Ever Vigilant

The story of the rise of the Third Reich... "Lest we forget"

Four years ago I visited a very informative display in Berlin. It was a new installation and showed the rise of the Third Reich in Germany prior to and during World War II. It has been set up specifically to help people to know and remember so that the same sort of thing would not be repeated. As I travelled through the timeline of the rise of the Third Reich and the terrible things that happened, I noticed that it all began with small limitations and changes to the freedoms of the German people. The Unions were impacted and workers' rights slowly taken away - bit by bit. Teachers and academics were little bit by little bit told what they could and could not teach. Media were controlled, again in increments. There was a gradual increase in name calling, until certain people like Jews, gay people, and people with mental health difficulties were ostracized. All this was done in little increments until the tragedy of war and the atrocities that were committed just happened without too much resistance from the bulk of the German people.  It is a reminder to be ever vigilant about our democracy, our freedoms and who we allow to have power in our communities.
The Nicky Hagar revelations and subsequent questions about GCSB (Government Communications Security Bureau) have raised the intensity of my concern about the Key National Government. I am not a fan of Kim Dotcom. (I was angry when it was revealed he was allowed residency, just because he was rich. At the time I was busy trying to get residency for a lovely responsible and contributing young mother.) But some of the issues raised by recent revelations add to my already growing concern about Mr Key and his colleagues. There have been slow but sure limitations on the rights of workers. The creative thinking teachers seem to be clashing with the education policies of the Government, and are called names. Social work agencies who raise questions are sometimes also subjected to being labelled with their credibility questioned and ridiculed.   In response to questions and differences there have been regular bouts of name calling, which seems to be increasing. Somebody as rational and as balanced as Russel Norman is saying National seem to have control of the Media. I know a man who was a successful property developer and well known financial whiz kid who has changed sides completely and is sure of nasty financial scheming within Government circles. Then I came across the story of a another property developer, who was an ardent National supporter who has now changed his mind, because of an event which happened to him last election time. He is Russell Malcolm and this is the shortest version of his story.  If this is in any way true, it is scary indeed.  Even in his strong denial of mass surveillance, Mr Key is not giving straight answers and the evidence he gives is a red herring and does not relate to the program being talked about.  The GCSB bill that was pushed through parliament with undue haste gives considerable and potentially unchecked power to that body. (Russel Norman has a better solution making a distinction between internet protection and surveillance. ) 

All I am saying is I have growing concerns about John Key's hunger for power, about his style and the methods he uses. There is a increasing list of evidence suggesting questionable activity. We must be ever vigilant or history can be repeated. 

