I'm a want-to-be activist. I see problems all around and want to do something about it, but I think "wouldn't someone else do something about it?".
Not that long ago I talk with someone at work about global warming and we could very quickly agree that something should be done, change some laws and make people more aware of the problem and what they should do. But then it was like we felt we could do nothing. We're just two normal guys that have a house, family and a job with no influence. We couldn't do anything about it!

What about all the other big problems in the world? Wouldn't someone do something about them?

Well, I maybe a nobody, but I'm going to try to do something, right where I am. Will you?

What if everyone had enough food, a good place to live, a meaningful job and their freedom?
Would people protest?
Would we go to war?

But the problem is what is enough, good, meaningful and freedom?
Prabhu Guptara has a blog about enough, which gives a good definition.

But is it possible to live a life with enough or at a sustainable level? I've heard talk about living the simple life, is that possible. After my Dad retired, my Mom told me one day, that they are learning to get by on they need, not what they want!
What do I really need? Of all the things that I have, how much of it do I really need?
Can I get by with less? - should I get by with less? - will it help?

A great interview with Prabhu Guptara at Speaking of Faith. A must read & listen.

On another blog someone asked the people leaving the church, to please tell them why. I have been thinking a lot about that. I have not stopped going to church, even though I'm sometimes tempted.
The people I know, that have stop going to church, have not turn their backs to God, just the church! So God is not the problem and it is not the building. So what's left? The people! What's wrong with people? Does something happen to them when they come into a church? It sure look that way.
It seems to me that we think we have to be better than we really are to go to church. Even know we say in church we are all sinner, we still do not want anyone to think that I am a sinner. So we take our nice clothes on and our smiling faces and go to church and hope no one see through it all. Then if we do show our real self, we are shown a 5 point plan on how to get on the right track again!
Somehow we need to break this box we have put ourselves in and just be ourselves! Both ways - to be open to show who we really are and to not always have an answer, but just listen and be a friend - a brother or sister!

Something to listen to George Barna

What is THAT? There is a book I really want to read "Introducing Radical Orthodoxy: Mapping A Post-secular Theology" by James Smith. I'm not sure what it's about, but just the name sound interesting. I hope secularism is dead! I'm tried of having this talk in Christian circles about secular or spiritual. "I only have a secular job" like it is something bad or I should have been a missionary or something. Where would this world be if there was no one to do the "secular" jobs!?! That's probably not what the book is about ;-(

I got back from Nepal. I had a great trip, without any sickness. I got to see a lot and taught at two different schools. First on World-views then on Relationships. Two subjects that I feel very strong about. It was very interessting to be in a country where there is so much going on politically. The government is corrupt. The only ones that are trying to do anything is the maoist. Who else will? Hindu thinkning is like the postmodern western thinking. "everyone is right - how do I know what is really the right thing to do". 

I heard an author and thinker, Vishal Mangalwadi, from India say, the west is where India was 1000 years ago in their thinking.  The more I learn about Nepal and Hindu thinking & history, the more I can see what he means.  1000 years ago in India it was a strong society, they had a lot of innovation and learning with universities. But then a guru showed up with new ideas which stop the innovation and learning.  So from a growing strong society, it when to a weak and vulnerable society that the British Empire could take advantage of.

It's just like where the West is now. There are no absolutes, so why should we learn anything. We can not be sure about anything, so why bother to learn about anything. Motivation is gone to learn and progress. The only motivation left is to just make myself happy - who cares about anyone else!

Does history really repeat itself?

Here in Denmark there has been a debate about a high school. On the first day of school the new student were playing some games. One of the games was to see how much of their clothes they dare take off. The more they take off the more points they get for their team. The principal, he thought it was a great game as did the boys and a lot of the girls too! - The debate in the media was going back and forth, but I was thinking about the different societies of old. There where it became more and more amoral, not just unmoral, but no-morals! It was these societies that fell apart. It starts with the leaders the more amoral they become the closer thier society comes to a collapse. Many of the things that we say are modern "Free sex" and alike are nothing new at all. It was "normal" in Roman society and other ancient societies. Our so called free thinking is just old thinking.

So if history repeats itself, then we should see the
"Fall of ________" sometime in the near future. Or what?

It's a terrible thing that happen in London this week.
I keep asking myself, why do they do it. Why innocent people? Why not the military or government. Why normal people?
Then I think, do we really understand what the problem is? I know I don't, but I want to. I want to walk in their shoes, know what it is they feel. They must have family, friends, loved ones like I do. There must be more to the story.

I've been reading allot of different history books. It's amazing how so many things are the same as they were 100's, 1000's of years ago. At least the way people think. This week the G8 talks start in Scotland. I can only hope that they will listen to what so many have been saying about making poverty history and the environment. But I'm afraid that it will be the same again. The leaders will be thinking more about their own "little" country, than what is good for all mankind. I know it's big words and things are complicated, but is not possible to make a real start, that would make a difference.

Can I make a real start, that would make a difference?

When I think of the sabath I always think of rest, but the command is that we are to work the 6 days and only rest on the 7th. I always think about that one day of rest and don't care about the other six.
I thought it was a question of how do we get more people into the church on Sunday. It seems like God puts more focus on the working days than I do. The more I look in the Bible the more I see all the well known people there are normal working people, farmers, shephard, tent makers, ect.



If you have time take a look at this wiki I started Biblical working. A wiki is a place where everyone can add what they think.

I was at a conference here in Denmark, where the speakers were talking about how we can use IT and the Internet to make the world better. At the end of the two days there was trash all over the floor, everyone was thinking that someone else will take care of it. How can we beleave that we can make the world a better place, when we can't even take responsiblity for our own trash!

There is so much that should be done in this world, but it is much easier just to think that someone else will do it.