This Year

I don't believe we should live in the past, we shouldn't continually hanker for those past years or events that left an indelible mark on our psyche. We need to live in the present for the future while acknowledging our debt to the past. The past is important because it is what shapes us; we come out of the past into the now. The past gives us a future that the now can either change or build upon or deny. It causes me some pain to see people a prisoner to their past, trapped in memories, bitterness, or patterns of life that do not belong in the now and cannot not take them into the future.

What this preamble is about is that I want to reflect on my year; but I'm not trapped in the past just acknowledging what has gone before!

2009 started with Bronwyn's parents down here for Christmas and New Year and also her brother and sister-in-law. It was great spending time with them, especially a trip we did down to Geraldine spending one night then going home via Lake Tekapo and Timaru. Part of the enjoyment was the journey itself; seeing the beauty of the countryside, stopping for a picnic by the Raiaka River. It reminds me that sometimes we are in such a rush to get places in life - to turn 21 or 30; to get married; to see our kids become adults; to have a flash house; to earn top salary - that we miss the enjoyment of the getting there, the pleasure of the moment. When you get into your fifties you start to realise that didn't want to get there so fast after all.

My brother got married in Indonesia and brought Eva back to NZ to live in Nelson, it was lovely welcoming her into the family and Kiwi culture.

April was a goodbye to Naomi as she left for Hawaii and the start of her YWAM course. It was difficult saying goodbye as Naomi was our last child at home and she seemed so young to be heading off to other side of the world but at least we thought she would be back in 6 months time! It's now Dec and she is still away, the first Christmas without her. Although we would like her home we also believe that God is doing a work in her life and she is being a blessing to those she meets.

We celebrated two 80th birthdays in May. First my Dad; we gave him a surprise visit in Nelson to help celebrate his 80th. Sarah, Jono and Mark all came up with us. Dad's health has been a bit up and down this last year so it was timely to spend time with him. Then at the end of the month we all flew up to Rotorua and joined in a big party to celebrate Bronwyn's Dads 80th, good to spend time with family and friends. Bronwyn would fly back up later in the year to help with her mothers health which had slipped a little after a couple of small strokes. We see family time as important especially as our parents are at the stage when bad health can change everything very quickly. We want to value their lives while we have them with us.

During the year Bronwyn and I flew to Auckland as part of our Navigator roll; we visited many folks involved with other cultures. It was a wonderful time and an encouragement just talking to these different people with interesting stories, a mosaic of cultures encountering Jesus - Fijian, Tongan, Malaysian, Iranian and Kiwi. We felt privileged to be part of this. One moment that was special for me was meeting the son of a Tongan man who discipled me in Christchurch back in the early to mid 70's. He became the head of the Tongan Navigator work until he retired in Wellington. I have never meet him since that original time. It was wonderful seeing his son, a high school teacher, so involved with people living his faith and sharing the love of Jesus into their lives.

Time was spent walking with a number of people who were struggling in their lives through this year. We didn't resolve anything but we hope our prayers and support helped carry their load. It's been a heartache seeing a number of marriages fall apart without reconciliation. People trapped in depression, unable to function properly, but also others keen to look into the scriptures and welcome God into their messy lives.

Other moments for us; my parents came down to Christchurch to visit, started the "Living Collective" mission meets, some great cycling especially our trip into Lake Sumner, Bronwyn's book club nights, my cafe nights with the men, time with a Bhutanese refugee family and our Indonesian friends.

We rounded out this year with a great party across the road to celebrate two of our neighbours reaching fifty and again, just the other day, at their place to celebrate Christmas. Not in a Christian sense but it was a great night; singing all those great corals and because a number of people there were 'Barbershop' singers, the singing was in tune and harmonised!

All these events have been part of the journey, they make up the year. Each individual item didn't make the year but provided the colour, beauty, pain, paradoxes and complexities that was the year. Many times we would say to ourselves that this person or event is an interruption to our agenda of getting to the end of the year. Then God would remind us of how he viewed people that crossed his path not as interruptions but opportunities to express his love and grace.

To anyone reading out there in the great bloggersphere I would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a new yaer filled with opportunities.

The Reader; a review

I don't usually do film reviews but came across this one through a web sight called "Maxim Institute". I found it extremely profound and challenging, the writers critique on modern society is so close to the mark. I have read the book "The Reader" and would totally concur with the review although, I haven't seen the film and probably wont as I found the book really disturbing and enough of a challenge. I must say that I do enjoy seeing films that don't always try to 'smooth' the story out with a tidy ending and doesn't indulge in the violence or the sex as an end in itself.

I am also really interested in the many paradoxes within the Christian faith, many people of faith feel they need to resolve them instead of letting them remain rough and and messy; acknowledging that God knows more than us!

So I have copied the article as the condensed version and if you like it there is a link at the end to read the complete article.

"Ambushed by the grotesque"
Tom Stoppard once wrote, "All your life you live so close to truth, it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye, and when something nudges it into outline it is like being ambushed by a grotesque."

Our history is conflicted with stories of great achievements sitting beside horror and tragedy. We live after the Jewish holocaust and in the midst of Darfur. Often we are numb to these horrors, unsure what to do when they confront us. One of the major films of the year, The Reader, explores the questions that come from the "grotesque" parts of our history.

The Reader is set in post-World War 2 Germany. It begins when a 15-year-old school student named Michael meets a much older woman, a bus conductor named Hanna. They have a brief affair before Hanna disappears. Michael turns up to her house one day and finds it completely deserted. A few years later, Michael is studying law, and he attends the trials of Nazi war criminals as part of his study. He is shocked to find that Hanna is one of the defendants. Before their affair, she was a guard who chose prisoners to be taken to gas chambers. The court case centres around one incident in which she and other guards watched 300 women die in a burning church. The film then follows the next thirty years or so of Hanna's legacy, as we see the various ways that people try to go on living, despite being irreparably scarred by her.

Overwhelmingly the sense that you get when watching The Reader is one of shock at the world's contradictions. Germany was an astute country with respect for democracy, yet it went insane in the space of ten years. Hanna, a woman who loves beauty, who cries at the sound of a choir singing in a church, was also somehow able to watch 300 people in a church burn to death.

