I am not a huge golfing fan, but I am interested in culture and society and hence see the relative significance of Tiger Woods’ return to championship golf after a few months out of the game whilst dealing with his highly publicised extra-marital affairs.
What I find tragic regarding this whole situation is the fact that our society and culture has lost touch of what is important and defining. We have traded the things of true value for the things of temporary delight and placed these at the top of our list of importance.
My personal view is that should Tiger manage to win the Masters this evening (at time of writing he is 3 shots behind Mickelson) I fear there will be a massive rallying around him and much praise given to his name. He will regain his position on the throne in many peoples’ lives, having raised himself from the grave of social reputation and being seated on high, having earned his place with a magical and frankly impressive win. His passed deeds will be forgotten. He will be crowned the king. The greatest of all time. A face of stability and security. A true hero. The world seeks a saviour. Woods is that saviour to many.
How tragic is it, that a man is judged, respected and honoured on the basis of his talent– in this case sporting ability – rather than on the way he treats his wife, a God-given gift and responsibility. Today, a man can commit adultery a dozen times, Drag his wife’s name and dignity through the dirt and use dozens of women for his own desires, yet totally redeem his stature in the eyes of those around him by playing a good game of golf.
For Tiger Woods, there is forgiveness, redemption, healing and restoration at the foot of the cross, in the nail pierced hands of Christ and in the open arms of the Father. He needs redeeming, but is not a lost cause. However, as much Tiger Woods’ marriage and life needs redeeming, so does our culture and society.
It would seem apparent that our entire set of standards for what defines a man need restoration and redeeming.
drew.march.2010.
Wow! What a complete nightmare of air travel. Probably the worst experience of my life regarding transport - and thats saying something considering the boat ride in Thailand last year was a revelation of what Hell would be!
The plan was simple. Fly to Hong Kong, change planes and fly to Joburg. The difficulty came when I tried to bring my life’s belongings. About 50kg of it in total. I can’t believe what a complete dog show – or to be frank, cock up – the whole thing was. It got worse as it went on. Firstly I went to check in and politely explained my situation to the sweet vietnamese lady. I’m a student. I’m going to South Africa for a year. I’ve got a lot of stuff. Please be gracious and let me take it on the plane. The lady said I could have 25KG. I put the big green bag onto the scale, which weighed in at 27KG alone. Then I added the smaller bag and the total came to 36kg! Stuff! Here we go. About that graciousness I mentioned?! Then the lady saw my hand luggage and said thats got to go on to check the weight too. That pushed the total to 45kg!!! I’m not mathematician, but I know 45 is a hang of a lot more than 25 and I also have travelled enough to know that thats going to be a very costly experience. It gets worse.
She then said the Guitar wouldn’t be allowed in the cabin. WHAT? How is this a safety risk? Sure, my singing isn’t great - but bringing down a plane? I simply refused and said it will be broken in the hold and I’ve flown all over the place, post 9-11 and its always gone on the plane. Sorry chick, this is how its going to be. She went to check with the superior who said we could check at the gate with the cabin crew. But it might still have to go to the hold. I knew there was a good chance of arriving with a cracked neck or secondary hole in the side. “Did Dad Insure it?” was one of the thoughts flying around my head at this time! I didn’t trust the ‘chief’ on the ground at Ama-O.R.Tambo to handle her with care. My Cort Country Jumbo (otherwise affectionately known as Dolly Parton) might not make it all the way back to the sands of Africa.
Back to the luggage and the monster weight issue. She says I’m 11kg over, so she will charge me for 10. That’s US$19…Per Kilo. Oh unholy-mother-of-ghandi! The stuff in the bag is not even WORTH that much!!!
So off I go to the counter and this is where the ‘poop hits the fan’. Pull out my credit card. “Please enter your pin”. Kak! What was it. 0-*-0-*-*. Negative. Oh dear. Then I remembered I had saved it on my phone. Open that, check under Standard Bank. 9-6-0-9-8. Negative. “You can try one more time, then its blocked” - yes, thank you very much lady, I’m quite well aware of the severity of the situation!!! If I get this wrong, then I’m really in the poo. I can’t take a risk, no combinations are coming to me! I realise the pin is on my Cell C sim card. So in that goes to the phone. “Pease Enter Pin” Ah bloody! Whats the pin for the phone!?!?! 2 months of not using pins and now I cant for the life of me remember them. M-U-R-P-H-Y. Negative. By this time I was desperate, entering any 5 digit combination that had any degree of significance in my life. Fail. Please enter PUK number. Great. Who ever knows their PUK number? Its just an insult to ask for it. The phone is blocked. Remember what I said about being in the poo. Yeah. Im in it.
