Empty space

237/ 366 Graves and Mountains, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

One of the themes I see in my photos is 'emptiness.' Living in a suburb gives me time to ponder and space to do so as well. But city living crashes all around and the signage and the noise and the busy-ness continue to take away time to ponder. So the easy thing to say is that it's never empty space or empty time in the city. That's not true, but it's easy to say.

What is clear is that people tend to try to fill up what is lacking. There is an apparent need in humanity to fill space. Consider government access that the local councils or state have set aside for future roads or public parks. As I look at newer suburbs, the roads grab more and more area, the parks less and less.

In Seoul the river Han is the only real green space that I generally see. The crowded nature of city living and the multi-level office/ residence towers abound with advertising and people and noise all day and night. Empty space is a treasure and a longing.

Maybe that's why I like this shot. I took it in Kurrajong, up the side of the Blue Mountains outside Sydney. The cemetery gives natural emptiness in so many ways. The back of the block is empty. The view of the valley/ city of Sydney puts all the busy-ness of city living in perspective. The mad rushing appears like a calm sea from above.

When we take time apart, we don't come apart. Our lives are calmed. Our God can speak to us.

Have a nice day.

Blog collections

This week I attended the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival and thought about the next book I need to write. I write regularly, of course, on the Blog, and in emails, and in Flickr, and articles for many sources. But writing a book, that's another story. I wrote my own testimony of faith into the booklet "Who ever heard of a Jewish missionary?" It was published in 1999 and I sell heaps of them annually.

Compiling a book from former writings seems easy, but also sounds disjointed and thus quickly uncomfortable for the reader. So, I'm pondering how to compile blog collections into an easy format. Perhaps if someone looked back through the years of blogging here, they would find a few themes which I regularly re-visit.  Then those would become chapters in this collection. But that sounds like a lot of work for someone.

I'm ever able to be inspired to put thoughts to paper. But what would a reader read, and keep reading, and what would make the reader ask for more?

Then I ponder the Bible, a series of apparently disjoint random thoughts from 40 authors into 66 books which makes the Bible a book of books. OK, maybe the 66 are really chapters. Maybe they each carry a steady theme and thought. Maybe each of the authors from Moses to Amos to King David to Paul and John have one major thought as they write their ideas. What would their blogs have looked like back in the day?

I'll ponder that one, and maybe that will be part of the intro to the book, "Lessons from the Rearview Mirror." Coming to a book shop near you...give me time.

Austen Tayshus and me

Austen Tayshus and me, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

[At Sydney Jewish Writers Festival] Another comedian and I shared a moment yesterday. During his comedy act, Austen (probably not his real name), noticed my name tag, called me out and told me, "Mendelssohn converted." I was sure he meant Felix, the classical Romantic musician and composer. Still, what did Austen know?

The conversation from the stage continued, "Bob? What kind of Jewish name is Bob?" Of course, I didn't comment that Austen was not very Jewish, nor were half the Jewish names Jewish at the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival at which we were in Kensington.

Still, I was fascinated by his conversion comment to me. It was a bit incorrect, as neither Felix nor I ever left our Jewish roots. But both did and do believe in Jesus. We'll have to work on AT.

His Catholic friend Steve took the photo on my camera. Neither AT nor I are photoshopped in, but it looks like we both were.

Choose one or the other

Wesley Mission, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

I'm writing at 7 in the morning on a Sunday in Sydney. It's sunny outside and the winter weather has been mild to say the least in the last 3 days. I'm going to play tennis with my daughter when she arises, and then will be off to church as is my custom, the last 3+ decades. What will you do? What will most Sydneysiders do this morning?

This thought comes from this photo taken last Monday in Perth, out west. I had preached 6 times in the 48 hours from Friday night. Not at the Wesley (pictured), but my hotel was just next door to the Wesley. I passed it often in the weekend. I liked both the building and the starkness of it. What I mean by the building's starkness is that it was free-standing. Nothing blocked the site. Back when it was built, I imagined that it stood that much more alone, but the city developers have allowed it to be quite visible. Good for them, eh?

Historically in Europe and probably when Australia was young, the church in the village or the hamlet or the town was to be the tallest structure. At times this was an imposition of culture. At other times it was an expression by the town of its comprehensive wish. Either way, no tower, no house, no landmark could be taller than the church.

This is obviously not so, in Australia, as the photo depicts. No trick photography here, that's the St George Bank tower overwhelming the little church. As I shot the photo I thought of the words of Y'shua, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"

(recorded by St Matthew in his biography of Y'shua (Jesus) commonly titled The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 20-25)

Are these words still true?
What will you be doing this morning?

Emptiness

Emptiness, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

I was going to take a photo of a glass which was half full. But this lone tree seemed that much more stark, much leaner, much more empty.