We are often tempted to rush to explanations of these contradictions; to try and contain our understanding of horrific events, in the hope of reaching understanding. One common explanation has been that our unresolved childhood issues and our natural desires shape who we are and dictate how we behave. While there have been valuable lessons that have come along with psychoanalysis, this idea often leaves us puzzled about how much responsibility to ascribe to people. Was Hanna responsible for her choices or was she a victim of her circumstances?

While we struggle with questions like these, and rightly try to understand what leads someone to behave as they do, this cannot lead us to believe that tomorrow is already determined. While some of us have to wrestle with extraordinary difficulties and injustice, it is still our responsibility to face our circumstances and make the best of them that we can, difficult as it may be. The Jewish holocaust and the genocide in Darfur are exercises in dehumanising masses of people. The way we reject them is to hold onto humanity—to heal, to choose well, to tell the truth. This is a summarised version of an article that appears on our website.

Read the full review, "When we are ambushed by the grotesque."

Who is My Neighbour

What does being 'missional' mean: "Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the "go and be" command to a "come and see" appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people.

"Missional is a helpful term used to describe what happens when you and I replace the "come to us" invitations with a "go to them" life. A life where "the way of Jesus" informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower."
---Rick Meigs

Do you sometimes wonder how you can engage with people without Christ. Where should you 'go' to be Christ to those without Him? How far should we be looking when being a 'witness' to the Lord. Perhaps our vision is too short, our horizons too close. Are we prepared to, not just stay within our normal natural 'neighbourhood' to be missional. Who is our neighbour?

In scripture God gave Abraham the great commission right back in Genesis 12:2

"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

Then in Matthew 28 Jesus gives us the great re-commission:

" 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17 When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


This reminds me that the God we worship is God of the world. His commission makes us world people as well. We cannot have mission only in our 'backyard' or only 'overseas'; mission should be both, an integral part of our life as the Body of Christ. Mission is the 'reason for our existence' as a church otherwise we might as well pack our bags and collect our free pass to heaven!


Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to "Love God with all our heart and love our neighbour as our self". The Christian church must be outward looking; love for God doesn't come, by forever listening, reading, talking about the finer points of doctrine. We might appreciate the sovereignty of God, the imminence and transcendence of God and other 'foundational' truths (These truths are important) but that should not become the sum total of our Christian experience.


To love God is doing what he loves and what is so prominent in the Scriptures is Gods concern for the world and the poor marginalised people in the world. God is even bringing the world to our doorsteps but if you want to meet them you still need to get of your 'bum'!

So who is your neighbour; try the following quiz to gauge your position.

Who is Your Neighbour? A Crossing-cultures questioner.

1. In the story Jesus told about the ‘Good Samaritan’, in today’s setting who would you liken the key characters too:
a. The Jewish victim
b. Priest
c. Temple Assistant
d. Samaritan

2. In the above story, Jesus is talking about loving your neighbour. Who would you consider to be your neighbour:
a. House next door
b. People in your Suburb
c. Close friends
d. Closest country
e. Anyone we meet who is in need

3. Where do you work/study?

.......................................................................................................................................

4. At work or study are you aware of other nationalities:
Yes/no

5. In your neighbourhood are you aware of different ethnicity's
Yes/no

6. How many different nationalities are you aware of in your work/study/neighbourhood place:
1 2 3 4 5 6

7. Can you name any of their country's:
UK, Canada, Denmark, Chile, Germany, India, Israel, PNG, Samoa, China, Fiji,
Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Peru, Thailand, Russia, Turkey,
USA, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, France, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya other.........................

8. How many of the above have you ever talked with:
No. ........................... Nationalities...................................................................................................

9. How many people from other countries would you term as your friend:
No. ................ Nationalities ................................................................................................................

10. What are some of the activities you would do with them:
State.......................................................................................................................................................

11. Have you ever talked to someone of a different nationality about your faith?
Yes/no

12. What stops you engaging with someone from another nationality:
Describe.................................................................................................................................................

13. If you were to travel overseas what country/ies would you choose to visit & why:

.................................................................................................................................................................

14. How would you describe the following in relation to yourself:
a. Your ethnicity

b. Your nationality

c. Your culture

15. If you were to travel overseas and wanted to take one thing that best described NZ culture what would that be?
..........................................................................................................................................................................

16. Read the statement below
“Being colour blind is a well-meant attempt to address racism and prevent the wrongs committed in the past from being repeated. But it also denies people who they are and the reality that people with different cultural backgrounds often have very different experiences in life. It also excuses us from really getting to know each other as whole persons when we say, “Race doesn’t really matter; I’m colour blind! I see everyone as the same.” The same as who?”

How would you like NZ to look in 10/20 years time

Multicultural; how would that look............................................................................


Segregated;...................................................................................................................

Monoculture;.................................................................................................................

Bi cultural;.....................................................................................................................

(Send me your answers and I will give you my unbiased score!!)

Conversations

[Colossian 4
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.]

This message came out of our discussions in the ‘Living Collective’ missions elective. The living Collective focus is not a one-time programme, it is not an event driven campaign, but a long term initiative that.

For many believers, evangelism is something they must be deliberate at. They must plan to do it or even schedule it on their calendar. While this is not altogether bad (doing evangelism is never "bad"), it does not represent the ideal. Jesus Christ seemed to travel around the countryside speaking very conversationally about His faith and relationship with His Father. For us, we too should speak of our relationship with Christ very conversationally, as an ongoing witness to His role in and effect on our lives. In this way, we present a living testimony to our ongoing walk with Christ.

Sometimes in the busyness of our daily lives that, for many people, are very project oriented, we can slip into making people evangelism "projects." What does this mean? It translates into having friendships with people for sake of sharing the Gospel with them rather than having a relationship with them just because people are valuable to God and are worthy of relationship. This is a subtle yet common dynamic. We have to be steadfast in valuing people simply because they belong to God. God is responsible for convicting their hearts towards Salvation; we must be their friends first and foremost regardless of their conversion (1 Thes 2:8).