“Can I please use a phone to phone home, is there a pay phone anywhere?”, “No, sorry”. What!? Nothing in the entire airport?! Fortunately a lady standing next to me also flying to Joburg said I could use hers. I recently read about Abraham entertaining Angels in his tent and thought this might not be Gabriel, but I’ll take her! I phone my dad and apologise under my breath for the monumental phone bill this lady is about to receive. I convey the situation in limited words to my father who embraces the role of bailing out his son. Now the race is on. Its 5:40. I’ve got until 6:20 for him to get on his bike. Drive through traffic, across town, and pay 184$ before they say I can’t fly. My Bags are already through, its just they need confirmation I’ve paid. 6:10 comes and goes. 6:14. By this stage I realise my chances are slim and none and slim is fading fast. I race back to the lady and beg and rationalise that my bags are already through, my dad is good for his word, its been 60 minutes already, so he can’t be far. The lady says maximum 10 more minutes otherwise they got to bring back the bags. I think, if my earthly dad is putting his neck on the line (similarly to that chicken back on the bike trip) then my heavenly Dad can pull some strings, surely! All of a sudden theres that Brrrright orange shirt of dad. “DAD!” Who knew dads alternative fashion choice would save the day. He hops the fence, forget the security guard and race back to the counter. You would think the lady would understand that my plane departs in 25 minutes, I still need to go through security, and time is of the essence. But no. She won’t accept the credit card. The names on the card don’t match the passport! BLOODDY!!!!!! He’s my father for petes sake! Fine, cash! Take it. 184$! “thanks dad, see you later”
I then race to the customs point and get stuck behind 4 germans who make South African Postal Service look efficient. They are taking their sweet time and cant seem to operate the idiot-proof conveyor belt. I jam my guitar and bag through, pick it up and RUN to the counter. Queues. Lovely. I choose the shortest. I’m panicking. Does Stof know that I will make it now? I told him I might miss the flight. Now he might not be there to pick me up! We have to register for uni on Monday else we pay massive fines for late registration. We have to be there. Which means, i HAVE to make this flight. I get to the counter and hand her my passport and believe it or not, the departure card. She is not there! Bloody! My heart drops. I suddenly think of trying to explain to dad how he got there in time to save me and then I misplace the card and can’t leave the country. Drew - you are a Class A, Ocean going, IDIOT! Theres no time to check through my bag or pockets or whatever else I’m carrying. I start spinning a story about how the lady at the check in must have taken it out and I don’t have time to go back. “Please Miss, Please, my plane leaves in 15 minutes”. She’s not happy. This is Vietnam, Communist Vietnam. They love paperwork. Communism thrives on paperwork. But she seems to let it slide. Even these Commy’s are susceptible to old school charm. Hallelujah!
Last hurdle. The security check. I stuff the guitar in and think, theres no chance I’m unpacking my laptop and everything else in this 10kg hand luggage. I throw the bag on and walk through detectors. I look at the screen and my bag is just one huge blob of blue! A security check nightmare. The lady at the screen is alarmed, she wants to have a closer look. Sorry sister, you’re not going to check this one. I grab it and just run without looking back, hoping not to receive the full might of the Vietnamese Liberation Army stopping me with their trusty AK-47’s for thinking I’m a terrorist. I race to the gate and take a seat. Everyone’s stil there. Phew.
Now I realise Stof might not pick me up cause I told him I might not make it. Ah freak! Come on WiFi. Work with me. Give me a connection. If this was SA, I’d need to pay Telkom R500 to let me use 10 minutes of slow internet! Thankfully I get a connection for a second and log onto facebook, I type to him but it wont send! AHHHH. I get onto Twitter and post a message to all 70 people following me for someone, anyone to email chris and tell him im coming. This means he’ll probably receive about 50 emails from complete randoms telling him I’m coming.
I get to the plane, but just before I step in, a lady from the airport says I probably cant take the guitar on. Blow you chick, you don’t know what I’ve just lived through. This guitar is getting on the plane. I walk on, and tell the gentleman that this guitar needs a place to live. Note how I didnt ask. I politely informed him. He couldn’t have been more obliging. Praise the Lord. Now I’m on the plane. Hoping I just make it to Joburg. All this hassle because I forgot one simple PIN combination!!!!
First order of the flight: Gin and Tonic!
