A Profile of Jesus Christ...

As a kid this white man vividly remembers a book on my parent's bookshelf that showed stylistic portraits depicting Jesus and His twelve disciples. Being a young, curious and impressionable boy, I always found the artistic portraits fascinating as they presented the only visual point of reference for this child trying to 'get to know' the biblical heroes of faith he was told about every week at church. They were always faceless individuals until I discovered this book and suddenly they really came to life in this young white boy's mind. Anyhow I recently found all the portraits on the internet, along with their accompanying individual biographical summaries. So here is One Jesus of Nazareth...as described by Publius Lentulus, Governor of Judea and depicted by Alberta Rae (Sune') Richards. Make of it what you will....

"There lives at this time, in Judea, a man of singular virtue, whose name is Jesus Christ, whom the barbarians esteem as a prophet, but whose followers love and adore him as the offspring of the immortal God. He calls back the dead from the graves and heals all sorts of diseases with a word or a touch.

He is a tall man, and well shaped, of an amiable and reverend aspect; and his hair the color of which can hardly be matched, the color of chestnut full ripe, falling in waves about his shoulders. His forehead high, large and imposing; his cheeks without spot or wrinkle, beautiful with a lovely red; his nose and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry; his beard thick and of a color suitable to his hair reaching below his chin. His eyes a bright blue, clear and serene, look innocent, dignified, manly, and mature. In proportion of body, most perfect and captivating, his hands and arms most delectable to behold.

He rebukes with majesty, counsels with mildness, his whole address, whether in word or deed, being eloquent and grave. No man has seen him laugh, yet his manner is exceedingly pleasant; but he has wept in the presence of men. He is temperate, modest and wise; a man, for his extraordinary beauty and divine perfection, surpassing the children of men in every sense."

That imaginative young white boy is now but a memory. And now he possibly contemplates too much as a deep-dwelling adult thinker. Yet to be honest, this white man has yet to see or hear of a Palestinian male, Christ or not, appearing to be so Aryan. I guess the question really is this - does it really matter what Jesus looked like? Or perhaps the more pressing consideration is confronting the truth of who He is in your heart?

Jesus Cries!

As the rain falls from the sky,

I wonder what has made Jesus cry.

For Jesus' tears bring on the rain,

Because He cries for all our pain.

Jesus cries,

For all the fallen soldiers who fight so we are free.

For the every day heroes that we do not see.

Jesus cries,

For all the children in the world who don't have a voice,

And for all the little babies who don't have a choice.

Jesus cries,

For everyone who chooses to believe

But more for those who choose to deceive.

For everyone who walks proudly in His light,

And for those who are lost within the night.

Any time in life you lose your way,

All you have to do is pray.

And every time you cry because you don't know what to do,

Remember Jesus is crying too.

by: Shana R Lowther

Who Will Cry?

If tonight I die,

Who will cry?

Strangers with their feigned interest,

While those I love have turned away.

And if my best isn't good enough,

What more can I give?

Go ahead--walk away.

Just leave me here alone.

And if tonight I die,

Who will cry?

All my strength is drained,

With nothing left to give.

Drowning in the depths of sorrow,

No tears left to cry.

A silent voice and distant eyes

That no one hears or sees.

And if tonight I die,

Who will cry?

by Jo A. Witt

Truly Tragic...

It was with great sadness that this white man heard the news today that Mark Priestley, popular Australian actor from the TV drama All Saints took his life last night. It was revealed that he was a victim of depression for much of his adult life and, sure enough, this illness ultimately conspired to kill him. Only now are Australians realising how insidious a disease depression really is. It is not simply a "get over it" mood anomaly. It is not countered by a facile "keep your chin up son" type of mentality. It is a mental illness on par with the likes of bi-polar disorders, psychoses and even schizophrenia. Who knows how much Mark Priestley was receiving treatment for his illness; these things may be revealed in due course. What is known is that another number was tragically added to the growing suicide statistic as a result of a 'black dog' named depression. And the dog bites...

