Recently, my wife read aloud Romans chapter 1 to the family. As I listened to her, I was struck by how Paul addressed himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ“. It is not a common phrase used today, but the New Testament is filled with such references used either by the writers themselves or in referring to a group of Christ followers. In some translations, the phrase used is “bond-servant”, which is likened to the practice of the Hebrew who took on bond servants in their households.

These servants are sometimes also known as slaves, but I believe they have some key differences between slavery in biblical times and slavery as we understand it today. I recall Parableman once did an extensive study of the morality of slavery. While the study was insightful and I am sure highlighted many valid points, I also remember being quite uncomfortable with some of his conclusions. I am not sure if the claims he made are widely held among scholars, but basically (if I remember correctly) it goes something like this: Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: slavery, counter-culturalism, church and society, christian ethics, morality

“If God appeared to you today and gives you a chance to ask Him one question, what would it be?”

At church this morning, the pastor posed this question to us and gave us a chance to talk about what our question might be with each other. There were quite an intriguing array of questions people suggested.

One lady next to me said she would like to find out when He is returning. Another asked if he was in the center of God’s will. Yet another asked if she could find out the real meaning of the gospel.

One question that I might be tempted to ask is, “What are you doing, Lord?” In the past, I have asked quite a few questions. Not so long ago, I agonized over a painfully personal one. But the tone and intention of such questions now seem almost too presumptuous to me and I now have the impulse of putting my hands over my mouth, as Job did when confronted with the majesty of God, after initially demanding God for answers to some really tough questions. So, perhaps, I might just have to be silent before Him.

But, if given one question to ask the Lord, what might that be? I think it might be this: “Why do you love so much?” I think that question might be help me to plumb the depths of who God is, and give me glimpses to the mysteries of life.

Well, what about you? What if you were given a chance to ask God one question? What might that question be?

Technorati Tags: questioning God, faith, meaning of life

Wow. It sure looks like I was holding my breathe for Fremantle, but the truth is that I have been sidetracked by much that was going on in my life, and have not had the energy to keep up this blog. In any case, the Dockers put up a strong courageous Finals campaign only to go down to the Sydney Swans in the Preliminary Finals. Maybe next year.. In the meantime I am setting the blog colors back to its orginal blue.

Technorati Tags: afl, aussie rules football, fremantle dockers

Regular readers of this blog will remember me talking deliriously about the Fremantle Dockers, an Australian Rules Football club every now and then. Yes, six years away from the land where they bounce and punch the football around, where they “bump” players in those bone crunching “shirtfronts” but wear no protection, and where thirty-odd crazy men with short shorts run around kicking that fat inflated pigskin in between two upright sticks, and I am still a crazy Docker supporter.

Well, it has paid off, and I wish I am in Australia for the next month. Fremantle is high up the premiership table and are even threatening to win it all! (what did I tell you, I am a diehard true believer!)

Anyway, for the duration of their Finals campaign, this blog will fly the flag high and don the color purple as part of that Passionate Purple Army.

Go Fre-oooooooo!

Technorati Tags: Freo, Fremantle Dockers, Dockers, Aussie Rules, AFL, AFL Finals

This is very sad news indeed. The world has lost one of its exemplary members, and Australia one of its archetypal Aussie battler who makes good. In spite of his eccentric antics and sometimes audacious behavior, there are at least five things that I like about this great Aussie bloke:

(1) His Passion. This man absolutely oozes passion for what he believes in. If only everyone of us have half his enthusiasm and passion for what we believe and if only we pursue it half as fiercely as he seems to do, then this world would be a much better place. Heck, if I have pursued my blogging half as passionately as Irwin did his love for animals, then this blog would be a much better blog! Heh!

(2) His Humility. This guy was willing to ham it up for the audience just to make a point. But for all the cantankerous silliness he projected, he achieved his goal of instructing the world about nature, our environment and the need to look after this world of ours. He was also instrumental for exposing illegal trades in wildlife products, endearing himself (not) to thousands of opportunists who prey on people’s love for exotic items. He was also a very worthy Aussie ambassador although his incessant use of ’strine and Aussieisms (such as the ubiquitous “Crickey!”) can be irritating at times, especially to us Aussies who live away from our homeland - my kids sometimes had to tell their friends, “But we do not all speak like that!” - yet, he has helped to raise awareness of Australia’s beautiful nature, people and culture. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: steve irwin