Lets get political II

Dirty Politics is an issue.
Nicky Hagar wrote the book "Dirty Politics" in which he exposed some of the nasty wheeling and dealing that has gone on in the political scene. I have read the two chapters of the book which you can find on line, and followed the various debates about the goings on related to the National Party. There is, to my mind, some pretty shady dealing. Now I am sure other parties may have imbibed in similar antics. Recently the call has been that in this election, "Let's talk about the issues, and not this sideshow!" Politicians have said it. The media (which I trust less and less) have inferred it, asking politicians if all this Nicky Hagar stuff has prevented them from talking about "the issues". Let me say, this is an issue. The book has exposed some dirty politics! The book shows the political system using underhand methods for manipulating the press, the public and the parties. There are lies, half truths and dirty scheming slants put on things. THE ISSUE is that I do not think the leaders of a country should be doing those sorts of things or condone, use or be implicated in those sorts of methods to retain power! They are unprincipled. They are deceitful and it is an issue if our political leaders are that way inclined. We need to vote in people with integrity, honesty and with principles! We need to express our disgust, our distress and our opposition to such wheeling and dealing. It is an issue! It smells of a deep rottenness in the halls of power of our country, and somehow it ought to be cleaned out!
Who to vote for????
I am still debating with myself about who to vote for. I know who I will not be voting for. I will not be voting for the National party. I see our prime minister and his colleagues as an evil destructive force in our country.  He is a very cunning operator who does his best to pass on any conflict to his underlings and is always there for the good photo opportunities. He plays the media very well, but I do not trust him. These Nicky Hagar revelations do not surprise me and I am sure they are the tip of the iceberg of the sort of wheeling and dealing that goes on. I see John Key (and his government) as a party supported in power by lobby groups and rich capitalist people who want to have "the system" operating to their advantage. Under his leadership little bit by little bit, workers' rights have been eroded to the advantage of profiteering employers. There is much more casual work now which gives the employer an advantage, with no security and poorer conditions for the employee.  The rich are in a favoured position tax wise. The tax rate for high income earners is one of the lowest in the OECD nations. The OECD average is 42% - in NZ it is 33%. There is no capital gains tax, no tax on capital transactions, no tax on deceased estates and no tax on gifts. We are almost alone in OECD countries with this situation. All these things favour the high income earners, while GST (Good and Services Tax) proportionately hits low income earners harder. Another example of disparity is the comparison between "tax evasion" and "Benefit fraud".  Tax evasion costs the country many times more dollars than benefit fraud. It is quite rampant. The noises from government would have you think otherwise. You are much more likely to be prosecuted for benefit fraud than for tax evasion. You are much more likely to have your debt to society forgiven if you are involved in tax evasion. Somehow that's "OK" but benefit fraud is seen as criminal. This favours the rich. This government is making cuts in the health and education areas and the people on the bottom are suffering the consequence. Funding for emergency departments, mental health and other areas of health mean that people in our communities suffer. For example Police, Psych services and mental health teams unload people into the night shelter who really should not be there.  - we have a frequent user of the Night Shelter who soils and/or wets the bed and refuses to shower. Shouldn't he be in care? There are not the services available to him so he is left on the streets. Mr Key brandishes positive figures around, but ironically many of those are the result of rebuilding after the tragic earthquake in Christchurch. The National Party pays lip service to environmental issues. While it makes nice noises, in economic development areas, it's regard for the environment seems lacking and short sighted.  I do not like Mr Key's arrogance. If teachers disagree with his changes, he and his ministers discount their opinion and wipe them off as being "political" without tackling the genuine issues they may have. I do not like some of his colleagues, they are abrasive, disrespectful and arrogant. I have seen Judith Collins, Gerry Brownlee and Bill English be completely down putting, nasty and disrespectful in interactions about those who may disagree. I just think their style is divisive, unhelpful and is a way of avoiding rational discussion of the issues. I do not think Mr Key can be trusted. How many times has he conveniently "forgotten" some incident. "Can't recall" are typical words you use when you know you are lying through your teeth! I am so suspicious of the man that I hate seeing his face on billboards and can understand the anger of some people wanting to deface them. (I dislike political billboards anyway, they are a blot on the landscape!)  I see Mr Key as a greedy man being supported by people motivated by greed.  At best they may still be adherents of the "Trickle down" theory i.e. "If the rich get richer the poor's circumstances will eventually improve." Since Old Testament times this has been shown to be false. There needs to be structures within society to allow for fairer distribution of resources.   Such structures have been increasingly discarded within our New Zealand community. We are becoming much more of a dog eat dog society. 
Who will I vote for then? I am unsure of Mr David Cunliffe, leader of the opposition. I actually respected the man he replaced, David Shearer who I saw as a man of intellect, compassion and discernment. I know and like some Labour politicians - David Clark and Phil Twyford seem to have people's welfare at the heart of their motivation for their involvement. But I also have enormous respect for the Green Party leaders, Russel Norman and Metiria Turei. I admire Russel Norman's intellect, rational approach and his compassion for people and the environment. He deserves greater exposure.  
The Issues..
For me the important issues are...