Divine Anointings

From many, so few

Are called, elected.

By Divine favour,

Handpicked, selected.

Anointed with oil

Poured over the head.

For priestly service

Aaron's sons were bred.

Aaron and altar,

Tabernacle, bread,

Turban and vessels,

And long bushy beard.

Sacred oil poured,

Fragrant, four spices.

Olive oil blended

For sacrifices.

David o'er kingdom

Anointed with oil.

Honour bestowed him

On Israeli soil.

Field, then Chair seated,

Majestic is known.

Royal appointed,

Destined to the Throne.

Jesus as Prophet,

High Priest and a King,

Oil of the Spirit

Poured over Him.

Sovereign, Beloved,

Great Anointed One.

Elect of the Father.

Obedient Son.

by Linda Williams

Covering Up...

How skilful is this world at the refined art of covering one's posterior in times of trouble! This white man had an interesting conversation with a fellow parent at his son's primary school yesterday that again highlighted the fact that ingenuity of rear concealment is far from being dead. This unfortunate mum, whose daughter is in my youngest son Luc's class, has had to deal with the best example of posterior protection heard of in recent memory. Her daughter had her ankle broken when pushed over by another boy in her Prep class during playtime late last term. Apparently the poor little girl soldiered on for the rest of the day unaware of the severity of her injury until the doctor delivered the bad news. But of course, because this incident happened in the playground in school-time, frantic principal's and teacher's hands quickly started to descend to collective rears as thoughts of responsibility and culpability entered the frame. The best the school could offer the girl was tutoring during the time she has been home. As for the bullish little charmer responsible for the act - well he was slapped on the hand with the proverbial 'wet lettuce' - instructed that bullying and violence went against the rules of the school and that he shouldn't do such things again...and that was that! When approached about assistance with medical expenses the school quickly reached for the back and claimed "all care, no responsibility". The parents of the boy also shielded their seats claiming that "boys are boys" and they could not be held responsible for things happening in the school. And so at the end of a day a girl suffers and there is no real consequence against anyone responsible. It's backs to the walls for all and cloak your coit at all costs!

Then this morning on the radio this white man listened as a politician delivered what could only be described as a pure buttock-covering masterclass! Sick kids at the Royal Children's Hospital have been consistently having their surgery times cancelled and deferred due to a lack of staffing resources in intensive care wards. The politician magically weaved pure golden spin as he dodged the fact that the government has had ample time to remedy nursing shortages since 1999. Talk about a hands-on-bottom gyration!

When will people just learn to take responsibility for what happens in their world? What does it take for people to just accept accountability and, if need be, just grin and bear it? When will the hands of this world leave their rears and raise themselves over heads and own their failings? Because one thing's for sure - despite every good attempt, know that is physically impossible to cover all of your backside with your hands. A little bit of cheek will always be exposed!

Back to Normality...

So the 2008 Beijing Olympics have finished. This white man watched as the closing ceremony was completed last night with what looked like a million fireworks and a million performers out on centre stage. And of course there was Jimmy Page and Leona Lewis' rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love". Still can't get that legendary guitar riff out of my head! David Beckham was there, looking the part and saying it best by saying nothing at all! The British icon of icons, the London red double-decker bus trundled around the track as the other red immovable object, the Red Army stepped out in force goose-stepping their way around the Bird's Nest. And the Olympic juggernaut officially moves on to London 2012.

So whilst Olympic memories remain this white man is just a little bit pleased to be able to look into his green guide and see the range of TV programs he's used to. Yes the games were a healthy diversion but there's no place like Home (& Away)!

Dawn of A Brand New Day

I stand before an open womb
As a new day is being born
Beholding the dark blue chasm of the sky
Streaked with virgin rays of orange

And I am awed and humbled
As a witness, to the majesty
Of it's unfolding beauty and power.

Dark blue morphs into light blue
As unrelenting waves
Of newness and boldness
Erode away the darkness.

