just an update.

I am spazzing out now. My routine for so long has been to take every Sunday and use it to go to Church in the morning, have lunch with my wife at a South Perth cafe, spend some time alone, and then spend about 2 hours between 2 and 4pm in a cafe writing. It was a time when I could be in my own zone. My mind would be oriented on the important things. I would write anything that came to mind. Much of the poetry and creative essays about justice in this blog came from those cafe times.

However, a nearly two months ago our car was damaged in an accident and we have been car-less while it is in the panel beaters getting fixed. So, what has happened? Sundays are spend at home or in the city. I can't write creatively at home. I miss my church and I miss my cafe.

The good thing is, the car will be returned within two weeks. Our zhangziggy. Freedom will be restored. Creativity will flow.

Work is going great. I love the things I am learning. I am currently assigned to two clients. I am doing a Business Process Improvement at one, and a Gap Analysis at the other. One is a government company, the other is an engineering company. What one do you think I like most? The engineering of course. Government agencies were a shock to me. It almost seems as though work ethic is non-existent. Send me to the resources sector any day.

Anyway, time to work. Catch ya'll soon.

Cry for Indonesia. When will justice be served?

I am absolutely outraged. Some of you may be aware of the atrocities committed in Indonesia in 2005 where three school girls were beheaded by Muslim militants while walking to their private Christian school in Poso. Notes were left next to their head warning of more attacks against Christian children. One of the girls heads was left at the local church.

Some of you are also aware that three Christian men were executed last year in Indonesia for “atrocities” which evidence did not support. The international community was outraged by the incident, especially considering evidence that the three men were tortured before being executed by the Indonesian government.

Now I feel sick to my stomach as the man accused of killing three innocent school girls by chopping off their heads with a machete has only been sentenced to 20 years in prison – the same sentence handed down to a young Aussie girl for traffic of marijuana. As reported by the BBC here.

I feel sick that the country I love is so corrupted by it’s fanatical leaders intent on destroying people who do not adhere to their version of belief. I want to shout. I demand justice be served. But the Indon government will not listen.

What can the international community do? Well I have some proposals:
The United Nations should review the death penalties handed down in Indonesia and decide whether:

• The trial was fair and evidence submitted was conclusive;



• International conventions applying to human rights and death penalty were applied;



• Were the executions carried out humanely?
  
  If any of the above three points were in breach, then swift and harsh penalties should be brought upon the justice administration system in that country.

I am anti-death penalty. I believe that God’s grace is endless and no man holds the right to take the life of another man. But I hold that the men accused of executing the three school girls must be sentenced in proportion to their crimes. In my opinion, life in solitary confinement, and the international Islamic community should prohibit the term “martyr” from being applied to these murderers.

The only people in this situation who deserve the title “Martyr” are the three precious school girls brutally murdered for there innocence and defencelessness in the name of Christ.

And God bless the Noviana and her family for the constant reminder of the brutality that they have suffered. May Christ fill their hearts and lives with peace abundantly.

March Update

So this is an update… it’s about time!

I’ll start by saying “I’m exhausted!”. I have begun my new career as a consultant for one of the largest professional services firms in the world, and I could not have prepared myself for the challenge. I have been ripped from my comfort zone and put in a role that is extremely dynamic.

But I love it! For those who know me, I am passionate about business. I’m especially passionate about business in Asia Pacific. I’m now in a role and company that can increase my exposure in this area.

Most of you know that I’m in love with Indonesia, and I’ve been keen on doing business in that country. However, after a number of recent local issues (especially the floods that affected Jakarta in February), I have had to think again. Indonesian needs to work on developing it’s infrastructure before they can be really competitive in the world market (maaf teman2, tapi sekalian tahu ini benar). So, I’m hoping that I can migrate to Hong Kong or Singapore to gain the exposure that I want (especially focusing on Human Capital and Supply-Chain strategy).

I do have to make one thing clear. My interest in business is not for self gain. I believe in the mandate that followers of Christ have to be Ambassadors of God. Business has the potential to remove nations from abject poverty and increase the quality of life for millions who are currently living like animals. The church is not an entity that exists for and of it self. It is people like me and you who believe in Christ and will live for Him in our daily roles. For me, that role is business.

