I'm Glad You Found Me....

 I'm so glad you came by. But I have moved to two new sites.

My main blog can now be found at ralphturnerwriter.com

And anything to do with the revival in Leicester can be found at revivalinleicester.com

I do hope you will join me on our continuing journey together.

Provocateur. Prophet. Pioneer. 5 lessons from the life of Gerald Coates

My thanks to Premier Christianity Magazine for the invitation to write this article. Below is the shorter version - you can find the full article here.

Provocateur. Prophet. Pioneer. Gerald Coates has gone home.

It’s hard to be neutral when it comes to Gerald. Unafraid and unapologetic, there is no doubt he could cause one listener to become apoplectic over his apparent criticisms, whilst another would be on their feet applauding.

As Gerald’s biographer I learned to appreciate a man who gave everything to the cause of Christ, uncompromising and generous hearted in equal measure.

What can we learn from his life? Here are five lessons from the life of Gerald Coates.

 

1.       IT’S ALL ABOUT KINGDOM

Gerald was spoilt for anything else. As a young man, leading what was one of the first of the modern-day house churches, he met with many fellow travellers. Their influence on his theology was considerable. There was a bride for a bridegroom. The Church was not to cower in the corner, waiting for some kind of secret rapture. They were called to be a radical people, influencing every area of society. To be God’s people, speaking and prophesying into a broken world.

It was this clear understanding of reaching every area of society that caused him unashamedly to pursue friendships with the rich and famous. He was criticised for this, but lives were changed because of his persistence. That same ‘never say no’ attitude brought him to worldwide influence, particularly with the March for Jesus.

He was extremely prophetic both as regarded national events and individual lives. He had an expectation that God would speak.

For Gerald, it was all about the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God had come with Christ’s death and resurrection. The Church was called to be Christ’s body, filled with the Holy Spirit and uncompromising in their message of salvation.

 

2.       AVOID RELIGION

If the Church was to be the Church, it had to clean up its act. There is a difference between Christianity and religion and Gerald was hot on this. Spotting religious pretence at a hundred paces, he dealt with it ruthlessly.

Noel Richards, his worship leader and travelling companion for many years, recalls a meeting in New Zealand. The Saturday night had been glorious. The Holy Spirit moved, lives were changed. But come Sunday morning and things got very religious. Smart dress, whispered greetings and a Lord’s Table ornate in its arrangement.

Part way through his preach, continuing as if nothing untoward was happening, Gerald threw off the white sheet from the bread and wine, and began to eat the bread as he spoke. People were offended of course. But that was the point. Traditionalists hated it. A whole new generation of young Christians loved it.

 

3.       IT’S ONLY NOISE

How did Gerald deal with the inevitable criticism? He pretty much ignored it! In all my interviews for the book, I never came across a single time when he expresses a dislike for someone. A dislike for their religious practices, sure, but Gerald’s spirit was always pure as regarded the person themselves.

Remembering that criticism is only noise is a great way to deal with it. A great way to keep the main thing the main thing. To avoid hurt and bitterness. To maintain a clean heart.

There is a bit of a downside though – and maybe another learning here. Gerald was largely unaware as to how upset others were with his seeming criticism of their traditions and practices. But this certainly affected others around him. Friends and fellow leaders were left to deal with denominational executives accusing them of error or exaggeration.

 

4.       TELL THE STORIES

Gerald was a storyteller. Never a theologian, though widely read, it’s important to record that his seemingly off-the-cuff preaches were laboured over, well prepared and prayed through. There is no doubt though, that he is at his best telling stories and applying them to the Word. Often hilarious and many times at his own expense, he captured the listener. Too late for the hearer, they would inevitably realise that the story spoke to their own lives, their own attitudes, their own sins.

Later in life, Gerald would forget in conversation, the stories he had previously told. And if you dared to interrupt, he’d start again!

 

5.       LOVE WELL

Gerald leaves behind the love of his life, Anona, along with three sons and their families. He loved well. In an age when leaders fall, Gerald stayed faithful.

He loved his friends well too. The door was always open. The bottle of red wine was always available. Until his final illness, he would always reply to emails, always answer the phone: ‘Gerald here.’

Not everything Gerald did should be copied. That canary yellow suit. Really?