And then...

I look directly overhead

And stare.....

Life itself, seems divided
Facing east, it's daylight
Facing west, it's still night.

Day before me... Night behind me.

And there I stood,
Motionless,
Existing.....
Between eternity and time
Good and evil....
Day and night.

And the moon sang to me
In a voice
Commanding,

yet gentle.

Sing, oh moon
Sing of your glory,
For your time is almost come.

And then, I turn to embrace
The fullness of the dawning day
As golden beams of sunlight
Bounce off the bottom of clouds
Shouting the glory of God...

Daylight!!!
It shines!
Oh My God, it shines!!!
Welcome!
The dawn of a brand new day!

by Everest Alexander

Petrol's Going Up Again...

Grace & Guglielmucci...

Many media outlets have published and commented on the recent revelation that popular young Christian pastor Michael Guglielmucci's terminal cancer battle was nothing more than a horrible lie. The links for viewing the facts of this sad case are here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=618463

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=619247

Much could be said about this elaborate fraud and it would be so easy to totally lambaste Guglielmucci for what he has done. Rather, despite the myriad of emotions, it is far more constructive for everyone, at this time of soul-searching and faith clarifying, to simply offer over this entire situation to the Lord to deal with. This white man prays for Michael Guglielmucci at this time and especially prays for his family and the greater spiritual family of the Australian church.

Peter reminded us all that "love covers over a multitude of sins" and Michael Guglielmucci is no different to me or you. Our grace is his grace too - remember that as you consider the heavy stone you're gripping in your hand. Let it go and let God...and yes, even pastors DO preach to themselves sometimes!

Memories and Rosebushes....

This poem was written as both a tribute to, and an act of release from Elaine Josephine Mansson, my fiance who passed away on 25th March, 1995. Her ashes rest under a rosebush on a hillside in her home town of Launceston, Tasmania. This piece was written during a flight over Bass Strait in 1996 as I prepared to say a final goodbye to my 'forever munchkin'.

Funny how a rosebush could mean so much
To me, who holds memories and other things such
On that green hill far away across waters blue
Where I fly away just to be with you

What will I find there? I don’t really know
All I really want to do is say hello
And goodbye too, for new horizons await
And staying with you will make me late

For my life,
I don’t want to be late…

True Strength...

This white man was watching the Olympics last night when confronted by the largest athletes of the games, the 105+ kg super heavyweights in the weightlifting competition. After the usual posturing of the big boys with their grunts, groans and gutteral growls, the competition came down to one last lift for gold. Matthias Steiner, from Germany lifted 258 kg, slightly less than the usual weight of a baby grand piano, to claim the gold medal in stunning fashion. And with that victory he claims the mantle of strongest athlete at the Olympics, if not, the world! But true strength isn't simply what it appears to be for Matthias Steiner. The true strength of this Teutonic warrior isn't the size of his trunk-like arms and legs but the measure of his brave spirit and giant heart. His strength, his motivation to lift higher and stronger than ever before lay serenely in his calloused hands at the Olympic medal ceremony. There, a photo of his late wife Susann, who was tragically killed in a car accident 13 months ago in July 2007. That is true strength! It is the will to conquer the blackest of adversaries, grief and death, and purposefully stride out of that dark valley into the victory of living life. There are many great athletic performances at the Olympic Games but yet again, it is the stories beneath the gold moments that are the real inspirations. And Matthias Steiner, you have proven to the world again that life always conquers death. Bravo!

A Vision...A Legacy...

I see a day past sunsets new
My two sons set in life that grew
From boys to men, stubble on chin
Strong in body, time-weathered skin

Wise from life yet soft in love
Deep in faith in God above
That is the richest gift I leave
A legacy I trust they will receive

To trust in God, live fully and smile
And hand this on next dusk to their child…

Eating my Words...

