The MPhil has a had a brain-hurting stage which I think*/hope*/pray*/we'll see next supervision* it's emerging from. I came across this cartoon recently which sums up the academic cycle quite well. Check out the original here.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Monday, 25 May 2009
Our Common(s) Lot
This is the LICC Connecting with Culture comment for May 22... (I added the cartoon)
‘I think it is a dreadful example of the House of Commons as a whole - which as a whole is responsible for the mess we are in - trying to scapegoat one man who was trying to represent what he thought were their views on what should be done.’
Frank Dobson certainly isn’t alone in detecting a whiff of hypocrisy in this week’s tumultuous and historic events at Westminster, which saw Michael Martin become the first Speaker of the House of Commons in more than 300 years to be effectively forced out of office.
There is, however, another scapegoat in the current crisis over MPs’ expenses, one on which everyone seems eager to lay their hands: the system. The applause that greeted Speaker Martin’s later (and longer) statement to the Commons last Tuesday, in which he outlined interim changes to the parliamentary expenses claims system, is indicative of the honourable members’ conviction that the system needs to change.
There is now cross-party agreement that MPs should no longer be able to claim for, among other things: mortgages that don’t exist, homes they do not live in, and houses in which their ducks do.
This is tragic.
In other words, the real problem here is what the Bible calls sin.
To cast the present scandal in terms of the words of Jesus, it is from within, out of the heart, that greedy expenses claims come (Mark 7:20-23). Making a scapegoat of the system may be to join the Pharisees in cleaning ‘the outside of the cup and dish’, but inside remaining ‘full of greed and self-indulgence’ (Matthew 23:25). The system, like the Daily Telegraph, can expose sin, but it can’t do anything about it. Only Christ can do that. Ultimately, there is no solution to the scandal of MPs’ expenses apart from the scandal of the cross.
Not that we should sit in judgement. The current crisis begs the question of our own integrity. Be it in regard to our own work expenses, or anything else, we must all contend with the truth that our actions betray our allegiance. As we do so, we might find we have more in common with the Commons than we thought.
Nigel Hopper
‘I think it is a dreadful example of the House of Commons as a whole - which as a whole is responsible for the mess we are in - trying to scapegoat one man who was trying to represent what he thought were their views on what should be done.’
Frank Dobson certainly isn’t alone in detecting a whiff of hypocrisy in this week’s tumultuous and historic events at Westminster, which saw Michael Martin become the first Speaker of the House of Commons in more than 300 years to be effectively forced out of office.
There is, however, another scapegoat in the current crisis over MPs’ expenses, one on which everyone seems eager to lay their hands: the system. The applause that greeted Speaker Martin’s later (and longer) statement to the Commons last Tuesday, in which he outlined interim changes to the parliamentary expenses claims system, is indicative of the honourable members’ conviction that the system needs to change.
There is now cross-party agreement that MPs should no longer be able to claim for, among other things: mortgages that don’t exist, homes they do not live in, and houses in which their ducks do.
This is tragic.
It is tragic because such things shouldn’t have to be spelt out. The system, designed to ensure MPs aren’t left out of pocket for legitimate expenses incurred in the course of their work, isn’t the problem. The creation of such a system is good, very good. The problem is the selfishness and greed of those who abuse the system in order to fill their pockets. Justifying their actions with reference to the letter of the law, they wilfully disregard the spirit of the law.
To cast the present scandal in terms of the words of Jesus, it is from within, out of the heart, that greedy expenses claims come (Mark 7:20-23). Making a scapegoat of the system may be to join the Pharisees in cleaning ‘the outside of the cup and dish’, but inside remaining ‘full of greed and self-indulgence’ (Matthew 23:25). The system, like the Daily Telegraph, can expose sin, but it can’t do anything about it. Only Christ can do that. Ultimately, there is no solution to the scandal of MPs’ expenses apart from the scandal of the cross.
Not that we should sit in judgement. The current crisis begs the question of our own integrity. Be it in regard to our own work expenses, or anything else, we must all contend with the truth that our actions betray our allegiance. As we do so, we might find we have more in common with the Commons than we thought.