It dawned on me that was not what I was taught as a typical Kiwi Evangelical. We were taught to "Share our faith. Live our life." As such it was very important to be busy witnessing - sharing our faith. Sharing the Four Spiritual Laws, or pointing out sin, or pushing for a commitment were all part of sharing our faith. Good arguments about creation, abortion, the inerrancy of scripture, plus exposing the cults, humanists, atheists, liberals, socialists and communists were also part of sharing our faith. We were schooled in how to make our "testimony" fit our theology of "say the prayer and get your free ride to heaven".

Our life on the other hand, well that is something that is a gift from God to develop and so become successful, make money, accumulate things, influence or power. In other circles about all you could do with your life was to become a pastor or preacher if you really had faith.
Live your faith! Share your life! This is what the world needs. It can't be done in a building where the church meets for worship.
It’s a process of modelling and explaining the Christian message; living in a dynamic relationships. However...
“We live in a society that is dominated by a fear of the “other,” and this fear results in separation and isolation.”

So, I have been thinking about conversations lately, which follows on from 'living our faith; sharing our lives. It's in our conversations that we can naturally engage with people and talk about Jesus.

Perhaps we need to look at the meaning of conversation before we go any further.
Meaning of Conversation. Conversation n. The spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk. BUT I would also hasten to add that for a conversation to have traction there needs to be a lot of listening going on.

So we must remember that it is a 'spoken exchange", not just one way talking, not a speech or sermon! Jesus didn't just speak to people he had conversations.
The New Testament is full of conversations that Jesus had; especially if we read through Matthew’s gospel. Can we gain something by looking at how Jesus engaged in conversations.

1. No Template for Conversation. Jesus didn't use a 'template' for his conversations, they were all different. Jesus had no wooden formula which he followed, but rather was about engaging people in the depths of their being. (Read Matthew 12:38-40)
This shows a very direct approach; because he saw the intent of the heart. We also must be prudent when we meet people and not be gullible with some questions or intentions. Jesus avoided arguing people into accepting his view.

2. Intentionality: Being Amongst People
We notice that Jesus was amongst people; if you don't meet people or if you stay within your own small circle of friends then it's impossible to have any conversation that will engage people without faith. Sure Jesus had many conversations with his 'close circle of friends' the disciples, they are important but if we want people to encounter Jesus then we need to be amongst people. Where do we meet people; at work, in the neighbourhood, at the gym at the local shops.

3. Engagement: Talking with People
Now Jesus could have been amongst people, he could have been in crowds but if he just walked right through them and didn't stop, look at them and talk with them then there still would not be any conversation. Often within our neighbourhood we think because people can see us going to church then that's enough to tell them about Jesus or because we say to our neighbours "We are Christians, so we don't drink or do bad things, can't come to your parties or go to the rugby with you. But hey, Jesus loves you!". This is not conversation.
Sometimes we are so busy doing 'ministry', or other important activities that we just don't have time to stop and talk. Jesus had an agenda (busy) for his day, there were important things he needed to do, as we read in Matt 16. Jesus sets about going to Jerusalem to his death; that's his agenda which is very important. Then in the next chapter he stops to heal someone (Matt 16:21 & Matt 17:14). He had a conversation. Again in Luke 19 as Jesus was on his way he stopped and had a conversation with Zacchaeus. When I go walking I like to engage with people.

4. Relevant: Asking Questions & Listening for Answers
(Matthew 9:27-30a)Jesus was amongst people, Jesus talked to people. Jesus didn't just talk but he listened, he asked questions.
If we just talk to people they will turn off, go to sleep even. At night time when my wife and I go to bed we sometimes pray before we go to sleep. Usually my wife says to me "you pray", however if I talk for too long then I know for certain that she will be asleep! Our conversations need to be received by the other party and a response given. I think we as Christians have been guilty in our interacting with those without faith to talking to them but not engaging them in conversation. We often end up telling people how bad they are and what we don't do. The world however needs conversation; it wants to ask questions and craves stories about life. Not rules quoted from a book but answers to their questions, a listening ear and they want to be included in the stories that connect with their struggles and joys.

“To the extent that the church learns to listen and helps us to consistently improve as listeners, that’s the extent to which the church will continue to not only be relevant but it will become a place that we can’t live without.”– if only we could listen like Jesus… if only.” “the church’s ability to listen will determine it’s relevancy”

People have a low opinion of the church! Consider the bumper sticker “Dear God, please save me from your followers!” We are obliged to identify the underlying accusation and offer a response. We need to hear their questions and often these three questions are at the core. 1. Why should I trust you? 2. Isn’t that just YOUR reality? 3. What good is Christianity?

The truth is, the death of civility in Western public life has made it harder and harder for people to have an actual conversation, which is people listening to each other. Too often, I think, we don’t feel that the other person has anything worth hearing. When we fail to see those who passionately hold differing political, cultural, or religious opinions as well-meaning human beings like ourselves, when instead we reduce them to cardboard caricatures, fools, traitors, or heathen, how can we possibly hope the divide between us might be bridged? If you call my views on medicine socialist or I call your religious views shallow legalism, why should either of us pause to listen—or to imagine the views of our counterparts might bear any wisdom?

5. Authenticity: Empathetic & Not Superficial. He showed empathy with people; Our conversations will mean nothing unless they are real!
(John 11:32 – 36) When we engage with people we need to enter their world, to rejoice with them, mourn with them. Jesus did and it was honest emotion. If we stand apart from those we meet our conversation will be just on the surface and they will be reluctant to open up and share their true self.

Jesus went beyond the superficial;
He wanted to see lives changed, people healed, set free from sin and oppression. He wasn't satisfied with a "how are you" then continue on your way. He wanted to really know how the person was.

When we are in conversation with people we need to be listening carefully to what people are really saying and we need to sensitively engage with their real needs as they reveal them to us.

A Conversation
John 4: 1-45 records a wonderful conversation that Jesus had with a Samaritan woman; a story that most people will know already. It so wonderfully illustrates the kind of conversation that results in a person knowing they have had an encounter with 'The Messiah', it changed her life and those from her town.

Jesus was probably tired (the disciples went off to get food), he could have logically argued against talking to her as she was 'outside' his cultural norms (A Samaritan, a woman, a loose woman). Jesus engaged her in a conversation that avoided 'red herrings', that stayed with the important issues and heard the need of her heart.

