Young People getting Election Fever

Public Achievement runs a project called WIMPS - Where Is My Public Servant? - a website and project run by young people for young people. It's about getting the ideas of young people out there and supporting them to influence decision-makers. On Wednesday the WIMPS crew launched their election manifesto calling on NI's political parties to address 5 key areas of concern to young people. It's worth checking out the special website where you can download a copy of the manifesto to find out what matters to young people.

Church Leaders Ask Everyone To Work "Together For Good"

Having been employed in peace and reconciliation/community relations work over the last nearly 3 years has been a real education for me and whilst I still have a lot to learn, there have been some significant learning points on this journey so far. One of the things I’ve realised is that a peace agreement merely provides a platform for a journey towards reconciliation to take place. The peace process here in Northern Ireland is still very much a work-in-progress and sometimes it can be frustrating when I’ve been faced with apathy to peacebuilding or the kind of attitude that says, ‘sure, we’ve got peace now’. We’re still at the start of our journey to moving beyond conflict.

Reconciliation is also a journey that we must choose to enter into. Recently I heard a great talk by someone who has been involved in peacebilding projects here and overseas (available to download here) and one of the things he said was that peace is something which is found and people must journey together to find it. In other words peace cannot be limited to a strategy or policy or even a commitment but it takes a lot of work, a lot of energy, a lot of working together, a lot of time, a lot of invested relationships.

I’m glad this week that people have come together very quickly reacting against the violence and murders at the weekend and on Monday. I was at the Belfast vigil on Wednesday and could feel the strong sense of solidarity and also of horror at what has happened. We’ve been hurt right to the ‘quick’, the very thought of going back to the ‘bad old days’ has sent a real chill down our collective spine. Even hearing the helicopters hovering overhead was creepy. I guess during the Troubles, we got used to things, we got on with everyday life and tried to convince ourselves it was ‘normal’. But now we can look back and see that we have come a long way and that life now has been more normal than ever before. We don’t want to go back and must stay strong to a commitment to ensuring we don’t go back, we can’t afford to become apathetic to the horrors of the past.

When I started out in my current role at PCI I guess I though that peacebuilding was important but maybe something to be addressed only by those interested in it. Today as a youth worker, the bottom line for me is that youth work and youth ministry cannot take place in Northern Ireland without reference to issues around community relations, conflict, division, sectarianism. Even though many of today’s young people do not remember first-hand the conflict, I believe that they are having to carry the baggage of the past. They may not know what that baggage is, but their lives are dictated by the divisions in our society. I believe that if we don’t tackle these issues with our young people, then we’re failing them.

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places
If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again. (Isaiah 58:9-12 The Message)

It’s time to rebuild, renovate, restore…

Hip Report
Well last week I couldn’t feel any improvement in my hip, if anything it was getting worse and it was back to being painful when walking. I went back to the physio who figured that because I was being very diligent with doing all the exercises recommended to me by the podiatrist twice a day, I had actually tightened up. She recommended that I get a massage of my hamstrings, glutes & iliotibial band so I saw the masseuse that afternoon and I have to say that it was one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced! I thought I had a fairly high pain threshold considering I let the physio walk on my back every so often, but that’s a walk in the park compared to this kind of massage – I still have the bruises to show for it! I managed not to yell/scream, but only just! (If you were listening to the Chris Moyles show on Radio 1 last Wednesday morning when they had a sports physio in doing some massage stuff, I could totally identify with their pain! There's a very funny video of it here.) Since the weekend I’ve noticed that my IT band feels a lot less tight when I’m using the foam roller which is good. Unfortunately my hip is still not right, in fact I’m getting pain in the other hip as well because it’s compensating for the injured leg. So now I have to sleep on my back because it’s sore if I sleep on either side! My physio has reminded me that bursitis is hard to get rid of, it takes time. If I lay on the flat of my back for a few weeks the inflammation would maybe go more quickly but that’s not exactly practical with the kind of job I have. I’ve reduced my cardio workouts at the gym to 5 minutes on the bike as a warm-up before doing some upper body stuff and a bit of core work because I’m worried that the cycling isn’t helping things. But I’m just so scunnered that I can’t do any of the things I enjoy – kayaking/hillwalking/cycling to work etc. My fitness is slipping – before Christmas my resting heart rate was 60 and at the weekend on the first aid course when we were practising taking pulses, it was up to 64. It’s so frustrating. What’s more it is very likely that I’ll have to miss the canoe club trip to Scotland in March which is absolutely gutting.

