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Welcome to the End of the World

Just came back from watching 2012. It was a little depressing, but what can you expect from a movie that's all about the end of the world. 

The visual effects were stunning as you would expect from of a blockbuster of this nature, but the storyline was quite unimpressive. I was really disappointed with the fact that they relegated the whole reasoning behind 2012 to a small cameo in the junkie trailer of a wacko!!! I mean, it seemed that the end of world just came and more emphasis was on the effects and not on the why! 

Fair enough, it's all about the buck right? So you can't blame the movie producers for keeping an eye on the bottom line (in the movie theater we were at, the show previous to ours was booked out and the one after ours was booked out as well). But the numerous questions I heard from people leaving the theater was "So why 2012?" It kind of got lost in the special effects. 

Overall it was a good flick if for any other reason, the special effects (getting the hint that it was all about the special effects?). The only things missing were: 

 - a real, logical and more expanded explanation as to why the poles shifted, 

 - Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet doing the flying Titanic thing at the end of the movie (those of you who have seen the movie will understand!).

Tomorrow morning I will be teaching in Youth SMBS about what the deal is with 2012 (and the why) and what the Bible has to say about it. I'll let you all know how it goes. 

Cultural Shifts on the Horizon

I followed a webinar today on "Preparing the Church for the Next Generation" by Worship Facilities Conference & Expo with Michael Trent and Charles Lee.     

The premise was understanding that the generational gap has been widening more and more over time, and where the Church is really losing the battle of understanding the cultural changes that is happening around her. 

We're really playing catch up and with each generation it feels like it's getting further and further away. So how can we reconnect and close that gap with the next (and future) generation, while keeping a finger on the pulse of cultural change? 

We need to be:

• Intentional about relationships
• Involved in the community
  
• Innovate new ideas

Also... When a team of church leaders get together to talk about reaching the future, there better be someone in that group who is from that future. Too many times I've been caught up in conversation with leaders, planning out better ways to reach the next generation, being future focused, but then looking around and seeing us old folks using old methods and thinking we're getting it right and being culturally effective!

Wisdom of age is not the problem. Wisdom and age provides framework. The problem is that culture is changing so fast around us that we need the help of the next generation to reach the next generation. How much are we investing in raising next generation leaders?

Our Axiomatic Beliefs

Earlier today I followed a webinar from Willow Creek Group Life, "Debug Your Thinking" with Mark C. Howell. You can check out some of the post-webinar comments here. I'm going to blog on this, most probably for the next few days. It's touched on a number of things that's been on mind since the Willow Creek Leadership Conference in early August. 

They opened it up with the comment:

"All of us are held hostage by our axiomatic beliefs. We are jailbirds incarcerated within the fortress of dogma and precedent. And yet, for the most part, we are oblivious to our own captivity." 

(The Future of Management by Gary Hamel, p. 126).

That statement alone had me thinking for quite some time! I risked missing out on the rest of the webinar! 

We work within a set parameter or belief system, that really, we define (or that influence has defined for us). But how does that definition come about? And are we really aware of it? (Maybe it's good to ask someone else, like your work colleague, friend or spouse)

What would you define as your axiomatic beliefs and why do you hold to them?

Hot Dog...ma!

Been spending my time listening a little too much to Michael Frost!!! He related this story and I just had to look it up, seeing as it was in the hometown of my in-laws! Check the article out! I'm not sure where we are headed with this, but the "dogma" of litigation is getting a little out of hand... that a restaurant in Miami would feel threatened by a hot dog place in Pittsburgh... and that an eatery can have a trademark on the word "dogma"!!!?? Is it just me or are things just getting a little out of hand!!!??  

Absolute Truth

Last night at Down 2 Earth we tackled the issue of Absolute Truth  and it's relationship to Relativism. The challenge was whether or not the two could be molded together. The idea of what's right for me may not be right for you, that being my journey and yours been your journey. Where ultimately we'll engage absolute truth in our own way...

