM Radio station and recorded an interview to discuss the damage done to LGBTI…Continue reading Joy and the Narrow Path
Only Children and Fools Tell the Truth!
“Remember, there will be those among the powerful who try to make you say what you know is clearly not true because if everyone agrees to believe the lie, the lie can go on forever … If you want to be a leader, you, too, must refuse to tell the old lies. You must learn to…Continue reading Only Children and Fools Tell the Truth!
Remember with Purpose
You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. – Exodus 22:21 – Part of the problem in reading an ancient sacred text with modern minds is that there is a disconnect and dissonance in context, culture and thought. When reading the Bible, for…Continue reading Remember with Purpose
A Tribute to the Exiles Past and Present
“Exile is more than a geographical concept. You can be in an exile in your homeland, in your own house, in a room.” – Mahmoud Darwish I remember those in exile from my childhood days. They became outcasts because they protested when people were oppressed and marginalised because of the colour of their skin. They were…Continue reading A Tribute to the Exiles Past and Present
“He Should Get His Wife in Order” – Reflections on Religion and Patriarchy
In April 2015, I recorded an interview with Dean Beck on Joy FM. It was part of the Inside Ex-Gay programme produced by Nathan Despott. I was there as someone who had been a Pentecostal minister for many years to reflect on the damage done to LGBTIQ folk who have experienced ex-gay therapy in conservative,…Continue reading “He Should Get His Wife in Order” – Reflections on Religion and Patriarchy
Lazarus at Our Gate
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story to his predominantly devout Jewish listeners. It is a story of a rich man, “who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.” Jesus draws a strong contrast in his story between this rich man and a beggar by the name…Continue reading Lazarus at Our Gate