U2
A call to revolution on the wrapper of a Big Mac
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Find Real Friends: How to Build Friendship in a Lonely World
We have never had more ways to connect, yet many of us feel increasingly alone. Real friendship begins when we stop waiting to be noticed and take the brave first step of noticing someone else.
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The baby born in Bethlehem invites us to reconsider our whole lives and re-orientate around who (not what) truly matters.
I love Christmas. I know its commercialized. I know that the reason for the season is going missing for many, but I still love this time of year. I love the promise and the idealism of Christmas. I love that for a few days people hum tunes about peace on earth, joy to the world and snow (even in countries where there is no snow). Most of all I love that for a few days, life priorities get rearranged. For a few days, it is our relationships that get the most attention. Family gets visited or skyped, meals are savoured and gifts are given. Even pain associated with this time of…
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It is as we reflect on ISIS that we can see just how confronting, and in fact disturbing, Jesus was.
Every week there seems to be a new example of a world descending into new levels of craziness. I have avoided videos and pictures of the extreme violence of ISIS because it revolts and bewilders me. How can one person do that to another? At the moment the news media is picking over the events surrounding a mass shooting in San Bernardino, which seems to have been inspired by ISIS. Whether it was the line of men slaughtered on a beach, the Paris shootings and bombings or this most recent attack, thing like this are so hard to understand, there is nothing in my current worldview that can make sense…
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The Gospel according to Bono
Regular readers of Faith Reflections will know that one of my heroes is the lead singer of the band U2, Bono. On the weekend I came across an excerpt from the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. It seems clear that he has both thought and read widely, and perhaps been particularly impacted by the work of C.S. Lewis and Philip Yancey in the way he unpacks what he believes. I found what he had to say helpful, so I edited out the voice of the interviewer and simply let Bono’s words speak for themselves. Have a read and see how you are affected:
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Give up helping.. its not working
“Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady.” That is currently my favourite line from a U2 song. Its from ‘Stand up Comedy’ off the album ‘No line on the horizon’. What I love about the lyric is how clearly it speaks to the part of me that wants to ‘help’ God. I have been interested in the correlation between the books of Eccelsiastes and 1 Corinthians. It seems to me that Paul must have been studying the work of Solomon as he wrestled with how to give the Corinthians feedback.
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Faith as a Value base
Walk the talk If you have read other entries on this blog, you will probably already becoming aware that I am a bit suspicious of ideology. What I mean by ideology is the arrogant assumption that the way you see the world is the way the world is, and the way you see God is the way God is. I love these Lyrics from “Stand Up Comedy” from U2’s album “No line on the horizon”: I can stand up for hope, faith, love But while I’m getting over certainty Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady I wonder whether that might be a good definition of fundamentalism:…
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Love and Marriage
I am sitting on the couch and watching my tired wife enjoy some time in front of the television. She has been quite tired lately. Marriage is complicated. We thought that it wouldn’t be.
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In the wake of #metoo we need to rediscover the implications of a controversial passage of the bible that points to a model of a healthy relationship between the sexes.
We need to rediscover the self-giving generosity that actually is love, and stop settling for cheap imitations.
Build Your Imperfect Family: Five Practices for Healthier Relationships
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The movement I can believe in
I have been doing a lot of chatting with people about leadership and how they build teams. One of the things that is getting clearer and clearer for me is that a central missing ingredient when a team isn’t growing, is a vision or a story. I came across a story about Pixar and Disney studios, in H.R. Leader magazine, and what they said I really found helpful:
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Grace that doesn't make sense
As I have said, this blog is about the journey of living faith and certainly isn’t written by someone who has it all together. I actually think the idea that you must have it “all together” is the enemy of true faith. Somehow we develop a picture of what a good Christian looks like and start to become judgmental of everyone who doesn’t match up while secretly hoping no-one will truly understand just how messed up we are.
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Raising teenagers is fundamentally about a clash of kingdoms, and its not easy.
How can I bring my children up in the training and instruction of the Lord without exasperating them?
Everyone needs an Auntie Anne, someone you know is always in your corner and doesn’t give up when things get tough.
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A call to revolution on the wrapper of a Big Mac
The wrestle with faith has an Irish soundtrack. I realised this morning as I donned my concert t-shirt sent to me by my sister and brother-in-law, that I would need to explain my love for the band U2. Not only that, I would have to create a new category on the blog, because for me the wrestle with faith has a soundtrack.