Anyway friends, Carpe Diem!

Great quote from a good book

I've jus finished reading a great book called Velvet Elvis - Repainting the Christian Faith (Rob Bell, 2006). I plan to re-read it and take notes on each chapter, but for now I want to leave you with one quote from the final chapter.

It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and
compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly
put on display. To do this, the church must stop thinking about everybody
primarily in categories of in or out, saved or not, believer or
nonbeliever. Besides the fact that these terms are offensive to those who
are the "un" and "non", they work against Jesus' teachings about how we are to
treat eachother. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbour, and our
neighbour can be anybody. We are all created in the image of God, and we
are all sacred, valuable creations of God. Everybody matters. To
treat people differently based on who believes what is to fail to respect the
image of God in everyone. As the book of James says, "God shows no
favortism." So we don't either.

I am not a universalist, and I do believe that following Christ is the way to God, but I want you to know one thing "I love you. You are precious to God. You were created in the image of our Loving Creator, and I respect that. I respect you. My prayer for you - seek God in humility with a hungry heart. We are all on a journey."

Our real value

I was thinking about the ways in which we tend to define ourselves. We are all guilty of labelling everything and everyone. Those labels are often given through our perceptions and are mostly unfair and unaccurate. We cannot label people. Every human is infinately more complex than we are aware.

For instance, I began to think that I am first and foremost a child of God and a disciple of Jesus. Next, I am a family man. A husband, a son, a brother, a grandson, a brother-in-law, and a son-in-law.

What I’ve come to believe is that none of this can be separated. I am a child of God. I am a sinner. I am an idolater. I like international business. I like good books, good food, and great coffee. I love Indonesia and have a passion for Indonesian people. But none of these things can define me. My value is not the sum of my parts.

I have an intrinsic core value that will not decrease. I didn’t set this value and I can’t alter it. Other people can’t measure it. Other people can’t compare my value to their own. No one can remove my value.

Materially speaking, the sum of every item on earth could not measure against my intrinsic value.

Often I forget the nature of this value. I cannot comprehend my worth. So I go out to look for other things that can give me value. Value that people can see. Prestige. Power. Things.
But then I awake to the realization that these things have a superficial worth applied by man who will one day die. Or the things die. One will occur first. And then what? The value is gone.
Hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades. Irreplaceable time spent obtaining this worth. And in an instant – bankruptcy comes like a thief in the night. Everything that I worked for – gone.

Poverty.

But then I hear singing. I look around. The laughter is contageous. Dancing.
It is the children. They look happy. I can feel their joy.

They have no worries, no cares, no tears, no things.

If one of them were to come into harms way, I would protect them. If one cried in fear, I would assure them that there is nothing to fear and then I’d protect them against anything that tried to hurt them.

If I cried, would someone consol me? If I was afraide, would someone protect me? If I was hungry, cold, or thirsty, would some one feed me, clothe me, or quench my thirst?

If I had none of the things that add value?

But the children. They also have non of the things that add value. But they sing. They laugh. They dance. I would protect them. I value them. Why?

Their intrinsic value shines through. They know their worth. They know they are special. And they live freely.

The world sees this. And many laugh with them.

That child is me. Those children are us.

The value that we see when we look at those children is the same value that’s in us. Although the world may not see it, there is One who does. Like our value, the One cannot be defined. The sum of this universe was made by His hand. Called into being by the Words of the Mighty One.

Our value comes from Him. Our value will always exist. This value will always be real. When I am poor, I can say “I am rich”. My value will never fade. The One gave it to me.When I realise this is in my deepest being, everything will change. Choices will be made freely independent of worldly value. Smiles and laughter and dancing will come more naturally inviting the world who sees to join in the festival of life.

Freedom to live. Freedom to choose. Freedom to be who we are – the people God created us to be.

In this freedom our food is His word. Our strength is His joy. Our lifeblood is His Spirit.
As the breath of life was blown into the nostrils of Adam, Adam walked inteimately with God. His value was known. Our resusitation from the breath of God is here. Oure value will be known. Freedom will ring.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than
food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of
the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What
shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans
run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well." (Matthew 6:25-33)