Who knew getting out of Nam could be so darn difficult.
In the quest to offer up a lifestyle of worship that is reverent and acceptable to God as commanded in the scriptures, it is of paramount importance that we have an accurate understanding of who it is we are worshipping. If you are invited to a birthday party for a particular friend and you wish to bring a gift to express your feelings of friendship and gratitude to them, it is important that you know what type of person they are and the things they enjoy. It’s no use buying them a book on football when they are interested in music and have no interest in sports. This would not be in line with their personality and who they are. Likewise, in our own lives as we live as constant worshippers it is of utmost importance that we know this God that we worship.
Your theology determines your level of worship. When I say theology, I do not mean an academic theology of scholars, as not all of us can devote our lives to the depth of study that they can. I say theology in reference to our personal understanding of God as revealed to you through the Word, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, in light of the supremacy of Christ. Therefore, I believe a ‘big view of God’ (good theology) leads to awe-filled and reverent worship.
Continuing from this, in our corporate meetings as we seek to be fully satisfied in Christ, thereby giving maximum glory to God and as a consequence edifying the body it is important that we remember who Jesus Christ is, so as to offer worship that is befitting to His character. So often we accept Christ as Lord and saviour, but then restrict Him in our hearts and minds to merely the One who died on the cross, enabling us to be reconciled to God. This is true, Christ is the ultimate and final mediator between us and God but this is not the only role He plays.
I heard a talk by (I think) Jeff Purswell who said that often we suffer from the Blue-Jean Jesus syndrome. This is to say that should Jesus arrive at one of our meetings, we would expect him to casually show up wearing ‘blue-jeans’ and sort of stroll in as any other member of the congregation. Sometimes we let the image of Christ in our hearts and minds fall to this level whereby we seemingly take Christ for granted and move on to other aspects of our faith. We forget that above all, Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. Holy Holy Holy is He! Worthy is He of all praise, glory and honour. He is the victorious Lamb that will conquer Satan, establishing His Kingdom as promised when He walked the earth 2000 years ago.
We need to constantly be reminded that whilst Christ is a personal friend and comforter to all, He is also the King of Heaven! When we refresh our view of Christ as King, our worship and praise of Him is elevated! In addition to this, when we stop and think that He is on our side, that He has chosen us before the foundations of the earth to be co-heirs with Him, we have every reason to celebrate! Is there a greater reason to celebrate in all the world?
Thus lets us seek to be continually reminded by the Holy Spirit of the true magnitude and worth of this Jesus Christ - the lamb that was slain, the King that reigns.
As the disciples saw Christ walk on water and have a revelation of who He truly was, they could but worship! Let the same be true for us as we seek to magnify Jesus in our hearts, communities, churches and cities!
The Route - heading in a clockwise direction we head out of Hanoi, cruise south west and then follow the line all the way round and down to Da Nang.
Not sure if there are roads where we’re going - but thats half the fun!
The countdown has begun. In only 6 days time my father, Steve (The Don) and myself will be collecting our two Belorussian Minsk 125cc Motorbikes in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, and start heading off into the mountains and mist to seek adventure and the bonding experience of a lifetime.
First, some background to the trip.
With each of my two older brothers, when they reached the ages of 16 or so would go on a bonding experience alone with my dad. Simon climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, whilst Kevin climbed to the base camp of Mt. Everest. Due to circumstances I could not go on a trip with my dad when I turned 16/17 and so we postponed our experience till we had the time.
Now that my parents are living in Saigon, Vietnam, we have the perfect opportunity to go on an adventure unlike any other. I have a great love for motorbiking and thus decided I’d prefer a bike trip than climbing a mountain with 15kg on my back. So here we are. 6 Days away from a 16 day trip that is as an unknown quantity as the nature of quantum physics!
The Plan:
We will fly into Hanoi on the 29th of December 2009. We will head straight to the rental shop where we have booked two Belorussian Minsks (That’s the bike, not a mail-order bride!) for US$8 a day - bargain!
That lunch time we will head South West out of Hanoi towards the Laos border. We will then proceed North and head in a clockwise direction through the mountains, rice paddies, jungles, bamboo forests, mist and rain. We will then head south, back past Hanoi and link up onto the old Ho Chi Minh Trail road where we will continue until we reach the old citadel of Hue about half way down the country. From Hue, we will ride the epic Hai Van Pass - an amazing Coastal Mountain pass with breathtaking views. This will take us to our final destination of the coastal town of Da Nang where will hopefully arrive on the 14th of January.