Jesus stopped, talked, empathized, he didn't judge but spent time with her; our conversations will demand time and may take us into the messy places of life. But then that is what love is all about especially unconditional love.

1 Thessalonians 2:8
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
“As we go through these doors into a new week, let us be the love of God amongst those we meet and speak words of love into our conversations...”

Our Daughter of Faith

About March last year our youngest daughter Naomi left home...after months of praying and discussions she decided that God was leading her to join YWAM in Hawaii on their 'PhotogenX' course. A total of 6 months; now its Dec and she is still not home.

Naomi has a passion to see people come to meet Jesus and she has a passion to see those marginalised within societies set free both from their lifestyles or environment and their spiritual bondage.

What is this course; read the following:

PhotogenX Around the World is for you if you like to travel, if you have a desire to learn about photography and the Bible and if you want to learn how to combat injustice around the world. Through this course you will learning photography and have opportunity to shoot around the world in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. The place will be as diverse as Hawaii, the Amazon, Sahara and the Himalayans. You will get to study the Bible on the back of a camel or on a boat through the Middle East and Turkey. You will study world culture not out of books but in the nations themselves. You will use your camera to combat injustice and oppression.

So our Naomi set off to Hawaii and started this course. She bedded down with a bunch of young people from different nationalities and they became a team; learning the finer points of photography and what trusting God really means.

Naomi: "so I've registered and everything. I've been sweet all day really calm. but its almost overwhelming just with the Americans-they're lovely but I feel like an alien! I don't know though.”

She was learning a lot about herself and God:

"I'm so tired today we had a really good night of testimonies last night. God just really showed me how much i judge ppl and really broke that from me. was good. also i felt him implant some of the love he has for ppl into me and he's revealing more of how he loves me too. so all in all it was a good night."
"things are going awesome here i will update my blog......its cool how God can be so intense, subtle, crazy and beautiful all at once."

Then she went on field assignment to Panama stayed there about three months.

"I'm actually really excited about what we are going to do, Monday we are going to stay a night with a tribe. or a village?....we also are going to get involved with the sex trafficking here in panama and also with the orphanage....its so sad to hear whats going on ...so much molestation of the children and people not caring at all what happens with them ....its SO sad so..it will be awesome to see what we can do to bring change."

"List of surprises in Panama:

bats

scorpions

larger than life cockroach

larger than face hairy gross spider

killer bee's

earthquake

storms

..."Jesus never talked to a prostitute because he didn't see a prostitute. He just saw a child of God he was madly in love with"

When I read this it hit me straight in the heart. Revelation. THIS is how God looks at his sons and daughters, this is how I need to...how WE NEED to see our brothers and sisters and to love them."

She found the time in Panama very intense and challenging for her; relating with the team, the sadness in the lives of the local people and constant heat.

But she made it through and they then flew onto South Africa. By this time Naomi had wrestled with the option of continuing on the course and doing the extended 18 month 'Track" course. Now at this stage we were hopping that she would come on home and especially be here for Christmas. She had basically run out of money; wasn't God telling her to call it a day! Well Naomi didn't see it so black and white. She waited and waited, struggling to know God's will in this situation...just the other day a person in Japan held a concert and raised $4000 which the team gave to Naomi so she could continue on the 'Track".

South Africa held new challenges for Naomi.

"I miss you guys a lot...been a bit emotional lately but apart from that i love south africa. its really weird though sometimes I'm perplexed by how this wealth and art and beauty can co-exist with this crippling poverty. but its always been this way. ill ask God how what why."

"Its been such an interesting time of stretching my faith and really trying to decipher what he has been teaching me. I just think i confused it but yea...I'm sick right now ha ha just with a blocked nose but getting better so DON'T WORRY"

"We have started up a prayer meeting for Capricorn the community of people that are living in really bad conditions of poverty they are only a 15min walk away."

"i had my second time at the high school(as i mentioned in my newsletter) it was so fun and i feel like that's maybe somewhere where God wants me to be. we are only there for a month but i really feel like this is a good opportunity to equip and bring awareness to the need in these teenagers own country and show them that they themselves can do something. and they are all so awesome."

"What I have come to realize is that these people don’t need our 'service', us helping them, they need us to serve them. To be their servants. Not to come as the rich to the poor, or to cure them of all there diseases, they need us to come on the level of humanity, a common ground."

Naomi has befriended a young High School girl in the local school where they have been helping. This girl has been a refugee and endured many hardships as she tried to reach a country of saftey, eventually making it to South Africa. Hopefully Naomi can make a difference to this girl by being her friend.

We are so proud of what Naomi has become, how God has worked on her 'inside' and opened her up to what he sees in the hurting places of this world. She will make a difference because God will use her to express his love to those she meets.

Please pray for Naomi and the team as they have Christmas away from family and friends and move onto other countries. Pray for their relationships as a team; their financial needs (they still need finances to keep going next year); their witness for Christ, might they be authentic in the way they live their faith and share their lives with those marginalised people. Might they bring glory to God in what they do.

Ethics of leaking

I have been musing over an issue that has troubled me for a while now; the ethics of 'leaked documents'. Almost every day we read in our papers or see on TV items about people leaking information. Most recent is the documents leaked in Christchurch from the 'Arts Centre' about the conservatorium of music ("Suspicion hangs over Christchurch Arts Centre senior management and trust board members after confidential financial documents were leaked to opponents of the proposed music conservatorium.") and internationally there are leaked reports about UK involvement in Iraq.

We have learnt about many scandals that we wouldn't have, if someone hadn't leaked the infomation; we also have dishonesty uncovered, criminal acts committed, unfaithfulness exposed.

But is it ethical, is it Christian, is it theft; in short is it wrong? The following I found on the web about this very topic and it would represent the position of many people.