But we would do well to remember it is God’s Kingdom, and as His children we have the authority to bring change to the world we live in. Gerald did just that.

Dear BT, Goodbye.... Kind Of

For those kind people who have followed my blog over the years, they will know of the battles I’ve had with British Telecom (BT). It took them 91 days and 4 hours to provide me with Broadband when we moved house. At the time, I was probably counting the seconds too!

And once installed, I tried to move to my preferred provider, Sky (better people on the phone and they don’t read from a script for starters). It failed of course. I was advised that the servicing company, Openreach (owned by BT), were not able to find me a Broadband line in my village. The only ones available were - surprise, surprise - for BT.

So there I was, paying through the nose for a BT phone line and Broadband. Until I called in to an EE shop.

I went to EE to sort something out on my mobile, but like all good sales people, the guy used the opportunity to offer Broadband and phone. At a price that was £53 cheaper per month than BT. Per month! I thought I’d misheard.

The same deal as BT - just without BT Sport. Now, I know what some of you will be saying…. nowadays, EE is a subsidiary of BT. Yes, exactly. That’s the reason I can do it. Otherwise, it’s back to Openreach telling me the lines are reserved for BT. But - ha! - with EE being a subsidiary of BT, they can’t play that game. And I get to save £53 a month.

How come BT charges so much? It wasn’t long before they called. Here is a transcript of the call, as accurately as I can remember….

BT: Hello Mr Turner, we understand you want to leave BT?

Me: Yes.

BT: Sorry to hear that. You are a valued and long term customer. Is there a particular reason?

Me: Yes. I’m saving £53 a month.

BT: We’d be pleased to match that saving.

Me: Pardon?

BT: Rather than lose you, we’ll match our competitor.

Me: Not really a competitor - you own them. But how come you can match it?

BT: It’s what we do.

Me: So why didn’t you offer this before?

BT: We only offer at this stage.

Me: I thought I was a valued and long term customer. But you were willing to charge me an extra £53 a month so long as I didn’t complain?

BT: I wouldn’t put it like that. But the offer is what all companies do. If you go to Sky or Vodaphone, you’d find they only offer this sort of deal if you are threatening to leave.

Me: That’s not true. Sky call me regularly to check I’ve got the right TV deal. That includes reducing costs.

BT: Oh. Maybe it’s different for TV deals.

Me: Is that all?

BT: So you won’t come back to us?

Me: No.

BT: What if I told you that it will cost you £27 a month if you want BT Sport outside of your current deal?

Me: I’d say that was a threat and it’s not worth that much.

So there we go. At long last, I’m away from the dreaded BT. The new Broadband went ahead without a problem. And EE have promised to be active in keeping the costs down.

Now all I need is a future government to decide that this whale of a company is too big and powerful, and hive off EE into a separate entity.

I continue to dream….

A Culture of Honour

As a resident of Leicester, I’m shocked with the sacking of a hero. Claudio Ranieri worked against the odds to produce the upset of the century in football terms, with Leicester City winning the English Premiership last year. According to the BBC, the season ‘ended with a success that defied history, logic, the odds and the game's natural financial order, as he turned a Leicester team that narrowly avoided relegation into champions.’

Yesterday, after a run of bad results, he was fired.

He didn’t deserve that and it was done for the usual short-sighted reasons of money and politics.

There seems to be such a culture of dishonour nowadays. We see it in the Brexit debate. These are important decisions and it seems reasonable to discuss them, but the moment a former Prime Minister raises those issues, there’s a dishonouring of him as a person- nothing to do with the debate.

Sadly it seems the same with the comments and tweets of the new President in the States. It’s not whether he is right or wrong, it’s to do with honouring the other point of view.

Back to Leicester. I don’t want to be part of something that is so short sighted and ruthless. I want to honour a man that in sporting terms did the impossible. Manager of the Premiership winners, Coach of the Year in the BBC awards and with the same award from the official body, FIFA.

I don’t expect he will read this, but Claudio, we honour you. There will be many in Leicester today who want you to know we have nothing to do with this decision. We choose a culture of honour, not dishonour. We trust you will remember Leicester fondly and will be able to forgive this crass dishonouring of your accomplishments.

Explaining British Politics to an American Friend

American Friend: ‘Hey Ralph, what’s happening with you guys? Crazy politics!’