You’re probably wondering how much research and planning we’ve done. Good question. Well, I watched a Top Gear Vietnam Special episode a couple of times. And then we got a map and plotted the route - with an average of 250-300km a day of riding. We’ve never been to these places before, don’t know how long it will take to get there or what roads to take. We will stop when we are tired or it gets dark and press on the next day, in the general direction that we are aiming for. Other than that - its quantum physics = who knows?!
The route will be posted up after this.
The Bike:
If you are going to be doing something memorable like this, you have to do it in style. The Minsk to Vietnam is like Football to Brazil, the Chevy to America and the AK-47 to the Taliban. Its an integral part of the culture.
The Minsk
For some info check this link: http://www.minskclubvietnam.com/index.htm
Here is some light literature from the Minsk Club Vietnam on the bike.
“The two stroke, single cylinder Belorussian Minsk is a 125cc dirt bike capable of getting you anywhere in Vietnam. In its manual it says: These motorcycles are especially suitable for service in the country-side with bad or no roads. It’s got a top speed of around 85 kilometers an hour, its tank’s about 11 liters which will get you around 200 – 250 kilometers”
Here is a classic pic of some Taliban guys on a Minsk. Perhaps the Americans should’ve ridden into Baghdad and Kabul on these? Just a thought really!?
This trip on any other bike would still be great, but with the Minsk it will simply be Epic.
Whilst on the trip we won’t have much contact with the outside world, so the updates will all be put up after we return.
Let the adventure begin and the good times roll.
drew
dec 09
A Life Ravaged by the Gospel, Never to be the Same
This past year of being in Cape Town and plugged into a local church has been one of the best in my life on many fronts. My walk with and understanding of God has been revolutionised, slowly throughout the year and it was only recently that I believe God revealed how He has been working in my life over the course of this year.
God revealed to me how up until this year, my relationship with him was a functional contractual agreement I had made with Him. I had accepted Christ as the Son of God, confessed my sins and need for a saviour and had thus ‘accepted’ the Lord. However, I had since moved on from this basic understanding of a need for a saviour and was now onto pursuing the more glamorous aspects of Christianity. I saw the whole process as ladder that you climb, starting out by believing and ‘receiving’ Christ, and then acquiring some spiritual gifts, firstly tongues and then some others if you are really good. Once you are noticed by your elders/pastors you are then recognised for your greater spirituality and made a deacon. You then continue to function as a deacon, getting more spiritual as you go along, until hopefully you are deemed worthy for eldership. This was the highest accolade to achieve within the local church. Once you became an elder, you were obviously spiritual enough to be operating in gifts such as prophecy, hearing from God, teaching and preaching etc.
This was how I saw the Christian life. It was how I had seen it done in the churches around me and it seemed to make sense. My brothers are two of my greatest role models in so many areas. For years I have looked up to them for their spiritual maturity and wisdom. I had always wanted what they had, but believed that it would all kick in once I reached the age of 20 or so. I would suddenly be downloaded with a bunch of skills, be really spiritual, attend prayer meetings, get recognised and climb my way up the corporate spiritual ladder to greatness.
However, this year, God has done an amazing work in my life. I have been exposed to the truth of the Gospel and its relevance to our entire lives, not just the day we realise we should accept Christ as our saviour. The Gospel is central to everything we do. It is the motivation behind all that we do. Christ and the work on the cross is not just a major event in history that becomes a once off major event in our lives. It is the central pillar from which we are to base our existence and our lives.
It is the first time that I can honestly say that I love Jesus. Before this year, I would secretly cringe when I heard the name ‘Jesus’. The name conjured up a childish, Sunday school image of Christianity, which I thought was beneath me. This I believe is the epitome of blasphemy. My contractual understanding meant that I had moved on from ‘Jesus’ and was now seeking the higher things of ‘God’. However, this year I have been exposed to the truth of the Gospel, the centrality of the cross and supremacy of Jesus. I now know that the reason for living is not to be a good Christian, preach to the nations or operate on a higher level of spirituality. Our sole purpose for living is to worship God and bring glory to his name and that of his Son, Jesus Christ! When this is the ultimate aim and goal for your life, when Jesus is made the main thing, every other ‘desirable’ thing finds its place and serves this greater mission.
I am falling more in love with Jesus and learning to love him more as the weeks go by. I can now for the first time, join Paul in saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”. I want to live for Gods glory. I want his name to be made famous. I love exalting Him above everything in and out of this world. I love declaring the finished work on the cross and the majesty and supremacy of Jesus Christ!
