A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. – Adolphe Adam – Simeon’s Moment by Ron Dicianni It’s that time of year again. While some folks claim there is a ‘war on Christmas’, it takes very little research to discover that this apocalyptic, deluded conspiracy theory holds…Continue reading A Thrill of Hope
Category: Religion
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
Comfort For Those Waking Up In The Matrix
I was confused. This cannot be happening. They are lying. They have to be lying. If they are not lying then what I believed with such fierce devotion was a farce! What can I believe now? If I had the words back then, that is pretty much how I would have summed up the moment…Continue reading Comfort For Those Waking Up In The Matrix
Job, His Friends, and Disappointment
There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. – Martin Luther King, Jr. – The book of Job has always fascinated me. One of the oldest books in the Old Testament and most celebrated pieces of biblical literature, it is dominated by two main characters: Yahweh and a wealthy man called…Continue reading Job, His Friends, and Disappointment
In the Path of the Storm
“We live in a world that is beyond our control, and life is in a constant flux of change. So we have a decision to make: keep trying to control a storm that is not going to go away or start learning how to live within the rain.” – Glenn Pemberton Ten days ago we…Continue reading In the Path of the Storm
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
The Broken Birch
“Wholeness does not mean perfection; it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life” – Parker J. Palmer Spring has come to the world’s most liveable city. You would be forgiven for doubting this. As I write, Melbourne is in the throes of arctic-like weather conditions and it is pouring down gallons of water…Continue reading The Broken Birch
“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
Changes, Changes, Changes!
To every thing there is a season … Ecclesiastes 3 Changes, changes, changes … many years ago a sage whispered those words in my ears. Life is all about changes. My life has been witness to so many changes. There are times I wish it wasn’t so. Sure, change can be exciting and full of…Continue reading Changes, Changes, Changes!