Numbed

Yesterday on the radio I was listening to a program talking about the introduction of an R18+ rating to videogames in Australia. At present, Australia is the only developed country without such a rating. In South Australia they are looking to merge the new R18+ rating with the current MA15+ rating and so scrapping it entirely in regards to videogames, so there is only M and then R18+.

Two days ago I was watching a parenting program on television looking at the affect that different videogames can have on children, 12 year old boys to be specific. It found that the majority of those who played a videogame with violence in it (World War Replica) were much less likely to be helpful, considerate, and thoughtful, in real life than those who were playing a non-violent videogame (football). It was also found that this rolled over into the way that real life violence affected them.

 

Just this morning I heard about a siege which had happened this morning near one of my family. The roads are all blocked off, a police officer was shot. Three are dead, two injured. My reaction was like ‘oh, okay’. Automatic acceptance of this violence, of the situation. It is expected.

With all the violence, all the things which should be unacceptable to us as human beings, being always in front of us, in the news, in television programs, videogames, radio, we just don’t react the same way anymore. Just how numb have we become, and how numb to such things are we making the next generation?

I am in favour of the change in ratings which is occurring with videogames in South Australia, merging the two categories. Saying this, I also understand why the R18+ category has never been in place in Australia for videogames before. The makers of such games in Australia have just had to make sure that the violence and explicit content is at a level low enough to fit the MA15+ category. We shall see how this is received. Hopefully it will give people a better idea of what they are actually purchasing as the line between M and MA15+ has been blurred for a long time.

Is a helping hand going to disappear? The friendly neighbour; the person who stops in the street to help a stranger? The results from the videogame testing may help explain where some of that culture has gone to, but also perhaps suggests that there may be a further decline in such behaviour.

So, I have two questions for you today. First in direct response is, what can we do? And second is, how do you react to violence in the world today... how numb are you?

God Bless

The Real Story

Easter is in just a couple of days, so I thought that I would share what I, and many others, consider to be the real story, the true story, the First Easter. Accounts of this can be found in the Bible.

So there's this guy whose name is Jesus. He has done many miraculous things in his life like making the blind see, healing diseases, and casting out demons. He also teaches all whom he meets with words of hope and authority. He claims to be the Christ, the Son of God. Many follow him but there are also many who are against him.

Thursday

The Jewish Festival called Passover was here! Everybody from surrounding towns had all traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate this Feast of Unleavened Bread together, in the holy city. Multitudes of people could be seen everywhere. Jesus celebrated this festival with twelve of those whom followed him and were good friends of his. He said some strange things at their supper. After taking the cup and giving thanks he said 'Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes' And again with the bread after giving thanks he said 'this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' And then again with the cup after supper, 'this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of my betrayer is with me on the table.'

Like I said, he says some strange things. But there are many against him and some so much, the chief priests in fact, that they wished to kill him. The betrayer which Jesus spoke of was Judas, one of those who was indeed sitting at the table. And that night, as Jesus was at the Mount of Olives with those same twelve, Judas came up and gave him a kiss, betraying him to the chief priests who had come there also to arrest him. He was praying 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.'

And so Jesus was arrested and taken away. That night the men who were to hold and guard Him mocked and beat him severely, blindfolding him and striking his face.

Friday

Well, if the day before isn't enough, now He is taken out and led into the council of the scribes, and chief priests. Here he does not deny that He is the Son of God, but affirms this and so they take him and present him to Pilate, then the head of the Roman empire in that part, and accuse him of claiming to be the King of the Jews. Again, Jesus affirms this. Pilate couldn't see that Jesus had done anything wrong but on that day as a show of goodness for the people he would release one prisoner. Pilate said he would release Jesus, but the people, the crowds, the multitudes all cried out that they wanted another man released, Barabas, and that they wanted Jesus crucified. Pilate tried to lesser this to just having him further beaten but still they called out and so he gave in and Jesus was to be crucified.

And so Jesus was lead out with two others to be crucified, taking their crosses with them. And there they were all put up on their cross'. Some mocked him, saying if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself, but others saw what was true and said 'Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom'. Now before Jesus died there was unnatural darkness for three hours, and when he did, there was something like an earthquake at the same time and the temple curtain was ripped in two. This is a big deal for the Jews, it is the barrier between them and God, and now it is broken. A man came and claimed Jesus' body and laid it in a tomb once it was all over, some women who had also come observing where the tomb is and how his body is laid that they might come back and prepare his body properly for burial.

Saturday

Well, the day before was certainly a big day. This day is known as the sabbath. It is Jewish custom and law to rest on the sabbath and do no work. And so, everyone rested. The women prepared spices for Jesus' body just before the sabbath day began that they might complete this duty as soon as the sabbath is over.

