way out west

Off to Greenbelt

See you there if your going... look out for Safespace in the programme (see the right hand sidebar for our two "services").. if not have a great bank holiday, we hope the sun shines on you.

Technorati Tags: Greenbelt

Olympic protest

BBC News records protest in China

Technorati Tags: News: Olympics: Tibet

Olympics

I won't be blogging for the period of the Olympic games... from today until we return from Greenbelt... as a mark of respect for all those who have died, who endure torture, oppression, exile and cultural persecution in the country of Tibet from the invasion in the 1950's right up to the present day... including the 4000 Tibetans who have disappeared, and the 200 who where murdered in and since the Protests in March/April this year!

Technorati Tags: Blogging: News: Olympics: Tibet

Amazing maggots!

It's long been known that Maggots can not only clean infected wounds by dissolving and eating necrotic tissue... even wriggling off the wound themselves when it is is sterile... they also secrete a "cocktail" of chemicals that fight infection... antibiotics if you like... what has just been revealed is that that secretion is capable of fighting even the toughest infections including 12l strains of MSRA and C-Difficille!

From Medical news today

The antibiotic, named Seraticin™, is derived from the maggot secretions of the common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) and scientists hope to develop it into an injection, pill or ointment... Scientists from Swansea University... have purified Seraticin™ and undertaken the study of its structure and the mechanism by which it prevents infection. The next steps will be to complete the identification of the compound and develop a way to synthesise it. It can then be tested on human cells and eventually in clinical trials in order to determine its medical effectiveness and properties as a novel antibiotic.

MRSA infections cause suffering, amputations and death, not to mention the estimated £1 billion cost to the NHS. Between 2002 and 2006, 6,201 deaths in England and Wales involved MRSA and 15,683 deaths in England and Wales involved C. difficile. The rapid rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria means that scientists urgently need to find a solution.

Once again Creation proves to have the answer for man-made problems!

Technorati Tags: Culture: News

Scripture, Tradition, Reason

Gene Robinson, in the Guardian, captures something important about the interpretation of Scripture... there was a time when it was deemed right for only Clergy to interpret the Bible, most would agree that that time is over and that the freedom to read God's word and hear God's Word for ourselves... as an Anglican I have always believed that we need to hold the three tools in tension - Scripture, Tradition, Reason - and never rely solely one... to rely purely on the current translation of "Scripture" too often leads to legalism and fundamentalism... to rely purely on "tradition" leads to a human (even cultic) religion based on human power/charisma etc... to rely purely on "reason" leads down a Spong-ian path killing faith and denying the supernatural... for me, you need all three in tension - God is revealed in Scripture, in the wisdom/communion of the saints and in Creation (inc. us!)

God, of course, was not and is not changing - but our ability to apprehend and comprehend God's will for us is. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, the church was led to permit eating things proscribed by Leviticus, to oppose slavery (after centuries of using scripture to defend it), and to permit and bless remarriage after divorce (despite Jesus' calling it adultery). And now, by the leading of that same Spirit, we are beginning to welcome those who have heretofore been marginalised or excluded altogether: people of colour, women, the physically challenged, and God's children who happen to be gay.

This is the God I know in my life - who loves me, interacts with me, teaches and summons me closer and closer to God's truth. This God is alive and well and active in the church - not locked up in scripture 2,000 years ago, having said everything that needed to be said, but rather still interacting with us, calling us to love one another as he loves us. It is the brilliance of Anglicanism that we first and foremost read scripture, and then interpret it in light of church tradition and human reason. No one of us alone can be trusted to such a process because, left to our own devices, we recast God's will in our own image. But in the community of the church, together we are able to discern God's will for us - and sometimes that may mean reinterpreting and even changing old understandings of things thought settled long ago.

Technorati Tags: Church: News: theology

Has Banksy been revealed?

According to the Sunday Mail their 'investigation',

...has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that the artist is former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham... The only concrete clue until now has been a photograph taken in Jamaica four years ago of a man with a bag of spray cans by his feet.  Gunningham’s former school pal Scott Nurse said: ‘He was one of three people in my year who were extremely talented at art. I am not at all surprised if he is Banksy.’  Records reveal Gunningham once lived with artist Luke Egan, who later exhibited with Banksy. Mr Egan initially denied knowing Gunningham but later admitted he had lived with him.

The 2004 Photo - Banksy?

However they also report that...

People who know Gunningham are now unable to say what has become of him. His father Peter, who lives in Kingsdown, Bristol, denied that the man in the photograph was his son, and his mother Pamela was surprised by the picture, then denied she even had a son, let alone one called Robin.

Even the Beeb are reporting the story... So... we're all wondering "Is it true?"... or more to the point "Does it matter?"

Technorati Tags: Art: Culture: News

Gene Robinson a Heroic Figure?

According to Daily Mail journalist and ex-Tory Spin Doctor, Amanda Platell on the Andrew Marr Show this morning... not sure that will go down with her readership!  And a bit of a volt-face for her as she was previously sacked from the other right wing red-top rag, the Daily Express for writing an "expose" of Peter Mandelson's sexual history!

Technorati Tags: Church: News: Television

The U.S. on Zimbabwe... an update

A while ago I asked why Bush was so quite on the question of Zimbabwe... well since the electoral crime last week the US have spoken out...

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, says he is pressing for the Security Council to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe.  The US is expected to present a draft resolution on Wednesday calling for an arms embargo and a freeze on the assets of key individuals and companies.  White House spokeswoman Dana Perino has suggested the US may impose unilateral diplomatic and economic sanctions.

I for one applaud the stand, and am sure that the US will not be alone.  From the BBC.

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Bishop with intact Halo Shock!

I noticed this interesting picture on Ruth Gledhill's blog of Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali speaking at Gafcon.

Technorati Tags: Humour: News: Photographs

Bush on Zimbabwe?

Why is it that when the President of America has carved himself a role (in his own eyes) as the agent of democracy (forcefully and unilaterally if he has to be) The top result when you Google "Bush ZImbabwe" is the other Bush speaking in 2003?    He did however say, in an interview with the BBC in February, when asked "What can be done to stop the crisis in Zimbabwe?"...

I mean, Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of southern Africa.  Today, it's in line for food aid. Zimbabwe was - is now a place where people are repressed 'cause of their beliefs. And you're right. There is not a lot of outcry.... Look, not everything is perfect in this world.

Morgan Tsvangirai has now pulled out of the election this Friday because Robert Mugabe has made it clear that he will not relinquish power whatever the result and because of the beatings, deaths and the forced evictions (reportedly up to 200,000) opposition supporters/voters have suffered.  Tsvangirai said,

We have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process.

Come on President Bush, you see yourself as the saviour of Global Democracy, what are you going to do about it... at least say something!

Technorati Tags: News