On August 2, 2008, this white man, in an on-line conversation with his US pal Johnny Du made the following quote:

"Oh, and hey, just to get the Beijing pot stirring a little...do u really think Michael Phelps will win his 8 golds and bust Spitz's record? Phelps will always be a wannabe compared to the great Thorpedo! "

Well far be it for this white man to shie away from the awful truth - and the truth is this...the white man was proved wrong! In lieu of the fact that Michael Phelps has writted himself into Olympic sporting immortality by winning eight gold medals along with seven world records in Beijing, I now concede that Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer and Olympian of all time. He deserves this mantle unreservedly and this white man eats his words accordingly! And by the way, Ian Thorpe had better eat his humble pie as well. Click the link to see Thorpedo views shot out of the water by the great man Phelps...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24064166-5016752,00.html

Michael Phelps is a sporting phenomenon. He has qualities that, I must admit, initially grate against the traditional Australian psyche. He's brash, confident, self-assured, wears his heart on his sleeve and many Aussies would say downright arrogant. He's so 'American' the Australians complain. Well, Phelps was the one who had the temerity to proudly predict the downfall of the Olympic pinnacle they called Mount Spitz - seven gold medals at one Olympic meet. He was the one who laid out his audacious plan to secure eight gold medals and he never backed away from his goal. The cynics all took their best shots and the naysayers doubted that such an individual program was humanly possible. In the midst of it all Phelps stood tall and delivered on his promised eight gold medals.

And this white man wonders to himself...would an Australian have the self-belief & inner fortitude to attempt what Michael Phelps did?

Would we have the courage to 'put ourselves out there' and risk the ridicule of a doubting majority?

Do Australians ever really open up their vulnerability by publicly dreaming their dreams regardless of what anyone else thinks?

Sometimes this white Australian man believes that his own countrymen are so obsessed by shooting down others when they fail (including our own, definitely our own!) that we don't fully risk our all to achieve the impossible. We truly are a country of 'knockers' and I think we can learn something from the likes of Michael Phelps and our other trans-Pacific neighbours. For what I am still naturally inclined to call American arrogance I now re-assess as being healthy and shameless self-belief. Maybe we could do with some of that once in a while!

Oh, and Johnny... this white man publicly retracts his above comments and readily eats his words but still takes solace in the fact that Michael Phelps, whilst American...well, he's still white!

God bless America!

Bigfoot = Bigfraud!

It promised to be the biggest revelation yet in the known animal world. Or as the NY Times best screamed out the headline: BIGFOOT'S BODY HAS BEEN FOUND! This was according to two Georgia men who, with much media fanfare, showed reporters three blurry photos said to depict the creature at a press conference held at a hotel a few miles from Stanford University. News of the find spread world-wide, fueled by a photograph of a hairy heap, bearing a close resemblance to a shaggy full-body gorilla costume, stuffed into a container resembling a refrigerator. And yet whilst this supposed natural discovery of biblical proportions caused many to salivate in expectation, once more the world was given a predictable dose of reality. Results from tests on genetic material from the alleged remains of the mythical half-ape and half-human creature failed to prove its existence. One of the two samples of DNA said to prove the existence of the Bigfoot came from a human and the other was 96 percent from an opossum, according to Curt Nelson, a scientist at the University of Minnesota who performed the DNA analysis.

And so the legendary Bigfoot eludes us again, scurrying back into the dense forests of imagination, out of sight but not out of the minds of the remaining believers who stubbornly hold onto their myth. So what's next - an "Abominable Snowman" (yeti) that'll prove to be a bunch of whale blubber in a polar bear outfit?! Maybe the "Loch Ness Monster" will re-appear in the highlands of Scotland? I hear the Tasmanian Tiger has been spotted again prowling the slopes of Cradle Mountain! Truly the only thing rarer than even these possibilities has to be the TRUTH!

Crazy Kidz World!

