culture
I went to see Sherlock Holmes (the movie, not the person). Yet another dark movie. Not only is so much of it filmed at night, or in the shadows, or with the lights out – but creative energy is poured far more into portraying evil than good. There has been a string of movies like…
READ MOREIf these billboards from Britain are coming to a bus near you, head for Ecclesiastes and preach your little heart out. I’d start with expounding the text on the side of the bus … then I’d go to the sympathetic approval of such a text in the early chapters of Ecclesiastes … before going to…
READ MOREThere is something of the concentric circles in this trilogy… We shift from the personal character of the leader (vol 1) to the pragmatics of leadership, specially in its use of power (vol 2) and now the politics of leadership as we discover its influence in the broad sweep of large populations of people over…
READ MOREOne of the differences between Australia and New Zealand that has fascinated me over the years is the vastly different ways in which they have addressed the issues of the rights of indigenous peoples. Australians, particularly within the evangelical church, just seem to ignore the issue. Not any more. Dr Peter Adam (Principal, Ridley College…
READ MOREHere in New Zealand we have been watching in disbelief as a case makes its way through the courts. Having inflicted 216 stab wounds in killing his student/girlfriend, a young university lecturer occupied the witness stand for days as he defended his actions in an effort to gain a ‘manslaughter’ conviction, rather than a ‘murder’…
READ MOREThat previous post prompted an observation that I had meant to post last month – but forgot. When I was in Thailand a couple of Cambodian pastors at the seminar really wanted to go out for ice cream. A bit of a novelty for them. So we did. We took the ice cream cones and…
READ MOREI am sitting in the departure lounge at Hong Kong airport reflecting on the privilege that is mine over these days. I’ve just had two days of listening to East Asian Christian leaders advise Langham’s international staff team on our work with them. [The bishop who habitually and quietly wipes the tables after each meal…
READ MOREAn Indian politician was on BBC yesterday speaking about the ongoing tragedy in Sri Lanka and the loss of life that is occuring. However whereas we would speak of “men, women and children”, she spoke of “men, women, elders and children”. How interesting methinks to myself. Is this a reflection of their greater respect for…
READ MOREThis week my daughter Bethany introduced me to a website which reviews movies with an eye on children. It is called kids-in-mind. While it does not appear to be explicitly Christian, I am sure it has a huge following among more conservative Christians. The site reviews movies according to three criteria: (a) Sex/Nudity; (b) Violence/Gore;…
READ MOREHave you ever wondered about what the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, and Madagascar 2 have in common? Probably not – so let me enlighten you… On flights to UK this week I discovered a more limited choice of movies and so these two received a re-run. And in both films the ‘baddie’ is…
READ MOREAbout Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.