[We publish confidential information almost every day on TechCrunch. This is stuff that is also “stolen,” usually leaked by an employee or someone else close to the company, and the company is very much opposed to its publication. In the past we’ve received comments that this is unethical. And it certainly was unethical, or at least illegal or tortious, for the person who gave us the information and violated confidentiality and/or nondisclosure agreements. But on our end, it’s simply news.
If you disagree with that, ok. But then you also have to disagree with the entire history of the news industry. “News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising,” is something Lord Northcliffe, a newspaper magnate, supposedly said. I agree wholeheartedly.
That doesn’t mean we are entitled to do anything we like in order to get to that information. But if it lands in our inbox, we consider it fair game. And if we have reason to believe it will be widely published regardless of what we do, the decision isn’t a hard one. We throw out the information that is sensitive or could hurt an individual, and publish what we think is newsworthy.http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/15/our-reaction-to-your-reactions-on-the-twitter-confidential-documents-post/ ]

Then here is a reaction from a company that had their information 'stolen' and then published:

[We are in touch with our legal counsel about what this theft means for Twitter, the hacker, and anyone who accepts and subsequently shares or publishes these stolen documents. We're not sure yet exactly what the implications are for folks who choose to get involved at this point but when we learn more and are able to share more, we will.]

No doubt about where they stand; it's theft, illegal and open to legal proceedings. This is the crunch of the argument; is this theft or is 'leaking' some how different. Does the news worthiness outweigh the means in obtaining it! Does the 'public interest' make it okay!

Here's another person commenting on the net who is for 'leaking':

[I get so furious with the slimeball tactics of these corporate fascist weasels who think they own the world. The only reason this nonsense is kept secret is because it is so patently wrong, abusive and controlling. The more light that can be shed on this and similar tactics of using business negotiations to override democratic rules the more likely we are of being able to shut down and shut up these relentless power hunger dicks.]

Then this person suggest otherwise:

[Some will argue all is fair, love and war and that Twitter should have better security policies, however, what they also have to remember is that brands, like Tech Crunch, have a duty to be the best they can be through ethical reporting, fairness and solid foundational values.
Ethical reporting, fairness and solid foundational values builds trust with people. Any dent to this trust is hard to get back. Moreover, a loss of respect is difficult to regain.]

And this:

[My perspective is simply that it is theft of company information to take confidential information, which is considered intellectual property/work product and distribute it externally. As with any Govt employee that leaks classified information to the press - they may thing it's the right thing to do, but they are still breaking the law.]

Whether you should 'leak' info or not is not just a black and white issue. You could be helping the law to catch someone doing wrong and sometimes we have a 'right' to know what is going on 'behind closed doors', in the name of democracy. Are you saving a life by 'leaking' ?

Notice that I haven't said that it is not "black & white" whether this is "right or wrong". Let's look at what the Bible says about stealing, gossip,

"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." (Eph 4:28)

"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' " (Luke 18:20)

"You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15)

This to me says that stealing is wrong; stealing is when you take that which is not your own. If you belong to a committee that has discussed an issue and you disagree with something they have done, then you should stand up and voice your opposition in the committee or to the news media but once you step over the boundary and take documents that belong to the committee or company then you are stealing. Stealing is wrong.

"A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret." (Proverbs 11:13)

"They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips," (Romans 1:29)

To gossip is wrong; so this speaks about a lot of our news media. The information they often collect is based on hearsay and not fact.

So I would suggest that 'leaking' information is stealing if the information doesn't belong to you. Now should you publish material that is given to you? That can cause a dilemma...because it might save a life!

Coffee At God's Place

Just picked up a copy of a magazine published locally called "Avenues" it is a local Christchurch city magazine, last month we advertised our business in that edition. However what caught my eye in this December edition was the article, "Coffee At God's Place" on page 21. This article follows on nicely from what I have been blogging about and explores the 'church' as a third place.

The following is their intro..."These days God is more likely to feed you a latte and bagel than loaves and fishes. So how do cafes fit within churches and do you need to be faithful to get your fix?' and the following quote from Spreydon Baptist pastor Graham Early "We're not here trying to convert; we're just here trying to be genuine. We're not just called to capture people; we're called to be with people."

Have a read here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/avenues/3099880/Coffee-at-Gods-place
or go to your 3rd place cafe and borrow a copy.

Praise God for a Living Hope

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

What (therefore...) has been said in the previous verses is awesome and lays the foundation for this part of the letter. God is magnificent, gracious, forgiving and loving.

Three things we must do because of what God has done for us.
1. “prepare your minds for action” – our minds matter, when we become believers we don’t say goodbye to thinking, to reason, to intellect. We have minds that can discuss, debate, argue and learn new things. Because God has fashioned our minds they can be redeemed, changed and used for the glory of God. The mind is crucial to how we live; action is preceded by thinking, if we think about something long enough we will be more likely to follow our thoughts with actions. Therefore “... the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man" (Matt. 15:18-20).
Our minds are not just vessels for thinking but for action. Philosophy is interesting and helps us develop ideas but if it doesn’t transform into actions then it becomes idol daydreaming. Just as our minds can lead us into wrong actions so they can lead us onto ‘good’ actions. Things that benefit our neighbour, honour God and build us up in our faith.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

2. “be self-controlled” – this is a phrase that society seems to have an aversion too. The teaching of our age is to “be happy”; to do what you want as long as it doesn’t hurt someone! The sports person who erupts into anger or violence on the field is considered justified or is applauded. Our young people are regularly loosing control on the streets with ‘binge drinking’.

We believe that happiness is the ultimate aim in life. So if over eating makes me feel happy then why should I stop. Sleeping with many different partners satisfies my sexual desires, then why not. Spending money on luxury items is okay because I have lots of money and it makes me feel good. No self-control is linked to individualism, if all we concentrate on is ourselves then the need to satisfy our desires, cravings or wants become a high priority in our lives.

What is the danger of no self-control?
1. We become lazy; “ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.” (1 Thess 5:6). We can fail to see the dangers our over indulgence is creating for us. We can neglect to look after our physical and spiritual health allowing compromise to creep in. Laziness leads to inactivity which leads to a blindness to the needs of others.
2. We become self-centred; when you have no or little self-control we can end up seeing everything as revolving around us. We can become like those who ‘crossed over to the other side’ in the ‘Good Samaritan’ story. The world stops at our front door, the needs of others pale when compared to ours. If something or one doesn’t satisfy our wants or desires then we dispose of them, change them for something better.
3. We take the now instead of the better; we are satisfied with the ‘plate of porridge’ over our ‘birth-right’ (Genesis 27:35-37). Sexual satisfaction over marital fidelity. The sweet taste over good health. Anger over love. Take a look at the following:
(http://nudges.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/do-you-have-more-self-control-now-than-when-you-were-young/)

3. “set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”(Rom 5)
This is because our future hope is based on something that has already happened in the past, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord!
Commentator William Barclay wrote, “The Christian hope is the hope which has seen everything and endured everything, and has still not despaired, because it believes in God. The Christian hope is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human endurance, in human achievement; the Christian hope is hope in the power of God.” That is what living a life of hope is!