If you ever want to see the purest example of boyish adrenaline totally out of control then you must go to Kidz World or an equivalent thereof. These indoor playground heavens for children host a plethora of manic kids who give new meaning to the term 'out of control'! Today this white man took his two boys to a schoolfriend's party at Kidz World in Keilor and it really was just a case of sit back and watch all hell break loose. There were terrors on two legs running everywhere. There were monsters sliding around on mats taking all in their path and petulant pests demanding their child rights when not getting their way. One kid I saw was so wound up by the sheer amount of play equipment choices he had he literally turned himself inside out with his brain telling him to go this way but his legs going the other! Kids everywhere climbing over each other obsessively trying to get to the top of slides first, other kids flap-jacking themselves like contortionists bouncing around the inflatable castle and the inevitable regular procession of teary little soldiers nursing their wounds whilst looking for mum. Absolute mayhem - a cacophony of unrestrained noise and, above all, lots of kids having the time of their lives without a care in the world! Just how things ought to be!

Sometimes I wish I was young again...

Thoughts for the day...

One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

If a deaf person signs swear words, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

How is it possible to have a civil war?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have "s" in it?

Can an atheist get insurance against acts of god?

The Greatest Gift of All...Wisdom

My sight is a gift I cherish

it allows me to read the wisdom of the wise

but should I lose my sight

I will still be able to hear compositions of great masters

and the voice of the wise

If I should lose my hearing

I will still be able to tune
into universal intelligence

to understand the Source
of the wisdom of the wise

When the day comes

that I lose my heart

that will be my greatest gift of all

for then...

I will be back home

in the arms of the Spirit

I have embraced all my life.

by Michael Levy

Facade & Folly!

This white man has been watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics along with the rest of Australia this week. Today he learnt that elements of the spectacular opening ceremony were dubiously fraudulent. Much of the fireworks that were a part of the televised ceremony were pre-recorded and the sweet young cherubic girl who sang one of China's most cherished national songs whilst their flag was being presented did the greatest lipsync since Milli Vanilli (if you are too young to remember that scandal then Google it)! It was explained by opening ceremony officials that the real young singer had an appearance 'inappropriate' for displaying the 'true face' of immaculate Chinese pride. What a disgraceful joke! Talk about human rights abuse! The last time this white man knew the spirit of the Olympics is built on the foundation of equal competition and fair play. And whilst the spirit of competition in the Olympics has been great to watch, the overall organisation is fast becoming a giant farce. Take the "r" out of farce and you have the real heart of the Beijing Olympics...face! This Olympic Games is being reduced to nothing more than a facade of face. Tanks patrol the streets of the Olympic village. Anti-missile weapons are perpetually pointed at all the major games venues. And fake little China girls sing songs they have no right to. Shame Beijing shame!

By the way, congratulations to Hoang Anh Tuan on winning Vietnam's second-ever medal at an Olympic Games. The young weightlifter won silver in the 56 kg division to become an instant hero in his homeland. You know what would be even more heroic Hanoi? Looking after the majority of the people instead of the burgeoning military stockpile! Build arms of flesh, not arms of war! Oh...and go Aussies!

Formed...

From a dream,

a design by the carpenter's hand

a house is formed

Innumerable rocky layers

press of tectonic plates,

quakes, volcanoes

a mountain range is formed

Winding river, howling windy erosion

a canyon is formed

A seed, soil, rain and sun

a tree is formed

A mist, sunbeams streaming

a rainbow is formed

Clouds, gravity's pull

a storm...a raindrop is formed

Clouds scattered battling electrons

lighting formed ...

Here a great mystery

the very breath of God

dust of the earth

Man was formed

Adam, Eve, they conceived

our race was born

Generation to Generation

the thread of life descended

So you in your mother's womb

were formed

By spirit conceived,

Jesus lived, Jesus died

Jesus resurrected

The second birth by which your life

was newly created

Not just FORMED...

by Serge Banderet

Cross-dresser?