Ironically, I believe some of the greatest acts of blasphemy occur within the greater church. Peter Howard Browne mentioned that blasphemy is not when in the movies someone says, “Oh my God”, but I believe, like myself, when we enter into a contractual agreement with the maker of heaven and earth, agreeing to accept our need for a saviour and then seeking to climb the ladder of prestige and glamour. This is the ultimate ego-trip, because in the eyes of so many it is seen to be honourable! We fool ourselves into thinking we are being ‘good Christians’, yet we have totally forgotten the centrality and supremacy of the Gospel and Jesus Christ. That, I believe is what God meant by taking the Lord’s name in vain!
I realise that this is my testimony! I now have one I can share and proclaim to the glory of God. When previously asked to share my testimony, I would have to go through the years and find experiences I had with God, times I felt like He was speaking to me and share those moments. This was because the work of the cross – whilst I knew to be true – was not true for me. I believed it, but I hadn’t let it become the central feature of my life and thereby transform me. This has now changed. In the boat, once the disciples saw Jesus calm the storm and seas, they realised who He was and all they could do was worship him! A true revelation of who Jesus Christ is can only result in awe and reverent worship!
This is the first installment of what will be a growing and evolving (for the better I hope) personal theology of what Worship is and what it means to be biblical, God-honouring worshipers of Christ. Thoughts welcome. (I apologise for the following script…not sure how to remove it - please scroll down.
Worship is a concept that is prevalent and central throughout the entire Bible. Only a thorough reading and examination of the scriptures will reveal the entirety behind Worship. It is something not restricted to the Old or New Testament and something that does not change with time or culture.
Firstly, I believe that we as people are created for ultimate purpose of giving God maximum glory with our lives and the act of doing this is termed ‘worship’. Thus worship is not restricted to the 30 minutes on a Sunday morning before the preaching, but it is our entire life’s act of giving glory to God.
Ultimately, I believe worship to be, “the human act of giving glory to God in response to a sovereign revelation of himself. This response takes on various forms including submission, homage, praise, exaltation, service and reverence. Under the new covenant, we worship God through Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in response to the saving grace shown towards us.” Worship is made possible by only God, who initiated His revelation towards us, savid us and brought us into relationship with Him. We are to offer acceptable worship, that is honouring and pleasing. In the Old Testament acceptable had a specific element of animal sacrifices for the atonement of sins, whilst under the new covenant; the work of Jesus allows us to offer acceptable worship to the Father.
Throughout the Bible we see evidence of Worship being a direct response to an act or revelation of God. From Genesis to Revelation people offer worship to God in response to his revelation of his presence, his goodness and ultimately his grace through the person and work of Christ and the cross. God reveals himself in many ways including signs, words, prophecies and the fulfilment of promises, to name a few. These are all sovereign acts of God, being independent of man’s deeds, thus we respond to these acts with worship, giving full glory to the triune God.
In Gen. 24:26-27 Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac at the well. When God provides the wife Rebecca the servant bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. This act of submission and homage is in response to the provision of God. It is an act that acknowledges His sovereignty and goodness. In 1 Samuel 1 we see how Hannah worships in response to provision and answering of prayer. This is an act of thanksgiving but also submission, in dedicating Samuel to the Lord. This is all part of giving Glory to God, honouring and exalting His name above all.
In Ex. 4:31 the people were overawed and bowed down together before God. This act of corporate worship was in response to the signs that God had given them through Moses. This was an act of God revealing himself to his people. When the people believed and heard that God had revealed himself to the people of Israel, they responded with worship. In Exodus 12 the people bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD in response to his grace of salvation and redemption during the Passover. In this case it was the blood of an innocent lamb that signified their salvation. This is a direct shadow of the blood of the lamb that was to come and act as the final sacrifice, ensuring the passing over of God’s righteous Judgement and condemnation.
We see that worship was offered in response to the presence of the LORD. In Exodus 34:8 Moses “quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped”. This response is an act of homage and submission to the majesty and holiness of God.
In Judges, Gideon worshiped the Lord in response to the revelation through the dream. As we hear from God, we are to worship Him, giving him glory and praise that He rightly deserves. Similarly, in 2 Chronicles, Jehoshaphat and all of Judah offered worship to the LORD in direct response to his Word. This was coupled with the promise of salvation and deliverance. God revealed himself through his Word and made a promise to his people. The correct and model response was not complacency or arrogance, but humility and submission to the mighty God whose arm is not too short to save.