It is also about being focused; focused on Jesus, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2.)
Thornton Wilder once wrote, "Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous; it is nothing if it is not ridiculous." As believers, our hope, which rests in the Lord Jesus Christ, should be courageous and ridiculous. “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?”(1 Thess. 2:19).

Basically these verses are telling us that we need to respond to what God has done for us. Our lifestyle should be changed starting with our minds, and affected by the Hope within us. My hope in God is to see those I know become followers of Jesus.

Unconditional Love and Relational Faith

Came across this post the other day and I think it follows on nicely with the 3rd place and Radical Hospitality posts:

The Call to Radical Hospitality

"Despite my utopian tone, none of these Third Places really serve as God's ideal for a focal point of human community. The Village Square is too passive. The Market is too hectic and money-driven. The Pub is too alcoholic. The Coffeehouse is too expensive. The Church is too culturally exclusive. The Mall is too frenzied, too homogenized and too big. And the Internet is two-dimensional... too flat and too digital to give us real social fulfillment.

Except for the relatively passive spaces of the Village Square and Internet, every one of these examples is fraught with agenda. Get his money! Get his attention! Get her phone number! (Nightclubs... Third Place or Third Base?) Isn't God calling us to something better? Maybe he wants his children to be creators of Third Places that honor him, that welcome everyone, that shun hidden agendas and just love people like Jesus. The institutional church may have yet to serve as a real God-intended Third Place, but who better than a community of Christ-followers to make it happen?

Even with God's help, we have no utopian aspirations short of heaven. But we know we can do better than this. Isn't it tragically obvious how much our society suffers from a lack of community and public life? Third Places have been the scene of revolution in the past... why not create a space to start a new revolution of unconditional love and relational faith? "

Recently had a meeting where we talked about 'where our third place was?' and the idea was made that for some their place will be dictated by their soci-economic positioning. The suburb that our church buildings are located in is mainly lower socio-economic, they don't have have a suitable 3rd place, cafes are expensive and are often more geared to middleclass and upper people. So the church complex could become the ideal place for these people to meet. I would caution that we need to careful it doesn't end up being a place where church members socialise together, only. The attractiveness of the church as third place will depend on the amount of trust it has within the community, the connection it has with people from the commuinty, the ease of access and the environment it portrays. There should be no hidden agendas, with the venue enabling relationships not evangelism.

Other questions arise as to how it is run: should we charge for the coffee? What hours do we open? How professional do we become? Is this a beginning of 'radical hospitality', how would we relate or engage a glue sniffer who comes in for a coffee?

Hospitable love

"Imagine a world where we as Christians actually "live our faith" as a first priority. The natural result is to "share our lives" with the hurting, hopeful, proud, strong, weak. rich, poor, the oppressed, the oppressor, the foreigner, the worker, the boss, everyone. Would it not transform lives (ours and others) and possibly our culture and society as we participated with Christ in the salvation of the world by living our faith? True, it might also raise the ire of this world's powerful, wise, religious, wealthy, beautiful people. But, that is what it did when Jesus lived it too!"

What is it that makes us different; what are our distinctive's? Well although finding those 3rd places, engaging with people where they are will make a difference, they are not enough on their own. We need to live the love of Jesus in our community. Our witness to Jesus must be more than words, although words are important too.

I think it has to cost us something! To be honest we tend to avoid costly love, thinking that it really belongs to the 'professionals' of Christian service. If we take the scriptures as our blueprint of life then we see example upon example of love costing.

What kind of people are we among our communities? Do they see us as people who experience the power of God through the Holy Spirit? Do they see us living among them for their benefit? Are they witnessing our hard-working biblical faith and our sacrificial biblical love? Faith characterized by work, in unison with sacrificial labours of love, results in a Christ-centred hope of victory (see 1 Thess). "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

Radical Hospitality... "Hospitable love cares enough to create space in one's own life in order to welcome another in." I wonder if we have lost sight of true hospitality, of welcoming stranger or even friends into our homes! Are we practicing an exclusive religion, keeping people out marking our boundaries, defining too clearly who we are and not. "The Pharisees were more exclusionary - and thus, less welcoming - than God. They erected boundary markers that kept people out, rather than let people in."

If we want to engage people we need to be with them. If we make the door too small we are excluding people and loose our legitimacy of entering into their lives and talking about Jesus. The problem with many Christians is they have bought into modern culture that promoted the self ahead of community, independence instead of interdependence. The backyard decking and high fence against the front porch and no fences. The mentality of being mobile using the car to do the simplest task; so we travel to the mall to do shopping instead of walking to the corner or local shops. This takes away an opportunity of meeting local people and offering hospitality. What sort of greeting do we give to those around us?

"Our greeting is to be different. Jesus calls us to greet others with warm welcome. Our greeting is deeply influenced by the grace we have experienced in Christ. Instead of erecting boundaries to keep people out, we are to remove obstacles to people's participation in God's kingdom community. Instead of boundaries, we focus on the center. All are welcome, for there is "neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free, but all are one in Christ" (Galatians 3:28)."

Normal Hospitality
Normal hospitality usually involves us inviting someone home for a meal or at least a cuppa. Often this is limited to those who are our friends and if we don't get invited back at some stage, well they are often taken off our list, only see them at Church meetings. I should say that normal hospitality is good, it does help us get to know our friends better and is a valued way of creating community within the life of the church. Normal hospitality provides opportunity to be with others in a social setting; it could be a 'pot-luck' meal. It is usually a very safe activity. It is not radical.

Radical Hospitality, is different. It is well described by St Benedictine and it is not about sipping tea and making bland talk with people who live next door or work with you. "It does not refer to hotels or cruise ships. It is not connected to entertaining friends and family in the warmth of candlelight with gleaming silver and ivory lace. Nor did it begin with Howard Johnson's and Good Housekeeping."