Nigel Hopper
Friday, 27 March 2009
Fascination
Here's something I read a few weeks ago that has stuck with me since like a Jack Russell terrier on a postman's trouser leg.
"In many churches today there is a strong emphasis upon evangelism – equipping people to share the good news of Jesus. There are programmes to train people for this, to help them deal with the questions of postmodern people, to help them persuade people of Christian truth so they will want to become Christians.
Five years ago I was doing research into evangelism in the church of the first three centuries. And I was puzzled: the early church was growing rapidly, but in early Christian literature there are no training programmes for evangelism and practically no admonitions to evangelism. Why? I concluded, not least through reading what early Christians themselves said, that the church before the conversion of Constantine was growing because it was living in a way that fascinated people. It spoke to their needs; it addressed their questions; and it didn’t so much persuade as fascinate people into new life. Early Christians believed that, in Christ, God had begun a vast movement of reconciliation that had incorporated them; so they had renounced violence, converted their swords into ploughshares, and stopped studying war. This was something they had experienced, and that had given them a new way of living."
It's from 'Becoming a Peace Church' by Alan and Eleanor Kreider. Available as a pdf download here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Fascination - Alphabeat (Official Music Video)
"In many churches today there is a strong emphasis upon evangelism – equipping people to share the good news of Jesus. There are programmes to train people for this, to help them deal with the questions of postmodern people, to help them persuade people of Christian truth so they will want to become Christians.
Five years ago I was doing research into evangelism in the church of the first three centuries. And I was puzzled: the early church was growing rapidly, but in early Christian literature there are no training programmes for evangelism and practically no admonitions to evangelism. Why? I concluded, not least through reading what early Christians themselves said, that the church before the conversion of Constantine was growing because it was living in a way that fascinated people. It spoke to their needs; it addressed their questions; and it didn’t so much persuade as fascinate people into new life. Early Christians believed that, in Christ, God had begun a vast movement of reconciliation that had incorporated them; so they had renounced violence, converted their swords into ploughshares, and stopped studying war. This was something they had experienced, and that had given them a new way of living."
It's from 'Becoming a Peace Church' by Alan and Eleanor Kreider. Available as a pdf download here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Fascination - Alphabeat (Official Music Video)
Friday, 6 March 2009
Stand on me
I was watching an old episode of 'Minder' the other week (the original and best, on ITV4). At one point when some sort of deal is being done Arthur Daley says: "Stand on me", meaning you can rely on me, one of his many sayings. It got me thinking about reliability. I'm sure this should have featured in one of the lists of gifts in the New Testament, because it is a quality I have come to realise is right up there in the top three of what I look for in people I work with. 
This last few weeks we have been working hard to get the next PeaceWeek ready. This involves encouraging everyone and anyone to join in and contribute something, and it has been good once again to see a number of people do just that. But not so good has been a few who have said they would take on a job or use a particular skill or gift to enhance one of the events, but who have then not actually done anything at all. In some cases that job has had to to be picked up by someone else already over-committed, in other cases that thing will just not be happening.
Jesus had something to say about servants who say they will do something, but don't actually do it, and servants who say they won't do it, or winge about it but, at the end of the day Brian, actually do do it. In the case of these few individuals who said the equivalent of "Stand on me" it has ended up causing, to use another Daley phrase: "A right lot of ag."*
Who was it said: "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done"?
*Aggravation
This last few weeks we have been working hard to get the next PeaceWeek ready. This involves encouraging everyone and anyone to join in and contribute something, and it has been good once again to see a number of people do just that. But not so good has been a few who have said they would take on a job or use a particular skill or gift to enhance one of the events, but who have then not actually done anything at all. In some cases that job has had to to be picked up by someone else already over-committed, in other cases that thing will just not be happening.
Jesus had something to say about servants who say they will do something, but don't actually do it, and servants who say they won't do it, or winge about it but, at the end of the day Brian, actually do do it. In the case of these few individuals who said the equivalent of "Stand on me" it has ended up causing, to use another Daley phrase: "A right lot of ag."*
Who was it said: "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done"?
*Aggravation
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