Sunday

The day is here, the day to go the tomb and finish of what is to be done to lay Jesus to rest. Why has such an end come to such a great man? The women arrived at the tomb and found that the boulder which had been blocking the entrance had been rolled away. They hadn't thought how they were going to do it, being so overcome with grief, but it is huge, who could have rolled it away? They went inside and found no body but there were two men in shining garments who said to them 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be cruicified, and the third day rise again.'' The women remembered what Jesus had said and taught them many days ago they ran to tell Jesus' good friends the wonderful news.

Finally, the were starting to understand what Jesus had been trying to tell them. Jesus appeared to them, to the women, his friends, and many others including crowds of people over quite a few days to follow. He had his wounds from when he was crucified but he was healed. He had a new body, was different in some way, but the same man.

Later

At the end of these days Jesus said to them, a crowd of people, of friends and others, 'Thus it is written, and this it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you' but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.' And then after saying this he blessed the people and as he blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

Now isn't that an amazing story! And better yet, it is all true.

My question to you is does this story change anything in your life?

God Bless.

Are Traditions Real?

It's coming up to Easter again, gee time does pass quickly sometimes. Anyway, it has got me thinking about what I do, how I spend my time and celebrate this momentous occasion. What did I do as a kid? What's changed?

Family traditions are funny things. If you join a family at such an occasion and they're trying something different that year it is quite often taken as something which they will do every year. What do we do when we find out that this is not right or when a tradition is changed. Do we buck up and want to stick with what we had or do we embrace the new ideas, the idea of new traditions?

 

When I was a kid I remember going to a Tenebrae Service on the Thursday night. Everybody would come and it was a great time. When it stopped, I didn't know what to do. Is it still Easter if we don't have the Tenebrae Service? Another thing we would do is get up at the crack of dawn to drive the 50 minutes to the nearest Dawn Service on the Sunday morning in the next town over. When I left home for the first time I remember coming back to go to that Dawn Service, as I didn't want to let it go.

Later I remember spending some of Easter time with friends instead of just family. Of going to a different dawn service where I was able to invite others along. Now, we have a new thing we do every Easter. We go camping, well in a caravan park around the place somewhere. We meet new people every year, we celebrate and remember with different people every year, but no matter where we are, we are with family. Our family in Christ.

Recently I've been thinking about what kind of new traditions I might like to start up. I don't have a family of my own or anything like that but what's to say that we cannot start up a new tradition anyway? Of maybe putting something on to invite others along to. The thing is, it doesn't really matter what we do at Easter as long as we remember what it's really about, and celebrate that, not losing it amongst everythings else.

Why do we cling to those things which we know, the false security we find in order and traditions? I would like to suggest that we remember the times which we have had with such things, the fun, the laughter, or the solemnity, that the occasion just doesn't seem quite right unless you do it that way. That is until you actually try something new! I challenge you to actually think about what you do, who you spend your time with, and where you go. Would you like to change anything?

So, anyway, amongst all that is above my question to you is what are your traditions, and why do you keep them?

God Bless.

Not Enough

You know sometimes we don't have much to say. This is sometimes because we have used too many words already that we've run out it seems, or it is because words in themselves are just never going to be enough. You know that feeling when you are able to just sit quietly in companionship with another without saying or doing anything and not feel like you need to. I pray that you may all know and have this.

My question to you is what kind of relationships do you have?

 

God Bless.

Life! ..or something like it?

You know, sometimes it feels pointless writing blogs. Why do people do it? It's like you're talking to yourself or maybe talking to someone else who isn't really there, like an imaginary friend when you were a kid, or maybe writing a letter to someone who has passed away. Anyway, I think writing blogs is also a bit like prayer. Only with prayer you don't need to wonder about the point of it or if there's anyone at the other end listening, it is a certainty.

I was at a bible study this morning and we were looking at Acts 8 and 9. Those stories about Philip and the Eunuch and then about Saul's transformation. Isn't it amazing to see how God is at work in so many different peoples lifes at the same time, directing their movements, and bringing them together, to ultimately lead them to Him! That he has the ultimate authority and that no matter what we do we are never to bad or too far removed that he can't reach out and save us, and show us that we ourselves don't have real authority but only him alone!

Sometimes life is going right and you think, yeah, I've really got it all good at the moment, aren't I doing a great job? And then sometimes life isn't going so great and you think what else can I do to make it all better. That reliance on ones self is the problem, when really the answer is above.. remembering that God has the ultimate authority and that repenting and turning to him in prayer is the only way anything is actually going to go right in your life, as before this happens, real life is unknown. Take a glimpse at those around you and tell me, who is really living?

So, the question I have for you is what makes your life real?

God Bless