"Hospitality, as it has been practised from ancient days, protected people from the dangers of travelling alone. In St. Benedict's day there were no safe and cheap shelters for travellers. Along the way people could be brutalized, robbed, wounded, or lost. In those days monasteries saved lives when they opened their doors to strangers." And when the monks of ancient days opened up their monastery and made room for someone who was not one of them, they, too, took a risk."

From a radical hospitalty point of view, it honors the other without trying to make them over into something else, something more like you and me. Radical hospitality opens up the possibility of exploring new ways of being within the context of authenticity. That is to say, within the context of one’s community, ethnicity, history, family, etc. I think that is a huge step beyond merely doing good for someone less fortunate. It’s also a huge step beyond our usual sort of hospitality that opens our doors to others if they want to come into our space to become as one of us. In my case that means to become a New Zealander rooted in northern European ways nurtured by various Pagan mythologies encased in the Protestant tradition of the Christian faith as expressed by the Baptist Church.

The Bible and Hospitality
We can turn to the Bible and find examples of God's attitude towards Hospitality. As one expression of loving God with all our heart and soul, the scriptures exhort ancient Israel to "love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:19). Israel knew what it was like to be strangers in a foreign land - both in their slavery in Egypt and their experience in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Because they serve a God "who is not partial" and "loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing" (Deuteronomy 10:17-18), they must likewise show hospitality to strangers. In Leviticus 19:33-34, they are exhorted, "When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." "Just as God protected the people of Israel when they were refugees, so God insists on proper care for other aliens now, judging harshly those who treat them ill."[4]

The example of Jesus reveals that this radical hospitality extends to all people - including sinners. Jesus was condemned by the religious establishment because he "welcomed sinners and ate with them" (Luke 15:2). Contrary to popular understanding, "loving, welcoming, and eating with wicked people doesn't make you like the sinners--it makes you like our loving, merciful God."[5]We seek to practice radical hospitality because we follow the Lord who applauded that fact that when we welcome strangers we are, in reality, welcoming Jesus: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Whatever you do for the least of these, you've done unto me" (Matthew 25:35).

After a lengthy detailed treatment on the gospel of Christ in his Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul encourages the church "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2). One expression of this countercultural love is "extending hospitality to strangers" (Romans 12:13). "The Greek word for 'hospitality' used here is philoxenia, which contains within it the words for 'love' (philia) and 'stranger' (xenos)."[6]

We welcome all - those who are weak and strong in faith - because God has warmly welcomed us in Christ: "Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God" (Romans 15:7). God graces us with the gift of one another. We must make room for this gift in all its various forms. "The church is the place where, in the fellowship of Jesus Christ, we learn to love those whom we have not chosen but who are presented to us as a gift: our parents, our friends, the stranger, even our enemies." href="http://www.theocentric.com/ecclesiology/community/radical_hospitality.html">http://www.theocentric.com/ecclesiology/community/radical_hospitality.html

So this hospitality offers strangers and friends an openess without strings attached to enter into our world without having to become the same as us. it is sharing the welcome that Christ gave us to those we meet. It involves a risk and a cost but if we want to show the world that we have something worth sharing then we need to be living an incarnational life, engaging, being present and living our faith; sharing our life.

This is going beyound the 3rd place and living our faith in our 1st and 2nd place as well!

The Unlocking of the Doors...

The Church as a 3rd place? I came across this comment the other day:

"The question we need to ask ourselves is: How can we introduce the church, not the coffeehouse, as a third place where community and connection take place. Why isn’t the church serving as a third place for many of our neighbours today? Why aren’t we creating a community marked by the qualities lifted up by Paul in his letter to the Colossians?(www.homileticsonline.com/nonsubscriber/btl_display.asp?)"

To introduce the Church into this discussion of community opens up a huge topic, one that I don't want to enter into at the moment. However I will post some of my thoughts as related to third places.

The Church is a rather difficult form to describe; is it a building, a people, an institution, a movement, a religious gathering place or a place of refuge for the masses? From a biblical standpoint the church is a people, set apart from, bride of Christ, community of believers. A living testimony to Christ; a visual example of what heaven is like. The church, this body of believers is set into the world but not conformed to the patterns of the world. It is an open community to all that know Jesus and offers the inclusive love of God to all who come to its doors.

But we know the Church, as we see it in our communities, has not always lived up to this image; it has become very exclusive, set apart and judgemental. People come on a Sunday and meet other members, say 'hello' then 'worship' God and go home. They might meet again during the week for home group, but not much community apart from that.

"Have you ever felt Christianity to be reserved for pastors, priests, and professional Christians? Jesus spent His earthly life teaching, healing, and visiting every day people. Sermons and parables were not reserved for the Sabbath. His lessons were from real life.

Fishermen, carpenters, tax collectors and beggars followed Jesus seven days a week, from town to town searching for answers. Jesus said: "I am come that they might have life"(John 10:10) and we know life isn't lived only on Sunday. Christianity is meant to bring joy to life on mundane Monday's at work, fellowship at Friday's ball game and excitement to Sunday's worship. It is meant to help us live simply and provide answers in the midst of crisis.

Real Christianity provides solutions to stressful situations and builds relationships. "

So can the church become your 3rd place? Can it become the 3rd place of choice for the wider community? There are a number of ways we can face this challenge. We could try and create a 3rd place physically within the walls of the Church, as many Churches are doing; start a cafe! I liked this piece I found a while back:

imagine

• the unlocking of the doors
• the re-emergence of the churches interiors as a public space in our cities
• if the 'worship' installations could stay up all the time
• your local church building as an open-door hangout
• sofas, visuals, newspapers, food, drink, books
• a church with good coffee
• plenty of places to plug in your laptop and free Wifi
• opening hours from 10 am to midnight
• spiritual resources and personal space available at all times
• a place to work, rest and play

your living room only bigger. Your life only bigger

Does the creation of "Church" cafes really become a place for the community or a nice social spot for members of the Church. Some Churches start a wholly separate cafe in a certain part of town. In Christchurch a local Baptist Church have opened a cafe in another suburb called 'Coffee Coop', they have created a very nice cafe but why? How does this place introduce the 3rd place goers to God? I can imagine the scenario: once you have your coffee a person will slide into the chair next to you and flop on the table 'The Four Spiritual Laws'! I'm sure that doesn't happen, but they would need to be careful about any 'hidden' agendas.

