just one thing – a call to get off our couches, for me to get off my couch…

I wonder how many horror stories we have to hear before we move? How many tales of abuse and murder and dead children will it take? How many power plays between leaders and warzones we'll watch live on our screens?... and I’m not even talking about Gaza, although I am. Maybe you’re watching the thousands...

embodied

Dear church, So.. I broke my pelvis a few months ago. For various reasons (most of which aren’t super important for the sake of this ramble…) I still wasn’t able to walk properly after almost 3 months later, but I hadn’t really realised. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I’d just gotten it into my...

the path of love

dear church, I have gotten a little saturated in the last few months with other people's ideas, visions, opinions and complaints.. mostly those passing through my screen, but I guess not exclusively. Maybe that's why I've not said much here. Hasn't it all been said? It's hard to remember sometimes, what we really think, what...

parenting, or something

“It hurt my feelings when you told me to go away.” Oof. Dear church, That was my 6 year old, about 15 minutes after I’d told him, as he reminded me, to go away. I had been sweeping his room, trying to bring some semblance of order to their chaos, and he was in the...

emotional health

dear church, I have spent the week teaching on emotional health to a room of your students: half from South Africa, half from Europe. Unknown stories of pain, trauma and suffering...untapped glorious potential, youthful passion and a desire to learn. I have found myself feeling the full mix of ‘I know what I’m talking about,...

deconstruction

dear church, I see you over there falling apart, desperately trying to stick yourself together with plasters and bandages. The deconstruction and the religion. I think the thing that's making me sad about the need for so many to deconstruct their faith so radically at the moment, is not that people are deconstructing, but that...

a make-over and a manifesto, kinda

dear church, I've been writing for a while about things that feel important to me, but recently I've felt a stirring deep in my spirit to write a wee bit more bravely, or directly, at least. And while anyone can read what they like, this is really written for the beloved community of people who...

11+ years in manenberg – I am learning

I found this in the depths of my ramblings and never shared or maybe I did, but not here. A year a bit later, it rang true today. 10 years ago today I landed into Manenberg with the hopes of making home here. Looking back over journals and blog posts I'm a little embarrassed at...

on joy and 2020

I thought I had some words brewing in me as I reflected back on this year and tried to look forward. But as I look back and read some of my old words, journals and the like, I see a theme emerging and it seems perhaps that while I grow and stretch and age and...

Burdens

There is a well of words and emotions within me. There always is, but this week there is, particularly. I’m not even sure how to access them or what they are: the constant seesaw of righteous anger to bitterness and resentment, the tension of joy and suffering, the discomfort of now and not yet. Can’t...