A more sombre note

Last week I had a really bad nights sleep. In fact, I didn’t sleep at all. It was really weird. I’m normally the sleep-anator, but this night – my mind wasn’t going to switch itself off. I wasn’t even really thinking about anything – that I know of. At 4:30am, which would have been 5:30pm at home, I received a text from my little sister asking me to pray for her and her friends because they had just found out that one of their friends, who had been with them only the night before had committed suicide. She was understandably really upset.

What a horrible way to start the year for this kid’s family. But more than that, what a horrible world we live in. This kid was a Christian, who was about to start university. He had been depressed for a while, according to my sister, but he had a lot of people around him giving him support. Why is it, that despite the hope that Christians supposedly have in Jesus and his saving grace, did this young person feel the only option he had left was to commit suicide?

Something must be seriously wrong with the portrayal that was offered to this kid of what it means to be a Christian. I’m not blaming his church, his friends or family at all – that would be far too insensitive – what I am saying is a general criticism of the church I think. We – I say we, because whether I like it or not, I am and will always be a part of the church – have this attitude that ‘everything will be happy-go-lucky’ when you become a Christian, and then we wonder where God is when things go wrong.

We hold to the fundamental truths like:
1 John 4:16 – “God is love” – and he is, in him we should find the most addictive all-encompassing love we ever encounter as human beings. Should being the operative word.
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” – and he will, if we have faith in him and are able to let go and let him calm our Spirit. But I can’t see anywhere that he implies a definite physical or emotional rest; it might happen but it’s not a given.

I could go on with these lovely examples, but I won’t – I am at work after all, can’t spend all day doing this.

Jesus specifically said that we would suffer, because he suffered first. Paul told Timothy that at the end of his life, he had fought the good fight, run the race etc. and that there were times that absolutely sucked for him. When he wrote to Timothy the second time, he probably was in prison about to get executed for his faith.

But we in the Church are still surprised when our lives don’t go as well as we’d like them to.

Which brings me back to the tragedy of the friend of my sister who committed suicide. Surely as a church we should have been able to do something about this? The loving community we’re meant to be should have given him just enough hope to see that life here is full of meaning when we let Christ guide us in his path. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it in the end!

All of what I’ve said is definitely easier said than done, because even though I believe it completely, every now and then I catch myself wondering how God can allow this much suffering. When the emotion of whatever has made me think that has passed I remember the truth, but it doesn’t make what I’m feeling any easier.

Well now, after my little sermon, I move back to a more personal note. I found that I was quite profoundly affected by this news; I was really close to tears when I had let it sink in, what had actually happened. Partly because of the tragedy of what had happened, but also because I wasn’t able to be there for my sister who was also really upset about. The protective big brother kicked in, but I was too far away to protect, or comfort her in it.

I guess the fact that I have never had anyone close to me die, and the reality that every day is bringing me closer to the first time I have experienced that. I’m really not looking forward to it.

As the title says, a sombre note, but behind it is the hope that we have as Christians because of the unending love and grace of God and his acting to reconcile us mere mortals back to him. It’s almost unbelievable – “flippin sweet!”

Mobile Phones

One of the many wonders of this technological era we live in is the mobile phone. It can get us out of trouble by keeping us in contact almost anywhere we go. It can keep us in contact with friends by the simple and cost effective text message. Then of course, with cheap international phone calls and the huge time difference, it is so easy to phone friends on the other side of the world and not miss them.

Or would we?

Sometimes, the problem with mobile phones is the caller ID number comes up and you get ignored if the person doesn't want to speak to you. Or else, they forget to take their phone with them or forget to take it off silent. I don't know. What good is a cell phone if you don't answer it?

9:31 in the am

I have been at work for a grand total of 26 minutes. I arrived at 9:05am because of really bad traffic at the toll bridge. I have now completed all of my work for the day. All I have to do for the rest of the day is possibly answer some phone calls and help out some patients. How ridiculous is this? So I guess I get to update my exciting blog, and all of you who are lucky enough to be a part of my blog life get stimulated-anew!

PS I watched Madagascar last night - go the penguin marines!
PPS I like to move it move it

Happy New... Meh

Just another day.

Here it is, 2006. Yippee. Hooray. Excellent. Zang.

Whatever.

New years is such a waste of space. OK, we get a holiday (only one day if you happen to be an wally living in England) so that's cool. But other than that, what does it mean? New beginning? Maybe

But why is it that we need a new year to have resolutions? Everyone make them just so they can break them. If we were that keen to make a resolution and stick to it, we wouldn't need to wait for the last number of the year to change.

But there is one good thing about having a new year here, it means that the previous year is no more - it is now history. History has been written about it and 2005 was "the year the earth went wild".

It was also the year I left NZ - one of the best and worst decisions I've ever made. But all in all, it's been a good decision. Me and my lovely other, some would say better, half were having a conversation last night about where we would like to travel. We have to work out what the priorities are so we do them first, or work out the most strategic timing to do them. We didn't really come to many conclusions apart from that we are going to try to do two weeks in Greece and two weeks in Turkey on our way home, before we do two weeks in Rarotonga. How random is that though, we have planned our trip on the way home, but nothing yet for while we're here. We do have ideas but out annual leave allocations which are very different seem to be stuffing those plans up. Grrr, who'd work for a living?

Speaking of work, what the. I'm sitting here slacking off, but I'm not because I literally have nothing to do. It's almost lunch time, so I guess I can work out how many seconds it is until I can go to the local shops and buy myself a nice sandwhich.

Exciting times