David and Job are two characters that offer worship to God at times when it is hardest and least intuitive. When David learns of his child’s death in 2 Samuel 12, before he even ate, he went into the Lords house and worshiped his name. By doing this, David showed incredible humility and submission to the will and sovereignty of God. At the same time, David’s worship was a response in a time of grief. Thus we can conclude that worship and the giving of glory to God is not an emotional dependent exercise. We worship because He is worthy of praise, not because we feel like it.
Job on hearing of his family’s death tore his garments and gave glory and honour to God. His response was not one of anger towards God but one of submission and adoration, similar to that of David’s. We likewise are to worship God in our darkest hours, entering his courts, exalting the name of Jesus, acknowledging the ultimate if not comprehendible sovereignty of God and give him the Glory.
In addition to worship being acts of submission, homage and exaltation, we see in the Bible that worship is closely linked to service and that our service is an act of worship. The Levites were the priestly tribe, whose role was to serve in the tabernacle. We however do not serve God out of his need for it (Acts 17:25), instead we serve to bring Him Glory and honour his name. The Greek word latreuin is translated as worship and used in non-biblical literature as ‘to serve’. Exodus reveals how God tells Moses that once he has delivered them, they will serve Him. This is service as a response to the grace and salvation revealed by God, thus not to fulfil a need on God’s behalf but rather be an act of worship to him as a response.
The words used for worship are proskynein – made up of the meanings, towards, kiss. We see that worship is portrayed as a gesture of submission and an act of homage. With worship there is a heart attitude that lies behind the gesture, the hearts disposition of homage and submission towards God our King. Thus worship is a constant, lifelong heart attitude, where our whole lives are acts of worship to God.
Psalm 145 is an awesome passage of David extolling and proclaiming the Greatness of our God. “Great is the LORD and Greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable”.
The Psalmist goes on to speak of the awesome works of God and how they are acts of Glory unto himself: “On the glorious splendour of your majestym and on your wodnerous works I will meditate…(10) All your works shall give thanks to you O LORD and all your saints shall bless you”.
When looking at the ‘wondrous works’ and ‘awesome deeds’ of our Father, we so often look at our lives and see the awesome provision, blessing and goodness that He has shown to us. We have so much to be thankful for in this life and so much to give God praise for - He is truly Great. He provides homes, work, families, churches, continual provision and so much more.
However, when we read this Psalm through the lens of the Cross and the mighty work of Christ, we see that there is a whole new, broader dimension to the greatness of God’s works.
The CROSS is the ULTIMATE expression of the GOODNESS of God.
The CROSS is the most AWESOME of deeds.
The CROSS is the most WONDROUS of works.
It is on this great work that we are to meditate, freshly be inspired by, freshly humbled by and freshly motivated by.
So often we box God’s goodness to the trivial matters of life. Yet the ultimate act of Goodness extends far beyond any provision in this lifetime. I believe it this wondrous act that we are to constantly be meditating on for it truly is the ultimate testimony to the Greatness and Goodness of our most Awesome God.
drew
How does Neoliberalism Legitimise globalism?
Neoliberalism legitimises globalism in that it promotes the complete breakdown of barriers and regulatory controls to the flow of capital, market access and international trade. At the core of neoliberal theory is the doctrine of free trade, liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation. It is these policies that will be individually explored and shown that when pursued and implemented, they will inevitably result in an increasingly globalist and globalised world. Neoliberal theory sees the market as being the best allocator of all resources and that government intervention should be as little as possible. We examine how this results in no only a globalised world but one where the sovereignty of states are eroded away and monolithic system of international relations emerges.
We will understand globalism to mean the institutions and laws that enforce and propagate an increasingly open system of capital flow and accumulation. We see how the core neoliberal fundamental of free trade legitimises globalism in that institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and WTO enforce strict conditions of trade liberalisation and breakdown of trade barriers (Hart-Landsberg). Since the formation of the Bretton Woods institutions in the post Second World War years, the direction of the institutions has drastically changed and adopted a strict neoliberal stance (Stiglitz, 2002: 12). Thus the conditions of the IMF on desperate countries include an open policy towards foreign trade which in turn results in the flooding in of western corporation products, often resulting in detrimental effects to the local producers as was the case in Jamaica in 1977 (Black, 2001).
However we see a degree of hypocrisy by the western nations who push for free trade policies amongst the nations of the global South, yet still maintain strict protectionist policies themselves (Makwana, 2006). The result of these free trade policies and lower trade barriers is the erosion of the sovereignty of the state. The state is persuaded to give up all control over what enters and leaves its country and thus is made an essential puppet to the demands of the Bettons Woods institutions.