Ralph: ‘Yep. Not our most glorious moment as a British people.’

AF: ‘So what exactly has happened? Explain it to me.’

R: ‘I’ll have a go. But just to get things into perspective, you guys have got Donald Trump!’

AF: ‘Fair enough!’

So here is my attempt at an answer to my American friend:

BACKSTORY

There’s quite a backstory to this. A lot of it involves the press and their ability to spin a story. Our press are not neutral. We boast a free press, but with it comes a lot of baggage. Especially press intrusion, wild headlines and frankly, lies.

We have the BBC of course. Supposedly neutral. But probably not. It tends towards the left wing of British politics and is not averse to trying to get a scoop, seemingly at the cost of the truth. (Cliff Richard, our British pop icon, has been dragged through the mud on his private life- started by the BBC filming a raid on his home. Turns out none of it is true. Hope he sues).

All of this is to say, people believe the cheap headlines.

FROM BLAIR AND BROWN

New Labour had its day and lost the election. Not helped by a lacklustre Gordon Brown who probably should never have been Prime Minister.

The election results were a surprise though. It needed a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition to reach consensus on a new Government. They did a pretty good job. The LibDems stopped the more extreme right wing agenda of the Conservatives and the fallout from the 2008 world economic crisis was managed well.

THE LAST ELECTION

The last election changed that. The LibDems were punished by their supporters for the alliance with the Conservatives and the first past the post electoral system meant they paid a higher price in number of MPs that the actual vote for them suggested.

Prime Minister Cameron had freedom to introduce a right wing agenda, and he did.

But on Europe, he was caught by his own manoeuvrings. At a point of weakness and with pressure from the extreme right wing, he had earlier caved in to offering a referendum on Europe- should we stay in the European Union or not? That’s the referendum we’ve just been through.

LABOUR FAILURE

British politics needs a robust and effective opposition. There hasn’t been one since the demise of Blair and Brown.

The unions pushed through a vote on a new leader of the Labour party that favoured younger brother Ed Miliband over older brother David. That was the catalyst for Labours demise. Ed was not a leader and duly lost the election, spectacularly giving Cameron an unfettered government.

Before he left, Ed also ensured Labour would remain unelectable by letting in the £3 voters. These are people that can vote in a Labour leadership election by paying just £3. Sounds ridiculous? It was. The extreme left in the Labour party used the changes to their advantage and the unelectable labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn is the result.

IMPLOSION

And now the country has imploded. Based on a set of untruths, the vote out brigade won the referendum. Economic misery is the likely result.  All three major parties are in trouble: the LibDems don’t have the MPs. The Conservatives have Cameron’s resignation to deal with and infighting still on Europe. And Labour has to deal with an unelectable leader who at the time of writing is refusing to go, despite 80% of his own MPs asking him to do so.

Some on the extreme right wing have taken the vote as an excuse for racial violence. And just when we need a steady hand and a clear mind, no one is stepping up.

NEXT?

Not sure. Could be violence on the streets. Could be economic ruin. I hope not. There’s a gap in politics once again, for a middle ground / left of centre party. If that’s not Labour, maybe someone will be brave enough to start a new party.

Maybe the Conservatives will sort themselves out in time. And maybe the EU will drop the rhetoric and give Britain a good deal outside of their borders. Maybe.

But it could be worse. At least Donald Trump is the other side of the Atlantic.

How to Destroy a Political Party

1.       Allow the Unions to vote in the inexperienced younger brother Ed Milliband instead of the electable brother David

2.       Allow Ed Milliband to change the rules of membership to allow extreme views to be represented in future leadership elections

3.       Allow Ed Milliband to lead a lacklustre campaign showing why he is not a leader and giving the Tories a full majority

4.       Allow a shambles of a leadership election with non-Labour members voting and resulting in an unelectable leader

5.       Allow the once great policies of an electable Labour Party to be destroyed by unelectable rhetoric

Such a shame.

REPOST: How to Fail as a Political Party: 26/09/10

This is my post at the time Ed beat David. It gives me no great pleasure to note I was right. Sad day for Labour.