In fact, no one would possibly confuse this with a half-full type of tree. This is an empty tree. Not even a possum nest or the beginnings of any (other) life form is visible. It's an empty tree.

On this golf course, Joondalup Golf Club and Resort, outside Perth, Western Australia, where so many beautiful bushes and flowers and trees abound, you have to wonder why the course designers and the course managers don't remove such an eye-sore.

But perhaps they don't consider this tree an eye-sore. Even as many people evaluate the 'not-yet' nature of so many others as yet undeveloped folks. I'm glad someone looked at me, in the beginning of my faith journey and didn't say, 'cut it down. It's no good." People saw good and goodness in me, and decided to be patient. They saw the work of God going on in me, and knew God was bigger than all my shenanigans.

Maybe that's going on in the course in Perth as well. Maybe they know that this winter will be over soon, and that they will see green buds and green leaves growing in abundance here. I'd like that. I'll keep you posted!

Reality bites

Master of Camden Lakeside, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

My friend, Ian Baker, played one of those rounds of golf about which we all dream and then with one blast of the alarm clock find that we have been dreaming. But last week at Camden Lakeside in Sydney's southwest, he had a spotless round of 18 holes ending with 50 stableford points. Usually a very good round would be a total of 36 points. But that day, he bettered par by more than 14 points, qualifying him for this award plaque that our Captain Rod Bailie made for him. Well done, mate!

Then he was presented with the award and some serious cheering at the Monash Golf Club where we played yesterday. 145 other guys played yesterday also, and many were there when Ian received his well-deserved praises.

One of the axioms by which I live on the links is "Golf has a way of reminding you who you are not." To be fair, this was an axiom I invented but which is duly informed by one of those Bible quotes, "Pride comes before a fall."

I'm not saying Ian was proud. I'm not saying Ian is a proud man, or that hubris identifies him, in fact, the exact opposite is true. He seems a lovely and humble guy. But the axiom holds true.

So today I read the scores for yesterday.

B - 47 BAKER, Ian HC: 18 Total Points:19

That means he finished 47th in the B grade competition, and only had 19 points. Sorry to all those non-golfers. Let me explain. He didn't do very well yesterday. And my axiom holds its salt.

Now I'm not picking on Ian. He had one of those golden rounds. And I hope he has another one sooner than later.

The title of this blog is "Reality bites" because even when we are on top of our game, or doing well, or feeling the best, there will come some situation or problem or person who will remind us that we are just ordinary folks. And that we are all about the same as each other.

This fact might make you uncomfortable, but really it's meant to be a relief.

Paul the Jewish rabbi-turned-apostle wrote the following: "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Messiah Y'shua (Jesus), who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1.26-31, Jeremiah 9.24)

We all are in the same boat.
We all are normal folks.
The one about whom to boast is Y'shua.

I wish this for Ian and for you and for all who read this blog.

Is this necessary?

222/366 Was there a doubt?, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

You've heard the phrase, "Stating the obvious" and this should be the poster for it. This shot, taken in Subiaco on Sunday startled me. Its simplicity was one thing, but it's waste was quite another. I wondered what the 'author' was thinking when he stenciled the letters onto the top layer of bricks. Maybe you have an idea?

But stating the obvious is something I hear often in radio and television interviews. Often it's the result of bad questions tossed up by the interviewers. They ask the pop star, "Are you proud of your latest recording?" What's the singer to say? They state the obvious, and someone thinks that's good television.

Or the opposition in a political debate is asked, "Do you believe that the government idea for (fill in the blank) is good for the country?" This is asked AFTER the opposition has made it clear that the exact opposite is true and useful and helpful to the people. What is the politician to say? They state the obvious.

I work as a missionary in Australia and have lived here for 14 years. Last year I became a citizen. Even so, people ask me, "Do you like it here?" What do they expect me to reply? "No, I can't stand the climate." or "The people are shocking." I must like it at least a little or I wouldn't be settling for now in this fair country.

As a missionary, then let me state the obvious.

Y'shua ( Jesus ) is the Jewish Messiah, slain by violent sinners under a Roman occupation in the First Century, and God raised Him from the dead on the First Day of the week to fulfill prophecy and to grant all who believe in Him to have eternal life.

That's obvious to all who already believe.
That's an obvious statement for those who don't believe but anticipated the words.
That's NOT obvious to those who are new to this concept or who have misheard it in the past.

I suppose that's why I say it again and again.
That's why I still hand out leaflets and share what I believe on websites and blogs like this one.

May you hear these words of eternity and embrace them.

May you then state what becomes obvious to you, to those who need to hear it in your sphere of influence.

Let us exalt His name together forever.