As neoliberal policies are followed and enforced, it is inevitable that a more globalised world will emerge as countries are forced drop protectionist policies. This is a result of the neoliberal policy of liberalisation and market access, which stems from the original theory of liberalism that sees trade as being a win-win situation, if not on equal levels. However, as countries are forced to open their markets, they find their markets increasingly dominated by foreign corporations who crush the local infant industries, controlling the market and providing little long-term benefit for the local economy or its people (Makwana, 2006).
Liberalisation also includes the flows of what Stiglitz calls ‘hot money’ (Stiglitz, 2002: 17). Before the seventies, there were strict capital flow controls, however, as the Washington Consensus took root, these are rejected as inhibitive to economic growth and development. However these massive flows of capital cause havoc for the economies involved, causing uncertainty not providing any real sustainable growth in that economy (Stiglitz, 2002: 17-18). This policy of liberalisation is essential to the creation of a globalist world where capital has no restrictions nor limits. Once again we see how the sovereignty of nations are whittled away as they (often unwillingly) subscribe to the Washington Consensus’ policies.
The neoliberal principles of privatisation and deregulation provide the framework for allow a greater global flow of capital to be possible. Privatisation is understood as being the transfer of ownership of production or services from the state or public to private companies and enterprises (Makwana, 2006). Deregulation is the means of removing restrictions and barriers to the activities of the private sector, nationally and internationally (Makwana, 2006). Whilst regulations seek to protect human rights, environmental concerns as well as ensure a handle of control over the national economy, they also are seen as restrictive to profit for corporations (Makwana, 2006). Thus as capital is to flow freely around the world to access markets, there is a definite need for deregulation on behalf of the national states in order to assist this. In addition to deregulation privatisation further legitimises globalism in that it transfers ownership to private entities, which in many case act in a transnational fashion.
Privatisation contributes to the erosion of the states sovereignty by removing the states role in the running of essential services and handing them over to private interests whose sole gain is that of profit and who are accountable to none but the shareholders. In the case of deregulation, sovereignty is seriously impeded to the case that the state becomes a powerless entity in the management of the economy and corporations have free reign to do as they please, regardless of any negative effects they may have.
In conclusion, we have seen how at the core of neoliberalism lie policies of free trade, liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation. It is the very nature of these policies that result in an increasingly globalised world and in particular a world where the flow of capital has no restrictions. However we have seen that with a more globalised world, the one institution that suffers as a result of this is the state and its sovereignty. The Washington Consensus has resulted in free trade policies being dictated upon struggling countries, the deregulation of controls and the privatisation of natural resources and services of these nations. The results are detrimental to these nations, whilst it is the international corporations that benefit, thanks to the neoliberal agenda being pursued by the international community’s institutions.
Bibliography:
Black, Stephenie. 2001. About “Life and Debt” Documentary. [Online] Available: http://www.lifeanddebt.org/about.html. [27/09/09]
Makwana, Rajesh. 2006. “Neoliberalism and Economic Globalization”, [Online] Available: http://www.stwr.org/globalization/neoliberalism-and-economic-globalization.html. [26/09/09]
Stiglitz, Joseph. 2002. Globalisation and its discontents. (Penguin Publishers. Great Britain.) P.4 -18.