1. Ignore what the public want: look to keep the peace in your own party at the cost of becoming unelectable
2. Make sure the election process is long enough for the unions to form around a candidate that is weak enough not to take them on
3. Make sure the Unions have a vote that outweighs their true influence in the country
4. Elect someone that is young and untried
5. Ignore the older brother who has a welcome reformist approach and is obviously the more able communicator
6. Go back to the old party ways, following the policies of the last failed Prime Minister rather than the new approach from the earlier successful and long lasting Prime Minister
7. Look forward to a number of years of debating failed left wing election proposals
8. Look forward to a long time as an opposition party.

Living in a 'Both/And' Country

There was a bit of a scary documentary on TV the other night. Robert Peston was looking at what might happen to France after their next election. There is a real possibility of the far right getting in. 

This is reflected in many other nations, including the UK with the rise of UKIP. Not as far right as the Front National in France, but a definite leaning in that direction.

It’s clear that there is a concern amongst ‘locals’ with regard to ‘newcomers’. But if we go back into history, pretty much all of Europe can be classed as ‘newcomers’. Most of us have relations who have travelled beyond old borders and taken up residence in another country.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French Front National, sets out the issue as countries needing to decide if they are ‘globalists’ or ‘nationals’. It sounds almost convincing. Until you consider the fact that she is demanding a choice. Either you support your country, or you are a ‘globalist’ and want to do away with borders.

But it’s not either/or. It can be both/and. I’m rightly proud of the country I’m born in. And if people move to my country, I want them to be proud of it too.

But I also love the variety and colour of the nations. I love it that the city I live in is 50% ‘other than British white’. I love the different viewpoints on life. I love the different foods. The different costumes. It adds to my nation. New colour and variety on top of the colour and variety already brought to my nation by previous generations.

So, yes, I’m nationalist in the sense of being proud of my country. But I can be a globalist too.

The choice we are being faced with by extremist right wing parties is a false choice. I want to live in a both/and country.

Black Friday or Red Friday?

I must admit it had passed me by. Black Friday that is. It was only on the actual day that I noticed it, so I guess I can be grateful that I managed to avoid most of the hype.

Apparently, it’s the day after Thanksgiving in the States. I’m pretty sure we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving over here, so it’s sad that we decided to import the day after. Or did we?

Of course, it’s not ‘our’ import at all - ‘us’ being the Great British population. It’s the retailers. Another opportunity to make some money. Another ‘sale’. And sadly, we fall for it.

I much prefer Red Friday. Instead of needless taking, it’s about selfless giving. One man who gave all.

Black Friday? Bad Friday. Red Friday? Good Friday.

Moving House

We moved house on 10th June.

It took Severn Trent Water a day to change our contract. Scottish Power - a day. Sky TV - two days. Driving licence change - a week.

BT broadband? 91 days and 4 hours.

Incredible incompetence, a lack of customer care and an Openreach operation out of control meant we went around in circles for a long time. All BT seemed able to do was the equivalent to switching an appliance off at the mains, and then back on again, hoping against hope that it works next time around.

I'd like to record here my thanks to all my friends who helped me bombard BT with tweets. Over 200 tweets were sent and I'm sure that was one of the main reasons we got somewhere in the end.

It doesn't seem right that Openreach can dictate what company we use either. We started with Sky, because of the good deal they had. But a month in and a few 'failed connections', Openreach said that they were 'unable to support' another provider. So I had to move to BT. Twice the cost. Half the service.

And that's when the real fun began. It turns out that BT Retail have no say over what BT Openreach do. Or in my case, don't do.

My thanks to Tracey and Robbie from BT Retail for their persistence on my behalf. But in this day and age, to take 91 days without any good reason beyond a 'software problem' is not acceptable.

One of the tweets I sent a number of times referred to BT being 'the worst company in the world'. I stand by that. Don't use them. Unless, like me, you have to.

Dear BT (again.....)

So lets’ recap why I can’t blog so often, tweet so often, or do my work properly....

This is day 41 without broadband and you are no nearer a solution. Just so you know, this is the story so far....

We moved house on 10^th June. The electric contract took a day to transfer. The water services took a day. Sky TV took two days. The Post Office took a week to change the address.

And BT have taken 41 days. And counting.