This white man has been called a few things in his time. Some words complimentary, others not! But until yesterday he had never been accused of being a cross-dresser! The story actually begins two weeks ago when this white man was invited to preach at Reservoir Baptist church. Following my message I had to leave promptly to get back to Melbourne church for our usual Velocity service. And in the midst of my rush to leave I inadvertantly left my large knee-length overcoat at Reservoir. No problem at all as I organised with the Reservoir youth leader to retrieve my overcoat and return it to me later. And since then I hadn't even really thought much about it. Until yesterday, when the youth Sunday morning prayer meeting was interrupted by my fellow church colleague, old Pastor Ngoc. He strode purposefully into the room of youthful prayer and proudly proclaimed to the room "Muc Su (Vietnamese for pastor) Colin - here is your blouse!" "Ahhh yes, my blouse" I replied in surprise. Thankfully the dozen or so youth witness to this public 'outing' refrained from both mirth and comment until blessed old Pastor Ngoc departed the room. What happened next was predictable - explosive laughter, snide comments and general pandemonium. Funny thing is, I still don't know how old Pastor Ngoc managed to get his hands on my overcoat. Definitely a mystery that's well worth remaining a mystery!

Truly a moment where things somewhere just got "lost in translation".

Watch Out Cowboys!

Again...only in China!

The Truth is Stranger Than Fiction Chinese Sign

In other words, when in China you are prohibited from doing anything... or else!

The Milk Shake from Heaven!

Exciting news! This white man experienced the best new taste sensation today at Highpoint Shopping Centre. Quite simply, it is the best milk shake he has ever encountered and it came courtesy of SHAKEAWAY. No, we're not talking glorified topping flavours like chocolate, vanilla, caramel or that sham of a flavour blue heaven. No, these shakes are real heaven with the largest assortment of flavours and ingredients imaginable. Today, this white man enjoyed a regular Turkish Delight shake (made with skim milk of course!) and it was the best! Just a Fry's Turkish Delight bar in a blender with ice-cream and milk and the rest is history. But check out some of these other shake options: after dinner mints shake, apple pie shake, banana custard donut shake, cadbury creme egg (at easter only) shake, caramel popcorn shake, coco pops shake, custard tart shake, ferrero roche shake, fruit tingles shake and the list goes on...and on...and on! Honesty, there is not a type of biscuit, breakfast cereal, snack or confectionary item that is not on their list! It's ridiculous, but it's soooo good! But don't just take my word for it - check them out for yourself at http://www.shakeaway.com/ and prepare to salivate!

And as five young gay men who called themselves the Village People once proudly proclaimed;

Do the shake

do the sha-a-ake

Do the milkshake, the milkshake,

Do the shake!

What more need this white man say...Oh yeah!

Poignant Thoughts on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games!

When in the Beijing Olympics...

Win for free speech

Run for human rights

Throw a javelin to kill hatred

Jump to overcome ignorance

Bicycle to treadle over tyranny
Pole vault to reach for freedom

Throw a shot put to knock out communism

Swim to save those imprisoned and tortured

And race as hard as you can in praise of God!

Tsoltim N. Shakabpa’s 6th book of poems, DEAD PEOPLE TALKING, is due to be published soon by Paljor Publications in New Delhi.

Steamroom Ramblings...

It's interesting the conversations one can have in a steamroom. This white man had such a dialogue with another regular gym patron this morning. Usually, over a period of time, regular users of gym amenities become familiar with each other. And the conversations they have are at first limited to politely guarded pleasantries , but then become more free and casual. Usually two-three times a week after gym this white man enjoys a spa and steamroom session to wind-down. A familiar face is a young Vietnamese woman who regularly swims first and then enters the communal spa/sauna/steamroom area. Like me, she is entrenched in a routine of dropping off her child at school and then going to the leisure centre. Over time I have engaged this woman in some general conversation about life to the point where she often tries to trick me by throwing in some random and quick Vietnamese questions. She catches me out more often than not and it is now a running joke between us. Anyway today this white man thought he would 'raise the stakes' dialogue-wise in the only appropriate way a pastor can...I asked her about her religious belief...

