I recently attended a local Iftar dinner at which close to 400 people participated in an evening of delicious food and generous conversation. Muslims, Christians, agnostics, atheists, and likely every creed in…
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Farewell Facebook. I’m Opting Out, For Good.
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Facebook for many years. On occasion, I’ve deactivated my account. I’ve practised abstinence. I’ve scheduled and limited my interaction. I’ve “only used it for work purposes”.…
Maybe
maybe there is life for us after death maybe our final breath is just that and we only exist in what we leave behind maybe our lives are framed by love and…
There’s a crack, a crack in everything
This time last year I suggested that a new world is on her way. I boldly stated, “Empire is everywhere. But I believe tomorrow will tell a different story.” Having barely scraped…
Welcome to the Age of Choose Your Own Theology
In my pre-teen years, I was an avid consumer of ‘Choose Your Own Adventure‘ novels. As the reader (often in the role of the protagonist), I was in charge of my destiny…
The Art of Welcome
The idea of welcome as more than a greeting, but as an underpinning of commerce and socioeconomic development, existed centuries before colonial rulers long over-stayed theirs. Richard Trudgen in his seminal work…
We Who Remain
On the day of God with us, she left. The idling engine betrayed her silent farewell and droned long after the tears Her tears not ours We who remain Remain Forced to…
Welcome is Not a Dirty Word
Current sound bites, headlines and social media diatribe would suggest the life support system has long been turned off on visionary and principled leadership in Australian politics. The daily mantra seems to…
It’s Time to Pass the Mic.
The recent response to, and the fallout from, #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear on various social media platforms was disappointing but not surprising. I have been a Christian long enough to witness the challenges that women…
Pluralism, Persecution and Privilege: an Easter Message
Jesus’ message is spreading and growing, but not in the seat of privilege and power. Have we got it all wrong? During holiday seasons, the grief of losing a loved one, or…
It’s Time to Rescue Brand “Australia”
A few career changes ago, I managed a branding and design agency. Our primary task was to help our clients communicate their organisation, product or service. We worked to create a strong…
Empire is Everywhere, But a New World is On Her Way
“Another world is not only possible; she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” – Arundhati Roy I confess that I am writing this in a…
The Senior Pastor is Dead, Long Live The Church!
In the year 1422 the King of France, Charles VI, died. As his successor, Charles VII, took the throne the following declaration was made “Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!” Or,…
6 Steps to Countering a Narrative of Fear
Welcome to Australia. A nation of contrasting landscapes, people and politics. Where we perform welcome to country at most major events, yet the traditional owners struggle for legitimacy and recognition on their…
Why, as a Christian Pastor, I Support Marriage Equality
I am a happily married, heterosexual man with a tribe of children (seven, to be precise). I am also, amongst other things, a Christian Pastor. I hang out, meet and work with…
Fed By the Hope of Today
Awakened by grief. The sun yet to break. Lying in darkness. Trailers appear.
Regarding the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa Claus
Warning: Spoiler Alert! Our 10-year old recently had a tooth fall out, and she asked my wife outright “is the tooth fairy real?”
Migration is a Solution, Not a Problem
8 things a whirlwind trip across the United States revealed and reminded me about welcome In the last two weeks of April 2016, I had the opportunity to travel across the United…
When Fear Trumps Fact
As the dust begins to settle on Australia’s 2016 federal election, concerns are being raised about one of the clear outcomes – the return of Pauline Hanson and One Nation. The political…
When the Dog-Whistle Sounds, We All Get Bitten
Politicians who use fear and division for point scoring in the hope that it will get them re-elected would do well to remember that they have a migrant story too. For when…