First I went for a Sky package. BT Openreach apologised when the first deadline was missed. They said they had sent the instruction to the wrong exchange. A week’s delay. Then, when the second deadline was missed, they said they had lost the link with the phone number. Funny that one, as it’s their phone number. Finally, after a month of trying, Sky were told by BT Openreach that they were unable to facilitate a service at the required exchange.

So.... Unwind the deal with Sky and go to BT. Twice the cost. Half the service.

Two week delay while BT retrieve the phone line from Sky. Then.... surprise, surprise.... deadline is missed. Re-scheduled for the next day. Missed again. ‘Give us 48 hours and we’ll have it sorted’. 48 hours later, next deadline missed.

A call from a BT specialist is promised on Friday. No call. ‘Sorry’ they say, ‘we’ll call Monday on your mobile.’

Text on Monday ‘we were unable to contact you’. That will be contacting me on the mobile that is in front of me and hasn't rung this morning then?

British Telecom- a monolithic monopoly with no controls and no customer care.

I have no choice but to sit it out and hope that somewhere in that organisation, someone cares enough to do something. Someday.

Apathy and Protest - Who really Wins?

Be careful what you ask for.

Apathy and protest have won in Europe this weekend. Apathy in that only 43.1% voted throughout Europe- even less in the UK at 33.8%. And protest, with many fringe parties winning big majorities.

But here’s the problem. Today’s protest vote is tomorrow’s policy. Is it really wise to have the right-wing and reactionary UKIP as the overall winners? Are we so naïve as to think they are going to have answers to our nation’s problems? Who are we punishing? Ourselves of course.

It may be we’re unhappy with the government and with a weak opposition leader – but UKIP?!

And what goes for the UK goes for France too. In spades. Are our neighbours so short sighted and racist as to vote for their National Front party? It seems they are. There may be racial tensions in France. And it may be that the main parties are not responding well. But the French have just put the fox in the hen coop. Perhaps that should be spelled ‘coup’. It’s not the first coup in France of course. They have a history of revolution. Not sure it turns out too well though.

As peaceful democracies we need to guard our ability to vote. By voting.

And as intelligent citizens, let’s be careful who we punish with our protests. This time around, I fear we’re hurting ourselves.

Twenty Albums Everyone Should Own (Part 2)

A reminder -  it’s a personal selection. Of course it is. And it reflects a certain time period as well. But you wouldn’t go far wrong in seeking out these albums/downloads and adding them to your collection…..

I’ve excluded compilations and they are kind of in an order, but can pretty much change at will, depending upon the mood you’re in. Here are the next ten; there could have been so many more! Let me know what you think!

1.       PINK FLOYD – THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Floyd at their best. ‘Time’, ‘Money’, The Great Gig’…. If you’ve not heard them, you’re missing one amazing album.

2.       ADELE – 21

A new and prodigious talent. A mix of folk and soul with most of the tracks written by Adele, who was only 21 when writing! ‘Rolling in the Deep, ‘Rumour Has It’ and ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ are just three of the brilliant tracks, with no weak ones in sight. Now famous the world over - with reason.

3.       HARRY NILSSON – NILSSON SCHMILSSON

The Beatles declared Nilsson as their favourite artist and this, the strongest of his albums, is why. ‘Gotta Get up’, ‘Coconut’ and ‘Without You’ are the best of a strong set of tracks. And Nilsson’s version of ‘Without You’ went on to be a worldwide hit.

4.       DEREK AND THE DOMINOES – LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS

Trying to tie Eric Clapton down to a ‘best album’ is next to impossible. He has continued to produce top quality albums to this day. But if I had to pick, I’d go back in time to this one. It has the best guitar lick of all time in ‘Layla’ and strong tracks all the way, partly due to the able assistance of a strong band including Duane Allman.

5.       JONATHAN KELLY – TWICE AROUND THE HOUSES

I can pretty much guarantee you won’t have heard of this guy. His album is haunting, emotional folk-rock. Great lyrics, especially on ‘Ballad of Cursed Anna’ and the political ‘We Are The People’. And for every up tempo song, there is a lilting ballad such as ‘Madelaine’ and ‘Rock You To Sleep’ (which I used to sing to my children when they were growing up!)