People are more hungry for an inviting third place than ever before. In his book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg writes that, due in part to the suburbanization of modern cities, “we do not have that third realm of satisfaction and social cohesion beyond the portals of home and work that for others is an essential element of the good life.” Our neighbours crave a place of satisfaction and social cohesion — it’s something they need at the very deepest levels of their hearts and souls.

I have no problem churches trying to make their gatherings more attractive, relevant, inclusive and appealing. I for one enjoy a real coffe at our Sunday meetings but I wonder if we are going down the wrong pathway by trying to create a 3rd place for the wider community. Why reinvent the wheel. There are many very good cafes already operating that are peoples 3rd places. What the church needs to do is not create 3rd places but go to 3rd places; take Christ with you into these places and engage with people, take your neighbours there. Be Christ in their 3rd places. go into the 'market places'.

"Paul encourages us to teach and to sing, and those are two things that the marketplace is anxious for us to do. In a world of moral confusion, our neighbors are looking for conversation and guidance about difficult and thorny issues, everything from raising teenagers to responding to terrorism, so the time is right for the church to think creatively about addressing these concerns.

Finally, care about community. Don’t simply care about church attendance figures and the maintenance of this institution. Care about community, and about the filling of needs that people may not even be aware they have. This is what Howard Schultz did, when he opened the first Starbucks to fill an emptiness that people couldn't even articulate. He gave them a third place before they even knew they needed a third place".

The "church" is not a neutral place or an attractive place for many people in the wider community.

Now all this leads us onto another topic related but a little different which I will start later.

Where is Your Third Place

I would like to continue with the thoughts on being with people for the sake of the kingdom.

We have been looking at how we can 'live our faith; share our lives' amongst those we naturally interact with at home, work or play. That people today need places where they can have community and engage with others outside the home or work environment. This place is sometimes referred to our '3rd place'.

I would now like to think about where our 3rd place is. Now I can imagine that if you come from a church culture you will automatically think that the 'Church' is the default 3rd place for everyone! And if the traditional format is not working then we try to create a third place. It can work but if we are trying to engage the non-believer then why not go to where they meet.

Lets look at some possible 3rd places and how they could work.

1. The Town square: this could be looked at as the original 3rd place. Our forbears found this to be an ideal place to meet their neighbours from across the city. This space has diminished in our modern cities, although the rising popularity of the 'Farmers Market' could be an alternative new 'Town Square' 3rd place. It could be seen to be compromised by the commercial activity but it certainly is a possibility.

2. Neighborhood: Many years ago we would stand at the front fence and chat with those passing by, the front veranda was a design feature that promoted communal dialogue. Our modern day rear, private decking speaks volume about our lack of community. However we could make each others homes a 3rd place. Popping in for a cuppa, street BBQs, sharing tools and other combined activities would help develop our neighbourhoods back into places where we relax and engage each other.

3. The church: We have already touched on the church and I will come back to it again later. Certainly in the past it could be said to be a 3rd place.

4. The Pub: The pub did hold a place of sorts as a third place and still does provide some still. But it's major draw-back is the longer you stay the less control you will have on what you say; that is the effects of the alcohol make it a poor 3rd place. However this following quote does show that for some the pub is still a good place:

meet : chat : chill
“The bar at the ‘Smokehouse’ is a place where working class men and women congregate daily to seek sanctuary from the world of work and, with their words, forge an alternative space. Those who work behind the bar at the ‘Smokehouse’ are in the business of producing leisure: those who play here spend time and money they can afford to consume it but for producers and consumers, the real currency that drive the social economy of the ‘Smokehouse’ is talk.”
(A Place to Stand: politics and persuasion in a working-class bar. Julian Lindquist)

5. Café: This is the modern day 3rd place for many people. It started in the cafe's of Europe traveled to the Coffee Houses of the US via Starbucks and has settled comfortably in NZ. What is nice to see is that the dominance of the Global brand of Starbucks has not happened here. In my own city we have success stories in places such as: 'Coffee Culture', Underground, C1, Cafe Metro, The Coffee Smiths, Bean Scene, The Cup etc.

The cafe offers people young and old, all economic levels and political persuasions a place to eat and drink without pressure to consume or move on. Sure Cafe's are a business and will only survive when people buy their products. But the 'third place' is not focused on the act of eating and drinking in the fashion of traditional cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs. The food or drink one consumes is the entry fee, not the point. The 'third place' is a living room, but not in someones house; a workplace, but not in someones office.

So we see business people come for an informal meeting, friends wanting a neutral place to chat, mothers for time out, bikers having a breather and many others. The cafe can be a place to be with people but it can also be a place where you are amongst people but not with them:
· Cafe's are a place for people to come to, a place to not be alone, a place to be with other people, and a place where, without having to do anything people become a part of a community of sorts. During my observations and interviews, I noticed many of these same activities, including customers reading the newspaper, working on their laptops, conducting job interviews or small business meetings, etc. However, in this public space, most people appear to be isolated from one another, each closed off in their own private space. The focus of my research is on this self-created private space within a public place. I have identified three emerging patterns: the creation of the public environment, the self-creation of the private space within, and the elements of trust. The order of today’s activities is so demanding and fast paced. People are isolated in the workplace as well as in their homes. Coming to a cafe to work or study offers the prospect of being part of a community without really engaging – an invaluable opportunity given our extremely limited discretionary time.

6. The Mall: Many young people use the Mall as their 3rd place, a point of contact, a place to be seen, a place to chat or chat up. But is it really our 3rd place? Can commerce and community be compatible? I think there will be a limitation on how far the Mall can fill this social gap; it is not a place where you can really linger, feel relaxed and really be present with the other person.

7. Internet: As much as one would like to deny that the Internet can be a place to meet and have real communication with people, the reality is that for a rapidly growing part of society this is where they meet. The problem I have is are you ever really present when using the Internet as a 3rd place, do you really interact with a person or is it just a sharing of your thoughts?

I hope that the Internet is not the final answer to our 3rd place, but perhaps it is a part of the 'post-modern' way to socialise.

Or…