In the grand scheme of things, this is just a wee blip and I know that things could be a heck of a lot worse – wildfires are not ripping through my town at crazy speeds covering miles in a matter of minutes. There’s perspective…

Yet my frustration is real and I must find God in this. As I write I’m listening to Johnny Parks’ song God is still for us. Nothing can separate me from God’s love. He’s for me, not against me. The most important thing is that God is here, He’s with me in this…I must pursue Him in the midst of my pain and frustration. The other night I was reading Philippians 4:10-13, how Paul had found contentment in all things, whether lacking or in plenty. God’s strength is enough for me in this, it is sufficient when I am healthy and when I am injured, it is sufficient when I am in need or have plenty...Christ’s strength will see me through this and much more.

I have to say that yesterday was pretty momentous. I’m not American and I don’t make it a habit to watch US Presidential inaugurations, but it was the kind of day that I think I will remember what I was doing and where I was in years to come. I didn’t get left work until 4.30pm, so listened to the commentary on Radio 4 on the bus journey home. I couldn’t help but smile broadly to myself at the moment Mr Obama was sworn in and as soon as I got in through the door I had the TV on and was glued to his acceptance speech. I welcomed his ‘let’s-get-down-to-business’ attitude and like Mark, felt a sense of hope. In a sense I think yesterday was a bit of a Kingdom happening. Regardless of what way Americans voted, red or blue or otherwise, you could say there was a Kingdom moment in the election of a black man to the US presidency when as referred to yesterday 60-odd years ago restaurants would have refused him service. May the Kingdom continue to come right across the world… And kudos to Rev Lowry for the benediction at the end!

Photo courtesy of the Independent

Hmmm…NaBloPoMo has kind of gone by the wayside for me having missed the last 3 days due to general busyness and perhaps a little lack of inspiration. However I’m still going to endeavour to post daily for at least two thirds of this month, to be honest the fact that I managed 8 days in a row wasn’t far short of a miracle and definitely a first in my 5+ years of blogging so I count that a success.

I was going to write today about a book I’ve been meaning to blog about for ages, but I’ll maybe save that for this weekend. What caught my eye today was a banner on the Belfast Telegraph website advertising an opportunity to “WIN A MEAL FOR TWO - When will the NI Executive hold its next full meeting?” The NI Executive hasn’t met since mid-June and since September 5 full meetings of the Executive have been cancelled. Basically if you guess the correct date that the NI Executive holds its next full meeting you win a meal for 2 at the Stormont Hotel (where else?). Please tell me it’s April Fools Day! I guess it’s a great an example of how NI humour deals with the idiosyncrasies of NI politics.

So…are you entering?

(Photo courtesy of Ukstudentlife.com)

Interesting article here on the new British PM, the debate in the comments section is also interesting.

Get your dancing shoes on!

655,000
Read this and felt physically sick at the sheer numbers of lives lost. Life, it seems, is cheap.

10 x 10
Just came across the 10x10 site - every hour the 100 words and picture that define the world at that moment in time are collected and displayed - absolutely fascinating stuff.

Do you think somebody is trying to tell him something?!

Lord have mercy
Here’s a good article from the Sojourners website which aids understanding of the current situation in the Middle East. JD also highlights something of what it’s like to be on the ground with news from Youth For Christ staff in Lebanon.

Ticket Give-Away
By the way, a friend was telling me the other day that Greenbelt are giving free tickets for the festival to youthworkers, no info seems to be on their website, so I guess it’s a matter of ringing them up. Seems to be a few interesting speakers this year. Not a bad offer!

This hot pink tuk tuk is the worthy steed of 2 English girls on an adventure travelling from Bangkok to Brighton to raise money for the mental health charity MIND. How cool is that?! Read more info here and you can also get daily updates on their blog.

Priceless!
Here's a video clip of the Beeb's big boo-boo this week when they mistook a random accountant attending the BBC for job interview for an IT expert whose comments they were looking for the verdict of the Apple vs Apple court case. The expressions on the poor guy's face are priceless!