This last weekend I had the joy of attending the Rocking the Daisies festival outside Cape Town. With 30 SA bands and 30 DJ’s it promised to be an amazing weekend. And it was. However, to be perfectly honest I came away disappointed with many of the acts. But first I will touch on the highlights of the weekend. On Friday night Goldfish set the stage alight from midnight till 1am. They were truly brilliant. I was exhausted from a full day and little sleep but nonetheless I really enjoyed them. They are extremely talented, blending the quality of classical musical skill (Flute, Sax and Double Bass) with the memorable dance beats they come up with. They are distinctly South African and are something we can be proud of. When they finished off their set with the amazing Soundtracks and Comebacks,the crowd of a few thousand people went mad. We were all caught up in the moment, singing along to one of our nations most memorable tunes - something of a popular National Anthem at the moment, in my opinion. Then on Saturday, I would be blown away beyond my expectations. An uknown surprise for me was the skillful Dan Patlansky. He is our very own Stevie Ray Vaughan, J.J. Cale mix. A 20 something skillful blues guitarist up on stage with a bassist who looked like a 50 year old Harley Davidson biker and a drummer who seemed to have been well matured, Dan ripped up the stage with quality blues. For a blues-lover like myself, he was an awesome find! Then from 7pm the stage was bombarded non-stop with amazing talent. Freshly Ground brought their unique style, skill, attitude and entertaining act to the stage. What an amazing group. No two songs sounded the same, with typical Afro-sounding grooves to a straight 4/4 “I’d Like” that ended with the crowd yelling at the top their lungs, singing in unison and feeling proudly human, proudly South African. After Freshly Ground, the all-time legends of South African Rock music performed a set I will struggle to forget. Just Jinger were simply phenomenal! From the moment Ard Matthews stepped up to the mic, there was an air of maturity, humility and light years of experience. They rocked out all their famous hits that got the crowd, screaming, yelling, singing and crying for more. This band suited the stage perfectly. Big sounds for a big stage. They clearly told the sound man to crank it up loud as they blasted through their set with power and energy. A particular highlight of their set was when they brought out two latin drums (I dont know the official name) and Ard and the drummer took up sticks and walked to the front of the stage and started ripping into the most epic drum solo. To add to this, the bassist climbed onto the drum kit and provided a steady rhythm, interspersed by the most insane drum rolls! These guys are clearly talented, well trained musicians. Not just a bunch of charlies who think they can pump out a few crowd-pleasers. After this most amazing performance, they finished off with “What He means” which was an epic ending to a simply epic set. As people they seemed such legends. Genuine individuals not trying to be bigger than they are, just having a good time and letting the music speak for itself. Amazing. To end off an amazing night, Prime Circle took to the stage. Whilst I was originally sceptical of them they did impress me with a solid performance. At times I thought they tried a bit hard, perhaps rating themselves better than they are, but nonetheless they punished some great songs with enough energy to light up a small town. I really dig the lead singers distinct voice and whilst their music isn’t the most innovative on the block, it certainly was entertaining, and thats what matters. However, despite these great performances, I came away a little disappointed with the rest. From Friday afternoon until Goldfish and pretty much all of saturday except the above mentioned acts, every group left me unimpressed and largely bored. For some reason, South African ‘rock’ music seems to be dominated by bands that are trying far too hard to be the ‘Arctic Monkeys’. If its not ‘indie’, then its ‘ska-reggae’ which, whilst enjoyable for some, just doesn’t do it for me. Desmond and the Tutu’s are one band that comes to mind. Whilst enjoyable in a small club venue with a crowd of a few hundred people dancing their faces off, on a big stage they are simple, boring. Every song has the EXACT SAME drum beat. I know. I stood their for 45 minutes hoping for something different. It didn’t come. If i wasn’t paying attention I would think they were just singing the same song for 40 minutes. It all sounds the same. Unimpressive. Despite this, Des and the Tu’s are a a reasonably good band. There were about 15 bands before them that were just utter rubbish. Boring. Go home. Be innovative. Stop trying to be the Arctic Monkeys. They were good because they were unique. You’re not. Jog on. Freshly Ground and Goldfish are amazing because they are skilled, dynamic, diverse and produce quality music. They are unique and not trying to be an SA version of anyone else. It shows. They put on a quality show whilst the others are simply time wasters. Just Jinger are amazing because they have been playing for as long as I’ve been walking and they know how to write good songs that are not all sounding the same. Even if you aren’t a JJ fan, you will enjoy their show. South African Indie scene - get over yourselves. Be indie, but be original. Come up with your own sound. Desmond and the Tutu’s are probably the best we have in this field, but I struggle to see them on a world stage carrying our flag high. drew
Recently I’ve been challenged to really get a good understanding of the Doctrine of Worship. I’m looking at a few of the following questions to help shape what I want to get out of it all.
What actually IS worship as opposed to the 20 minute slot on Sunday morning.
What does the Bible mean by ‘acceptable’ worship?
WHY do we worship?!??!
What is worshiping in Spirit and in Truth mean?
What does it mean to be Gospel-Centred in our worship - where does Christ fit in and HOW MUCH does Christ fit in to our worship?
What do we get out of and put into our times of worship?
How do we worship - what ways/styles etc?
I’ve only just started but after 2 weeks of diving into the Bible, reading blogs, listening to hours of talks, reading books and thinking what it means to me, I’ve been blown away time after time about this essential and core aspect of our Christian lives.
I will try post my ‘findings and discoveries’ on here every so often. This is my journey of better understanding how to Worship a God that is Worthy of All praise and glory.
drew.
