Fake News

I think I first heard the phrase used by President Trump. ‘Fake News’ became the ‘word of the year’ for 2017 according to the Daily Telegraph; despite it being two words!

But the concept has been around forever. Ever since the lies in the Garden of Eden, Fake News has been in existence. The Times comments that ‘a lie is halfway round the world before truth has got its boots on’. Why? Because too many of us love to gossip and are fascinated with the failure of others.

A new study from Science Magazine is extremely thorough. The report indicated that Fake News travels ‘faster, deeper and more broadly’ than the truth. Truth on social media platforms takes six times longer to circulate than lies. Twitter gets the most Fake News, with other social media not far behind. People tweet and retweet what they consider to be a surprise, to be provocative or disgusting. Indeed, it may be disgusting- but was it true?

I remember a debate on the BBC some years ago - I haven’t been able to source it so it may be Fake News! - where these issues were discussed. There was a concern from the Corporation that they were showing drama dressed up as history. I guess the concerns didn’t win. I loved watching Netflix series ‘The Crown’. Claire Foy was amazing as the Queen. But there was so much fiction in there. It made Prince Philip out to be some sort of mad egoist and misogynist. History doesn’t back that up. But how many now have a view of the Royal Family based on this new fiction?

Or take the simplest of lies. I spotted a quote on Facebook the other day attributed to C S Lewis.  In fact it was a quote from a motivational speaker called Les Brown. Does it matter? The quote was a good one, so who cares? But that’s the point! We need to care. Without a truth filter, we are creating a future full of false news for the next generation.

As someone that works with Christian History, I’m taught to verify what I teach. I try and find the original source of a story. If I can’t, I check it out with accepted historians with a good track record. I see whether the story is regularly reported in Christian History books, or is it an outlier in just one or two? I check who is recording the story and as much as possible, whether they have a particular slant on Christian History they want to convey.

We can’t do that with Twitter. So, much as I value free speech, I agree with the conclusion in The Times: ‘[Social media companies]must be forthcoming, transparent and co-operative in helping their users distinguish lies from the truth, and in helping understand why the former should not be so blithely spread.’

We need to care what is true and what is a lie. Or maybe we just prefer to gossip?

Choices

We decide where we go and what we do in life.

 

We choose whether we lose our days in TV soaps and game shows or determine to achieve more by our lives.

 

We decide whether life is an existence or an achievement, whether we leave a memory or a mark on our generation.

 

Bryn Jones

Seventh Heaven

On the 7th day of the 7th month, 77 years later, history was made. The last British winner was Virginia Wade in ’77. And 77 years ago, the last British man to win; Fred Perry.

“I don't play any tournaments to come second best.” Andy Murray.

 

Freedom

His name was Rene Mouchotte and he was a Free French Second World War pilot. The former newsreader Jan Leeming first came across him when she chose to sponsor a name on the Battle of Britain memorial in Kent. Having been given his name, she turned detective.

He died at the age of 29 after yet another battle in the skies. His grave was in Paris. Not knowing how to contact any living family, Jan left a note on his grave. Four months later she was contacted by Rene's sister, now aged 101.

Jan found out that the sister had never received his war medals after the war. More detective work. Because he had used an alias name for safety (as the German's had announced they would execute any Free French flying in the British Air Force), his medals had never been properly dealt with.

Three weeks before Rene's sister died, she was presented with his medals - the Croix de Guerre and Legion d'Honneur from the French and the Distinguished Flying Cross from the British.

An amazing end to an incredible story of one of the many who gave his all for our freedom.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Winston Churchill

No Greater Power

There is no greater power than a community discovering what is cares about.
Ask "What's possible?" not "Whats wrong?" Keep asking.
Notice what you care about.
Assume that many others share your dreams.
Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
Talk to people you know.
Talk to people you never talk to.
Be intrigued by the differences you hear.
Expect to be surprised.
Treasure curiosity more that certainty.
Invite in everybody who cares to work on what's possible.
Acknowledge that everyone is an expert in something.
Know that creative solutions come from new connections.
Remember, you don't fear people whose story you know.
Real listening always brings people closer together.
Trust that meaningful conversations change your world.
Rely on human goodness. Stay together.

                                             Meg Wheatley

Thanks to Steve Pettican for bringing this to my attention

Mountains

You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.

Tom Hiddleston

[We are] created to walk in precarious places, not on the easy levels of life.

Amy Carmichael

The Pale Blue Dot

Look carefully at the image. The pale blue dot is the Earth, captured in a picture from the Voyager 1 spacecraft at a distance of 4 billion miles on February 14, 1990.

Carl Sagan was the one who pushed for the Voyager craft to take the shot, and it’s his quote that follows:

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."

With thanks to Professor Brian Cox, speaking at the NAPF conference, October 2012 for pointing out the Pale Blue Dot.

Fear Less, Hope More

Fear less, hope more;
Eat less, chew more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.

Swedish Proverb

Servant and Sovereign

Sixty years. We won’t see another diamond jubilee in our lifetime. As the amazing pictures of the flotilla of boats reached our screens yesterday, the pageantry of the occasion reflected on the worthiness of the subject. And the subject was the Sovereign.