1. The increasing gap between the rich and the poor. The increased gap causes all sorts of bad side effects for our society.
2. Unemployment - the lack of jobs. I think there needs to be more thought given to adding value to our exports. For example, we export tons of logs and woodchips overseas. Why cant we explore making paper, milling the timber or somehow working with it to add value, so that we create jobs. Our industries seem to be getting fewer and fewer.
3. Giving dignity and hope - I think with technology and economic forces, we have a society where it is highly unlikely that a sizable proportion of people will ever get a job. There is no place for them in the scheme of things. Thought needs to be given into how we can make them feel more a useful part of the community. How do we include them and give them a meaningful part to play in our society? We pay dearly for them hanging around the streets, in terms of crime, health and general community cohesion.  
4. The impact of burning fossil fuels, and of other activities on global warming and the destruction of our environment cannot be denied. (98% of scientists agree that humankind's impact on global warming is enormous) We need a party in power who will have the insight and courage to take these long term issues seriously.
5. Fairer access to health and education resources. More and more we see resources in these areas, available to the rich but not so easily accessed by the poor. If we are to interrupt the poverty cycle we need to make it easier for people to take steps toward a better lifestyle.
6. Affordable housing. Home ownership is becoming much more difficult for people in NZ. I still believe that for health, happiness and a sense of security home ownership is much better than renting. Surveys by Habitat for Humanity showed much improved situations for families moving into home ownership. I know "middle NZ" couples struggling to get into home ownership. Whatever can be done to assist people to take this step would be beneficial for the whole community. 

If you are a New Zealander - good luck with your voting. 

P.S. A man who has been a minister, academic, author and deep thinker just shared this on facebook.... It expresses my gut feelings...

"I've been around too long. I knew in my gut Nixon was lying. I understood that Muldoon was manipulating NZ for his own purposes in 1981. I watched Bush and then Obama use 9/11 to wage terror on the world. And I know John Key is donkey deep in corruption. I think I need more meds, so that I could just not care any more, like the rest of my country's people."

Let's get political.

A fuzzy photo of my wife catching up with our Waiheke Island grandchildren. What kind of NZ will we leave them?

Jesus - political disturber.

I have been reading scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan about Jesus and his passions. I realise more than I have ever before that Jesus was a political person. He had a vision of the Kingdom Of God – NOT “heaven” but life in the here and now which expresses God’s justice, compassion and a “fair sharing of resources” for everyone.  Looking back on my ministries, I think that while I sought to emphasis the need for servant hood and compassion, I did not emphasise enough the political activism of Jesus (or the Old Testament prophets). His parables, his actions and his teachings all bristled with political agitation against the domination system of his day – the Romans and the Jewish elite collaborators.  They, the top ten percent, had a system that ripped off the peasant class of people.  Jesus was crucified because his teachings and actions criticised the status quo, disturbed their system and questioned the way they used their religion to prop it all up.  While he advocated non-violent resistance, he none-the-less was a political agitator and was killed as a political agitator. With an election looming I am becoming more agitated myself. As well as regretting the fact that I have not been as politically active as I ought to have been, I am convinced the present government and politicians in all parties need to hear some of the “Kingdom” values and could do with a good shake up.  The lack of integrity is astounding.  Long term thinking about directions, consequences and values is non-existent.

“Left” and “Right” options…

We voters are faced with choosing between the various parties. In NZ we have Mixed Member Proportional representation, which means that while we have two main “left and right” parties, there are other more minor parties who get a proportion of seats in parliament according to their “Party Vote”.  What do we mean by “left” and “right”?  I pass on the way Marcus Borg described the two alternatives and their basic ideology in his most recent book “Convictions”.  

Political Ideology of Individualism – “ the belief that how our lives turn out is largely the result of our efforts as individuals. Individualism emphasises what used to be called ‘the self-made man.’  If our lives turned out well, it is because we have worked hard and deserve to keep what we have made. It favours ‘the gifted’ – whether gifted by a genetic inheritance of good health and intelligence, family values that emphasise education and hard work, the economic class into which we are born, inherited wealth, and so forth.  It has a cruel corollary: if our lives have not turned out well, it is largely our own fault because we failed to make use of our opportunities.”  - (The “Right wing” political stance.)

The common Good – “The alternative – or necessary complement – to the ideology of individualism is a politics that takes seriously ‘the common good.’

It is grounded in a number of realisations. None of us is self-made, however disciplined and responsible we may have been. We benefited from what previous generations did for ‘the common good,’ including universal education, civil rights, gender equality, government-created infrastructure, and so forth. Moreover, the common good should concern all of us, not only for moral but also for pragmatic self-interest reasons. Countries that take seriously the well-being of all are safer and healthier: they experience less crime and mental illness, lower infant mortality, longer life expectancy, less desperation, and so forth.” –(“Left wing” stance)

Of course this is not a dispassionate description. There are people on the right who believe passionately that their view is for the “Common good.”  Traditionally in NZ the National Party would be the “right” and the Labour party on the “left”. I would have to say that the current Labour party tends to be more to the centre with the “Greens” expressing more left wing principles. The parties these days do not seem to be so clearly defined.  Both the left and right do the pragmatic things to retain power and in attempting to attain power, and are not so clearly “ideology” directed. They will do whatever they think will be popular.