Today's Independent newspaper was edited by Bono to promote the One campaign with half of the money going towards fighting AIDS in Africa. Great idea, gives so much more exposure to the issue. It's been on my mind recently. How much do I really care about issues of justice and poverty. These issues are so close to God's heart - how can I ignore that? I came across the One campaign on MySpace here and it's cool because you can watch Bono's speech (I love having broadband!) at the US National Prayer Breakfast - you can say what you like about him, but he's a good public speaker and carries a measure of authority which I believe is God-given.

Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter -
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healinng will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you willl cry for help, and he will say:
Here am I.
- Isaiah 58:6-9

Michael McIlveen (1991-2006)

We don't have to accept this...make a statement here.

Latest surfing discoveries…
I'm enjoying using the daily meditations provided by ReJesus.

And...
I came across this remarkable woman who has been homeless since last year and has been surviving by living in her car. Under the pen name Wandering Scribe, she’s been sharing her story and has begun to receive a lot of attention in the media in America, the UK and part of Europe. It’s totally fascinating. She writes beautifully and is on the verge of sorting out a publishing deal which may be the beginning of the way out of her situation. Her blog serves to raise the profile of the plight of homelessness but it has also provoked huge debate about the genuineness of her story. I’ve been amazed at the intensity of the comments left on her blog – the vast majority are hugely supportive whilst there is a minority who seem to be just absolutely horrible people and seem to like spending their time being as vindictive as possible.

Worthy finds
Now that I’ve made it onto broadband I’ve been whiling away the time at some of my latest discoveries on the web:
Postsecret – An art project where people share their secrets on a homemade postcard, and it really has to be something they’ve never shared with the world. Sometimes it’s shocking, sometimes it’s heartbreaking, sometimes it’s laugh-out-loud funny. The project has now produced a book full of these images which the reviewers at Relevant describe as expressing “humanity at its fullest: raw, flawed, yet breathtakingly beautiful”.

Shane, whom I met on my China trip last year, met this couple a few weeks ago in the Chinese town where he teaches English to local school kids. Very few foreigners make it to where Shane is so he was pretty surprised. Anyway these guys are walking, yes WALKING – no buses/taxis etc – from Hong Kong to France and average 30-40km a day. They’re French-Canadian so their website is in French but it’s beautifully laid out with some excellent photos.

Roadtripnation – 3 American dudes set off on a roadtrip to interview people from all arts and parts and walks of life looking for insight & inspiration having just completed their university education. Interviewees include: the CEO of Levi Strauss, Madonna’s Hair Stylist, the Chairman of Starbucks & Manny the Lobsterman! Fascinating stuff. I’m impressed by the way they were so proactive, they haven’t waited for life to come to them.

Relevant TV – Music videos 24/7! A lot of the artists are American & haven’t made it this side of the pond (yet?) so I’m enjoying the expansion of my musical listening content, particularly Sia, Mat Kearney, Thrice & Pilate. Some of the current tracks playing include: Oasis – The Importance of Being Idle, All American Rejects – Move Along, Athlete – Tourist & Switchfoot – We Are One Tonight. Good for some background music while you surf/blog.

I’ve also come across a couple of Photoblogs including:
Travis Ruse - This guy does a 45minute commute to work on the New York subway and everyday he takes pictures of what he sees. It’s really cool!
Then there’s N Irish lad Phil O’Kane who’s a budding photographer and likewise puts up a new photo on his website everyday.

And the award goes to...
My Dad was telling us a story he read in Autocar magazine the other week about a guy in America who spotted his car being stolen. He immediately ran after the car, grabbed onto the spoiler, and hung on calling the police on his mobile whilst the thief tried to shake him off. Twenty minutes later the police cut the car off and caught the thief. Autocar awarded him the ‘Hanger-on of the Year Award’. Fair play to the bloke for hanging on that length of time - that’s dedication for you! But we couldn’t figure out why the thief didn’t try to reverse into a wall, lucky for the ‘Hanger-on’ that the thief was a bit thick!

In the news…
Spotted this in the Chinese English-language newspaper China Daily on August 26th:

Beijing’s own flies terminator discovered

A man in Beijing has killed 549,424 flies in the past 10 years. He can distinguish between male and female flies when he kills them.
Huang Baolin says killing flies is an excellent form of exercise, He spends eight hours a day killing flies in the summer.
Last year, Hu Xilin, a famous fly killer in South China came to visit him. The two exchanged views on how to kill more flies. Hu gave Huang a small fly killing machine as a gift, which Huang donated to a nearby food store.
“I will spend the rest of my life killing flies!” Huang proclaimed.