politics
Will there ever be a long weekend like it again? On the Friday we had the once-in-a-generation wedding of a royal couple. It was held in an abbey in a city and watched by millions all around the world. Lots of pomp. Lots of celebrities. Lots of photos. Then on the Monday we had the…
READ MOREI’ve been spending my early mornings in Bangalore reflecting on the similarities between the political cartoon and the parable (and have even produced 6000 words for my supervisor to show for it!) May I introduce you to two of my companions? 1. The first is Herbert Block – known simply as ‘Herblock’. Triple Pulitzer Prize…
READ MOREThere are some remarkable things about the USA (for example, where would you find billionaires – in any currency – coming together to commit themselves to giving half of their wealth away? Amazing)… … but Fox TV is not one of them. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to read that their ratings are soaring.…
READ MOREI feel sad. One year after the inauguration I feel sad that Obama now finds himself in such a pickle. You don’t have to be a Fox TV political analyst to know that when a Kennedy seat goes Republican within months of a Kennedy death, something seismic is happening. Obama is in big trouble. I…
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 MOREOn this the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Wilberforce, I offer my tribute by engaging with the biography written by former leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague – which I finished on Saturday.I have wondered about starting a WWW club for William Wilberforce Wannabees like myself but maybe I’ll settle for listing…
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 MOREFirst you need to understand that I am an Indian lad. And as a boy in India, I could never understand why that country which fills the space between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans stood behind Pakistan, while that country which provided the shoulders on which the Arctic Circle sits stood behind India. It seemed…
READ MOREPsalm 120:1 following Psalm 119 (and its 176 verses) is like a tiny fern sitting next to a giant kauri (tree). And the stark contrast doesn’t stop with size. All but two verses (I think I am right on that one – my grandma used to tell me it was every verse, but she was…
READ MOREIt was great to have Barby and all my kids up early watching the Obama inauguration with me. A moment for history. As usual I thought Obama’s speech was brilliant – both in its content and its tone. I am so enjoying hearing and watching the spoken word inspire people in an era where there…
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.