She explained that she was Catholic. No big deal there as many Vietnamese are Catholic. I went on to explain to her that I was Protestant - more than that, I was a Protestant minister...in a Vietnamese church! That's when things started to turn slightly weird! The woman's first response was to say how impressed she was with my church because many non-Vietnamese members could fluently speak Vietnamese. I found that intriguing, considering most of our church's second-generation youth can't even speak Vietnamese properly, let alone any of the few Anglo-Australians in the church. Then she went on to state her admiration of the commitment the young men had - how they always get around in their nice suits in pairs speaking in Vietnamese about their faith. And that's when the penny dropped - she thought this white man was from the Mormons! I explained frantically that my church was not part of the Mormon church and we were a traditional Christian church. She indicted that she now understood that I wasn't a Mormon and I was suitably relieved. She then went on to ask me how I could be a Christian church minister and have a wife and children - she had never heard of such a thing! Again I explained that our church was different to the Catholic church in respect to it's leaders and their ability to be non-celebate. She left soon thereafter and I'm still not sure she fully understood the legitimacy of this white man having a family. So perhaps I'm now a crazy heretic in her mind - who cares...at least she knows I'm not a Mormon! Other than that, all I can say is thank you God for Martin Luther!

Lies, lies and more lies...

This white man had the opportunity to grab a newspaper at the gym this morning and was confronted with the following grandiose bold headline: THEY LIED! Of course it was referring to the two Collingwood Magpies AFL players who had transgressed the night before; the two players being involved in a drink-driving incident where cars were damaged yet fortunately, no-one was physically hurt. But the media screams out LIES!!! MISTRUTHS!!! as it seems that the greater wrong in this incident was that one of the players lied to his club by denying that the other player was directly involved - in essence vainly trying to protect him from trouble. And yes, to try and falsify the truth was misguided and plainly wrong. Yet something seems to be getting overshadowed here - a prominent footballer who is a role-model whether he likes it or not made a decision to break the law and potentially risk harm not only to himself but also to others by getting into his car intoxicated and deciding that he could drive home. Well his car didn't make it home but, for the grace of God, he managed to emerge unscathed in one piece. But it could have been much different - it could have been an awful tragedy.

When will young people in our alcohol-fuelled culture realise that they are not laws unto themselves? When will footballers learn that they are not bullet-proof and above reproach? When will clubs REALLY begin to make a stand and deal with their players the way they should be dealt with? Not with a slap in the face with a wet piece of lettuce but a significant penalty that responds sincerely to the stupidity of their actions. Heath Shaw and Alan Didak - you both are bloody idiots and I hope you both grow up, learn something through suffering meaningful consequence and change your behaviour accordingly! What does it take and when will they ever learn?

Eating Ethiopian...

Today this white man had the opportunity to have lunch with a close church colleague in Footscray. So what better to eat in Footscray than Ethiopian! Yes Ethiopian! Those of you who know the inner-western suburbs of Melbourne, particularly Footscray, know that the cultural demographic face of this area is changing. Once Footscray was the domain of the mid- 20th century Mediterranean wave of immigrants. By the end of the 20th century however Footscray had been 'asianised' by floods of post-war Vietnamese refugees escaping the horrors of their homeland. All the Greeks, Italians and other southern Europeans were pushed into the outer western suburbs. Now, at the commencement of the 21st century, history is repeating itself again! Footscray is rapidly becoming predominantly home to the Horn of Africa community with Ethiopian, Somali, Sudanese and Eritrean peoples assuming prominence. And just as they dispersed the European migrants years ago, now the Vietnamese community is being pushed further out into the greater western suburbs! And that's why getting an Ethiopian meal in Footscray nowadays is no big deal. But the meal itself? Something special...