And here is where the problem lies. If it is absolute truth, there can only be one absolute, not a multitude which is implied when we come at it from a relativistic view point. The word "absolute" can only imply one, definite, defining criteria. It can't be different for each and every one of us, if so, it would not be absolute, it would be relative.

The same implies for truth. Truth in itself must be a common denominator if it is to be considered truth at all. There has to be common underlining agreement to establish a truth. A truth cannot be singular, that is to say that I cannot establish a truth unless that truth is agreed upon by consensus. In essence, truth is not relative. Ultimately it must be absolute.

It all kind of makes your head spin, but understanding that there is a truth takes away the individualistic relativism that is a common mindset for many of us today. It helps us to grasp the fact that truth is external not internal and that there has to be a source for it that cannot be based on our own point of view.

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Anti Americanism

There is definitely a strong anti-Americanism flare going around the world today, but more so from within America than anywhere else. The sentiment that is felt around the world is really nothing new, but home grown sentiment is definitely a new trend, and a curious one at that. In reality though, the bashing Bush bandwagon is really becoming a drag, especially since it is only demonstrating the ignorance of those that choose to be hypocrites rather than honest evaluators.

Tough words I know. But I can't abide ignorance, especially since it is running so rampant lately.

Let me put it into context. I am Australian, born and raised from Italian and Greek parents. I grew up hating America, it's no new thing. Even though on the world stage our countries are close, the average Aussie can't stand the Yanks. It has nothing to do with Iraq, just listen to Midnight Oil and their 1983 hit, US Forces!!! The hate is irrational and honestly quite stupid. The whole idea of what we Aussies call "Tall Poppy Syndrome" (meaning we hate the big, successful guys) is just hypocrisy when we act just like the "Tall Poppies" with nations smaller than us.

I moved to Italy in 1988 and the sentiment was pretty much the same there, except for the fact that it seemed like everyone had at least one cousin in America!

So really, on the world stage, since 1945, most average people in the world don't like America. This is not an opinion, meaning people don't feel that way because of anything specific America has done. It is a bias, they feel that way because they do... no matter what America does.

Example in case, everyone outcried when America did nothing to help Bosnia, yet no one seemed to notice that the Russians did nothing even though they were the ones that really could have done something to stop Milosevic. Same case in the Sudan, what's holding up UN action...? China... does anyone really care...? No... why? Why is there not as much antagonism toward China? Even though they are consistent human rights abusers and they support the most wackiest countries in the world, namely North Korea, Iran, Venezuela & Sudan while they continue to terrorize Tibet and Taiwan. Look at the Russians who continue to use Chechnya for target practice. Look at Venezuela with Chavez. Look at Guatemala, etc etc...

Ok, so back to the homegrown Bush bashing bandwagon. There is an obvious hate for the leader of this wonderful nation. Most of this hate stems from the decisions that were made with Iraq. Now, let me make this clear, I truly believe that the decision made to go into Iraq was wrong, and that America is now paying the price of that wrong decision. But what I can't stand is hearing people say that Bush has ruined public opinion of the US worldwide... that's just blissful ignorance. Like hearing a lady tonight on National Public Radio saying that she is now afraid to travel internationally with a US passport. Are you all mad!!?? Don't you even have a small understanding of US foreign policy of the last 60 years?

Do really think it is any different to 1979 during the hostage crisis in Iran? Or in 1981 when Libya threatened to support assassinations of US citizens in Europe? Or in 1983 when the US Marine barracks and Embasy were bombed in Lebanon, killing hundreds of Americans? Or in 1985 when TWA flight 847 was hijacked by Islamic extremists? Or maybe in 1988 with the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie... shall I go on? Is it any different now? This dubious matter doesn't need anymore proving. It's just a media frenzied fear factor hype that has glazed the brains of some well meaning people into believing the Bush is so bad. He's no different from any of the other US presidents, and for that matter, no different than most world leaders. His blunder most probably cost him a lot, but not more than the blunder Winston Churchill made. We can thank him for the troubles we now have in Iraq. Of course no one knows about that because we're all ignorant shells allowing the media to fill us up as they please!

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