But a servant before a Sovereign. When a young Elizabeth II promised to ‘always work to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples’ in 1952, she meant what she said. She has kept her word. I’m not particularly a monarchist and hers is not a justifiable position in a truly democratic society, but the majority of her subjects would have it no other way.

She has brought purpose and meaning to a ‘United Kingdom' through her service. She has brought a richness and colour to our nation. She has reminded us of our values and beliefs. Her 2011 Christmas message said:

“Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed.

 God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

 In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, there's a prayer:

 ‘O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray, cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.’

 It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.”


We do well to remember her prayer, as we remember all she has done for us these past 60 years.

Stronger

Good is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness
Life is stronger than death
Victory is ours, through Him who loves us.


Desmond Tutu

Busily Doing Nothing....

A postcard from my Dad, on holiday with my sister.....

'Today we did nothing. Tomorrow we plan to do less.'
Wonderful.

Wishing you all a peaceful, restful and Christ-full Christmas and New Year.

Shine

'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us....... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.'

Marianne Williamson (Quoted in the film Coach Carter)

In the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause. Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

Cluttered desks

I've had the computer guy in this week, so had to clear my home office desk. I'm not exactly tidy, so it took a while. What's that quote about cluttered desks and cluttered minds?

I prefer the one from Albert Einstein:

"If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?"

God-life

The book is out....

Having been writing it for the last 2 years or so, in airport lounges, hotel rooms and many a weekend, it's great to get the book published.

I'm not exactly a prolific writer- this is only my second book and the first was nearly 15 years ago!

It's called 'God-life' and it helps those with a Christian faith go deeper. I've filled it with stories, quotes and illustrations which I hope will help make it both readable and memorable. And more importantly, life-changing.

If you want a copy, email me at

ralphcturner@gmail.com

The recommended retail price is £6.99, but I can sell for £5.70 including post and packaging. Hope you enjoy it!

Pretty Amazing Grace

I'm not particularly a Neil Diamond fan, but caught the premier of his new single on the Simon Mayo show on Radio 2. Clearly, he has a Christian faith as he has written and reworked the theme of 'Amazing Grace'. His new single is called 'Pretty Amazing Grace' and here's some of the lyrics:

'Pretty amazing grace is how you saved me
And with amazing grace, reclaimed my heart
Love in the midst of chaos
Calm in the heart of war
Showed with amazing grace
What love is for

You overcame my loss of hope and faith
Gave me a truth I could believe in
You led me to that higher place
Showed me that love, truth, hope, grace
Were all I needed'

Simon Mayo (himself a Christian) has made it his record of the week.

Larry Norman, 1947 - 2008

For Christians of a ‘certain age’ Larry Norman was who we grew up with. His 1972 album ‘Only Visiting This Planet’ was voted the best Christian album ever recorded, by the American Christian music industry. It was my own introduction to Larry Norman’s music, and I agree.

In 1972, I had only recently found my Christian faith, and to be ‘baptised’ into Christian rock and roll with such classics as ‘Why Should the Devil have all the Good Music’ and 'I Wish We’d All Been Ready’ was no bad thing. Larry Norman led the way in the Jesus People revolution of the 1970’s and his ‘one way’ finger in the air became the signature of a generation. A whole raft of successful Christian artists followed in his wake, many of them signed to Larry Norman’s own record label ‘Solid Rock’.

He had been ill for some years and knew he was dying. In his own inimitable way, he signed off with some final lyrics:

Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Sir Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Everest

On the day of Sir Edmund Hillary’s funeral, it seems appropriate to record a couple of his mountain climbing quotes. Whatever our mountain, I trust we will continue to conquer!

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.”

For their tomorrow we gave our today

At Richard Bartrop's funeral on Friday, Alan Scotland spoke of Richard's selfless giving and quoted the lines from a monument in Nagaland, India (and copied by many other war memorials). The monument was an epitaph to the many Indian soldiers who died fighting the Japanese in the Second World War. It reads:

"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today"

May we all have that attitude, reflected in Richard's life- that we give all we can today so that there will be a tomorrow for the next generation.

Mary Magdalene

I've come across a really interesting poem by John Piper called 'Mary Magdalene'. We know from the bible that Mary Magdalene was delivered of seven demons by Jesus and became a follower. We know that she knew Joanna, from Herods court. And we know- or can guess- she came from Magdala, hence her name. Magdala was the centre of a cult that worshipped Astarte or Astoreth, a fertility goddess. Piper has woven a story from this. It can't be proved to be true, but it's a fascinating poem. You can find it here:

www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Poems/ByDate/1411_Mary_Magdalene_Part_1/

And here is the final verse:

And so, sweet fire of candle three,
That burns so bright and painfully,
Come, light the midnight of our days,
And strike the towers of our ways.
And when we think our chains are strong,
And slavery has been too long,
And wicked ropes are bound too tight,
And demons lurk beneath our sight,
Think not that we are too unclean:
Remember Mary Magdalene.
Come sweetly, painful flame, and be
The fire that sets the captives free