Think of a rich spicy hot stew-like curry beef served on spongy-fluffy yet slightly sour Ethiopian injera bread and that's your staple Ethiopian fare. The curried stew, known as "wat" tastes superb, well that is if you like your stew fiery with a kick that lasts the distance! The injera bread compliments the spice of the stewed meat and fills your stomach very nicely indeed. But the best part of eating Ethiopian style is the cutlery. Well, actually there is no cutlery and that is the highlight - it's eat with your fingers or go hungry! Eating with your fingers is a delicate art that needs to be experienced to be appreciated. Whilst it may appear at first to be grossly unsavoury, nothing could be further from the truth. There is a real culinary intimacy in getting your fingers and hands dirty in your food. Perhaps it's an infantile regressive security/comfort type of thing. Maybe the squishy food just feels fun in your fingers. Whatever it is, this white man thoroughly recommends the digitally defined delectable delicacy that is Ethiopian cuisine! Two 'dirty' thumbs up!

Rounded Are The Rocks...

Rounded are the rocks upon the beach
That take the pounding of the waves
It never ceases, never stops
The crashing sounds of thunderous water as it hits
Against the shore
Only to pound once more...

Pounding is the heart that beats alone
Inside the soul surrounded
By this man's emotion and his thoughts
While flesh and blood keep breathing...

Rounded are the rocks
Pounding is the heart
At one with man, at one with God...

Balance...

Since the inception of the white man's world a few self-professed commentator's have personally made mention of the white man's apparent effeminacy. Through some of the blog entries, some have 'discerned' a whitish soft streak, even labelling the white man a "Sensitive New Age Guy" of unimaginable proportions. One even dared to accuse the white man of deliberately pandering to female sensitivities in an attempt to portray himself as something he's really not! Well, then...who really is the white man you ask?

The white man is balanced, that's who he is! He knows who he is and is at peace with his consistencies, his contradictions and the One who created him! Actually if he was that much together then he wouldn't really need to be writing about it in this blog would he now! So he's self-depreciating too! Seriously, it does show me how as I get older life seems to round off the jagged edges of extremes I used to have. For in my youth I could never have been accused of being a S.N.A.G - the love of heavy metal, professional wrestling, tattoos and basically anything rebelliously obnoxious forever boxed this white man into a corner of absolutes. Yet as my life has meandered along the God-given path it has taken, it is amazing how all the entrapments of my self-induced personality confinement have fallen away. That why today this white man can, and still does, love heavy metal....Yet he also embraces the serenity of soothing chamber strains of a Baroque sonata. He still loves high contact sports like rugby and still enjoys the brutality of WWE wrestling, especially cage matches where blood is guaranteed to flow! Why? Because he knows that life is stressful and he needs these 'release valves' to stay sane! But he also now loves tending to his 'internet' garden, planting all kinds of plants and flowers. And yes, he knows that his real garden would love the same amount of attention! The point is this - a well-balanced individual knows their inner needs and embraces an appropriate balance in their inner masculinity and femininity. That makes a well-rounded person; a person who recognises their 'shadow-self' and makes room for them to live and breathe alongside them in life. That's who this white man wants to be because it's who he believes his Maker created him to be! Well-rounded, honest, complete...did someone say Christ-like?

The Stars...

This thought has truly captured me

A thought that begs for more

That stars are actually openings

Holes in the heavenly floor.

I imagine a light shining through

As our Lord steps over a star

A momentary darkness comes,

but His shadow is not really so far.

Gazing at His incredible creation
Dazzled by the sparkling night

A brilliant white robe falls gracefully

My mind can envision this sight.

Sometimes one streaks across the sky

Leaving a trail of heavenly dew

Are there holes in the floor of Heaven?

Where His light is shining through.

Oh, millions of stars glimmer above

Where time is an endless space

Surrounded by the house of God

And a dream to touch His face.

The shadow of Him so very close

Only a mere universe away

It is just a breath to Him

A breath and maybe a day.

This thought has truly captured me

That stars are holes in the floor

Openings to our Savior's house

My heart can't conceive much more.

Lord, my eyes are lifted upward

Once again Your shadow, I see

Stepping over one last star

When at last You come for me.

by Kathleen Higham