6.       SANTANA – ABRAXAS

How can one album pack so many classic Santana hits? It does! ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Samba Pa Ti’ and ‘Oye Como Va’. Incredible guitar playing. So different to most guitarists, you can tell it’s Santana within a few seconds as the Latin-Rock style begins.

7.       PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS – BAND ON THE RUN

Slightly controversial choice in that I put this ahead of all the Beatles albums! Pop at its slickest, McCartney at his best.

8.       SIGUR ROS – TAKK

The Icelandic band with a made up language and grandstanding melodic symphonies. ‘Takk’ gets the nod ahead of other albums mainly because of  'Hoppipolla', a beautiful melody. You will have heard it; believe me, you will have heard it!

9.       BOB DYLAN – SLOW TRAIN COMING

This is from Dylan’s ‘God’ era and is all the more wonderful for it, with fabulous lyrics alongside the best of melodies. ‘When He Returns’, the title track, and the fun (for Dylan) ‘Man Gave Names to All the Animals’ are the best of a strong bunch.

10.   MOUNTAIN – NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE

A close run final slot with Mountain just seeing off Stray and ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’. Leslie West’s guitar and vocals is what gives it the edge. Strong, powerful rock. Wish I’d made it to one of their concerts!

Twenty Albums Everyone Should Own (Part 1)

OK, it’s a personal selection. Of course it is. And it reflects a certain time period as well. But you wouldn’t go far wrong in seeking out these albums/downloads and adding them to your collection…..

I’ve excluded compilations and they are kind of in an order, but can pretty much change at will, depending upon the mood you’re in. Here are the first ten; the others will follow. Let me know what you think!

1.       EVA CASSIDY – SONGBIRD

The artist never knew fame in her lifetime. Her version of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ was picked up by Radio 2, and this, the best of her albums, sold millions. A clear as crystal voice makes for moving listening.

2.       MIKE OLDFIELD – TUBULAR BELLS

It was so different when it came out in the early seventies. Aside from earning a fortune for Richard Branson and his new record label, it’s a great fusion of classical meets pop.

3.       FLEETWOOD MAC – RUMOURS

Beautifully crafted pop music with the amazing voice of Stevie Nicks and fabulous harmonies. This is their best studio album, in my view, recorded as they reappeared on the pop scene. Includes the classic tracks ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’.

4.       ARGENT – IN DEEP

If only Rod Argent and Russ Ballard had stayed together, Argent could have been as famous as Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin. Brilliant keyboard and guitar mixes and the classic often copied song ‘God Gave Rock and Roll to You’.

5.       DON MCLEAN – AMERICAN PIE

In his later years, he appears to have become disillusioned with fame, and the quality of his songs reflect it. This is a young Don Mclean at his best, with the title track and ‘Vincent’ as stand out tracks. Not a weak track on the album.

6.       CAROL KING – TAPESTRY

The whole album is a work of art. The tracks flow together, bringing a great listening experience. Includes classic tracks like ‘Natural Woman’, ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’.

7.       LARRY NORMAN – ONLY VISITING THIS PLANET

Something of a Christian/Mainstream crossover, this is the prolific troubadour at his very best. Not a weak track in sight (which sadly can’t be said of later albums), it’s a mix of strong politics and big messages.

8.       EMILE SANDE – OUR VERSION OF EVENTS

There is no doubt that the Olympics gave Sande a whole new worldwide audience. And she deserves the fame with this classic album. A great voice linked to memorable tunes.

9.       NICK DRAKE – FOUR LEAVES LEFT

What if Drake had lived? He would be world renowned. His short and tragic life left us with a gem of an album. Introspective, haunting, magical.

10.   SIMON & GARFUNKEL - BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

This is the last, and best of five classic albums. Paul Simon has gone on to greater fame, but may best be remembered for his collaboration with Art Garfunkel, who provides the beautiful harmonies alongside Simon’s penmanship.

In the Beginning, God Created

When I consider your heavens,

The work of your fingers,

The moon and the stars,

What is man that you are mindful of him?

Psalm 8:3-4

The Crab Nebula was first seen in 1054. The Hubble Telescope has improved the image. The Nebula puts out 10 quadrillion volts of electricity. That’s thirty times the power of a lightning bolt.

The Rose Galaxies, also viewed from the Hubble Telescope, are 300 million light years away in the constellation of Andromeda.

