Where Life and Faith Meet
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4Ü #304

When things aren't what they seem

29 November 2007

WASSUP - Happy silly season!

These are the words that greet me as I go to our local mall.

Why do we subject ourselves to this?

I protest!

I'm feeling like a protestant

This is not a silly season (unless we're the idiots)!

Andrew

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INSIGHT OUT - When things aren't what they seem

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8 & 9

Stop trying to second guess God. Things aren't always as they seem. Maybe there is a part of the picture that you are missing (as the heavens are higher than the earth). Maybe your last good idea has just been trumped by God. Maybe the prayer that you are praying is about to be turned sideways and around.

God give us rain when we expect sun
Give us music when we expect trouble
Give us tears when we expect breakfast
Give us a stray dog when we expect congratulations
God play with us, turn us sideways and around

Leunig

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OUTSIGHT IN - Hikikomori

Here's one to watch for.

In Japan the word Hikikomori means "shut in" and refers to a growing problem with youth and elderly who live their lives as "shut in's", or more accurately "shut out's", as they shut the world out. It describes people who have not gone outside their home for the past six months.

According to an article in the New York Times (Jan 15th 2006), one psychiatrist believes that there are one million people who are hikikomori living in Japan, other estimates place the number much lower. Often, hikikomori become "trapped by the inertia to leave their houses." They simply become accustomed to life inside.

While Hikikomori is a very serious condition it has a subtle form that I believe is impacting many people's lives. While technically not "shut in" many people find life just too difficult to face so they "tune out". It starts with the kind of day that you wish you could crawl into a cave and tell the world to go away. It's safe and the big bad wolf can't get you there. When eventually you decide to come out of the cave you create a mobile cave - detachment where you tune out from life and its issues.

A couple of days in the cave is okay but if you find that you'd rather be there more days than not, just maybe it's time you had a chat to someone. Let someone into your world! Ask for help.

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SEE YA SUNDAY - Hospitality - the cure to loneliness

It's the time of the year when we all try to squeeze just that bit more out of ourselves in the rush to what we call Christmas. This year I've started a campaign called Saving Christmas; not that I think that I can save Christmas but that Christmas could possibly save me.

Will you join me? Over the next weeks do something counter culture, step out of the rat race and become a voice of one. Allow Christmas to save you!

Hospitality - the cure for loneliness, this week at 8.30am and 10.30am

Just when you thought that there was no room left in you life for anyone more, that's the moment you need to open the door.

CANVAS this week with Matt Chapman and the crew at 6.30pm in the foyer.

Can't wait ... see ya Sunday

Thanks for this time to chat.

Andrew
St Columba
Where Life and Faith Meet
andrew.norton@stcolumba.org.nz

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It's free but don't steal

If this is of help to others, you are welcome to forward it. This e-mail letter is 97% original - 3% cut and paste & 100% fat free. 4U is copyright to Andrew Norton. That means you can't cut and paste it and call it your own (that's stealing). I'm happy for it to be used but please refer to the author.

If for any reason you have "fallen off" the 4U mail list it could be that your ISP has cut me out. If so, have a look in your spam (I hate to be there) and then re subscribe.

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LAST WORD - Thusness

I think the most wonderful things in life are beyond reason, that is why I think 'why' is often such an irrelevant question, it is very limited. The real things of life have nothing to do with 'why', they are just 'so', they are just 'thus'. Life is a 'thus' and until you realize this 'thusness' of life you are stuck.

Laurens van der Post


© 2008, St Columba Presbyterian Church, Auckland