Friends

Last time I talked a little about some things we can be grateful for. Something else I am truly grateful for is friends! I still remember a time when I didn't really have any friends and now I don't know what I'd do without the group of people around me from all different walks of life whom I love and care for.

I remember when I didn't really have any friends I didn't understand what it was to have a good friend. Someone who you can talk to, about anything, for almost any length of time. Someone you like and love and care for. You put up with things from them that might normally annoy you. And you genuinely care what happens to them, and what's going on in their lives. You try to be there for them and offer guiding advice or a shoulder to cry on if it is needed.

Not only is it this giving of yourself for them but being able to graciously receive it as well. I don't know about you but I often find it difficult to receive things and really dislike being the centre of attention. Being a friend you often do things you might not like the best to spend time with them but also accept the things which they are giving to you. Whether it be advice, or time, or chocolate, or surprises.

When God created us, he created Adam, and then Eve, and they lived in a garden with God. We were created to be in relationship with others. In this way we were made for friendships and as such we often thrive much more when in the company of others.

Of my friends the thing I am most thankful for is their friendship. My question for you is what do you think makes a friend, a friend?

God Bless

Grateful

Well, it's been a while since my last post. Missed a week in there. This weekend has been great catching up a little with family I don't always spend a lot of time with.

Isn't it interesting what different things people notice about you? And how it is so often closely associated with what has changed since the last time they saw you. Now, this makes sense, but it also really highlights how infrequently you do see some people. One of my nieces whom I saw this weekend noticed my blue hair. I could have sworn that I had seen her at least once in the last nine months, but apparently, no.

 

Time really slips away from us sometimes. But at the same time I am sometimes grateful for those long absences as these people can point out things about yourself that have changed that you or others close to you might not have noticed.

We are always changing in some degree, often to our circumstances. I know at the moment I am changing in more ways than one but I cannot pin point what those changes are. Perhaps someone else I see one day might be able to point them out to me.

This is just one thing I am grateful for from those around me. What are you grateful for from those around you?

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