In the beginning, God created.

Les Misérables - A Redemptive Story

A late night yesterday as Roh and I enjoyed our new dvd – Les Misérables.

Les Misérables is a powerful story. Not just the music and acting- but the story itself. It’s a story of redemption. Of someone getting a second chance. Of being given hope when there was none.

Every one of us has a spiritual ‘awareness’, a knowledge that there must be more to life. That ‘more’ can only be filled by Jesus’ redemption. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to accept that, like so many in the film, we are lost, poor, alone. Like the main character, we deserve nothing. History shows Jesus lived, died and rose again. Taking our punishment. That moment offers us our own redemption.

In a moment of love and forgiveness, the main character,  Jean Valjean, was given hope. The bishop who welcomes him into the church building on a cold night says ‘you need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome . . . Your name is my brother.’

Valjean accepts the forgiveness and lives a selfless life as a result. His own forgiveness of his enemy is summed up in these words:

You are free, and there are no conditions,
No bargains or petitions.
There's nothing that I blame you for
You've done your duty, nothing more.

We can do the same. Live a life according to the maker’s instructions. A life that is whole, full and free. Generous and forgiving. Anything less is less than our maker intended.

There is power in love and forgiveness.

4,214% APR

Yes that’s not a misprint. 4,214% APR is the loan rate from Wonga, one of the best known of the new breed of payday loan companies. This compares with bank loans at around 15% APR. Sure, those needing the short term Wonga loan would not likely get a loan from a bank. But there’s a reason for that- they can’t afford the loan.

Rather than holding on until payday, many are getting into serious debt with this new, largely unregulated payday loan industry (The Week, 22 September). It preys on the weak. It cries out for serious regulation before the poor become poorer still.

There is an alternative- the credit unions. Financial co-operatives basically. Why don’t more people use them? They simply don’t have the advertising budgets of companies like Wonga (even the Wonga advert is an insult, portraying older people in a stereotyped manner).

Government policy can sometimes become too intrusive. Here’s an area in need of some serious legislation.

Forgiveness in an Electronic Age

The link below takes you to a fascinating story of a Tweeter facing his Troll. If that doesn’t make sense, have a read.

We need to forgive. If we hold on to a grudge, if we choose not to forgive, it’s us that ends up hurting, not them. We remember the incident. We are the ones that don’t sleep well. We are the ones churned up with anger. We are the ones to get bitter.

If Jesus could forgive his own murderers, (Luke 23: 33-34) surely, we can let go of that injustice, the anger that accompanied it, and find there is life beyond the hurt.

Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes the thing done against us is enormous. Life and death issues.

But still forgive. For your own sakes.

LINK: Meeting a Troll....

Lost voices

It's 'no' to AV. With that decision, Britain has recommited itself to two-party rule. Or more likely, one and a half party rule. Years of Tory leadership with an occasional look-in for Labour.

Instead of reflecting modern day Britain, politics will continue with exaggerated statements, unaccountable politicians and the potential for extreme swings in political leadership.

Apologies to the Greens, the nationalists, the Christian parties and the independents. Britain has decided to continue ignoring you- and ignoring the hundreds of thousands of voters you represent. No change there of course. But it could have been different.

As for the moderately successful Liberal Democrats, any power they have is likely to be given them by the Tories or Labour in order to keep the main parties in power.

Britain has shown itself to be conservative with a small 'c'. Which means Conservatives with a big 'c' are the obvious winners.

I'm not sure there will be another referendum on voting in my lifetime. A lost opportunity. And a lost voice for so many in our not so democratic democracy.

How do you measure 'Happy'?

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has decided to measure how happy we are in the UK. The ONS are to survey us from next April, in order to determine our state of happiness for what they are calling their ‘National Well Being Project’. (For those who have read Huxley’s ‘1984’, their title has a somewhat sinister overtone!)

So what will be the measure? Am I richer than last year? Do I still have a job? Am I still married?! It’s a tough one. For some, happiness may be measured by not missing an episode of ‘Coronation Street’. For others, the number of parties. Others still, holidays, cars, houses….

Solomon in the Bible had a good go at determining happiness. God offered him whatever he wanted. He chose wisdom. This is what he says:

‘[Wisdom] is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.’ (Proverbs 3:16)