Where do I stand?

My father came from a family of railway workers, was a tradesman and in his own understanding of the Christian values, was left wing and an ardent Labour supporter.  In conversation he would outline his reasons and stance in a very rational way. He had experienced the Depression and its hardships and was proud of New Zealand’s “cradle to the grave” Social Security system, the free education we had then and the health care we used to have. It was all part of a great egalitarian vision.  I loved him and still appreciate the values he lived by.  As a teenager when I went working with him, I often looked through his lunchtime reading books that he stashed in his van glove box.  They were often books related to political movements, philosophies and identities.  He told me once that he would have loved to have studied at university, but during the depression his family needed another wage earner, even if it was just a plumbing apprentice’s wages.  As a boy growing up, I used to spend a lot of holiday time on a farm with my Uncle George and Aunty Bessie, and loved the farm life.  At lunchtimes they tuned into the National Radio Program news and news comment. We children had to sit quietly while they did so.  To my horror it became evident that they were ardent National Party supporters, as many farmers are.  Aunty Bessie could be quite caustic in her retorts about Labour politicians, and Uncle George would grumble about Labour’s politics.  This was disturbing for me, because, to my parents, these politicians were heroes. How could two couples who were friends, (while we called them Uncle and Aunty they were not related but close friends of my parents) have such different political leanings?  I grew up to be a Labour Party voter, and have always voted for the local Labour candidate, though lately I shared my “Party vote” with the Greens as they have become a much more credible force for good.  I must admit that sometimes I sympathise with right wing theory. I have often thought that some of the poor I have dealt with, could do with a good kick up the backside and made to suffer the consequences of stupid life choices. Life is not as black and white as political theorists seem to assume. But overall I realise we are in the journey of life together and must express that connection in our economic and civil systems.  Individualism is a false understanding of the human predicament.

Recently we have had exposed the sort of “dirty politics” politicians have been involved in to retain power. I suspect the things exposed are just the tip of the iceberg and also that no party is particularly clean.  It is a sad bad picture of the quality of our leadership. Today I read in the paper of one of our rich men owning a leisure yacht worth $80 million dollars. Added to that there are the ongoing running costs, which he must finance.  As chairman of the Night Shelter Trust in Dunedin, we are trying to raise $650,000 to purchase buildings and we are always chasing desperately for funding to run the shelter. Rich people have often challenged me saying, “It is a lot of money to ask for?”  It is chicken feed for the wealthy at the top! The owner of the yacht would hardly notice it is missing.  If I was in government I would feel it necessary to provide the buildings for local night shelters, though let local community groups run them.  Recently a homeless man, once employed as a miner in Australia, now unemployed back in New Zealand, in anger and frustration shot three employees of the local benefit office, killing two of them.  There is no justification for what he has done. It is very sad, but it is a measure of the frustration and anger many at the bottom of the heap in New Zealand feel.  The shot workers may have paid dearly for the beneficiary bashing pronouncements, legislation and attitudes within our present government!  On a bus ride to Hadrian’s Wall the bus driver talked with pride about Scotland.  “Our people can go to the Doctor for free. We think the health of families is important. We do not want anyone to not be able to access needed health care.  - Our children know that whatever the economic circumstance of their parents, they can get a university education for free. We think it is important for the future of our nation.”  I envied him. We used to be able to be proud of New Zealand systems, but this is no longer true. I encounter an underbelly of poverty and of families,  - many with motivation, education and skills - struggling to get ahead. Let’s get political; let’s take the state of our politics seriously.  Anyway, this is just the start of my political “thinking out loud”.

A new experience of being vulnerable.

Our grandson is going to be hard to say goodbye to!  Edinburgh is a long way from Dunedin!

At the start of our visit to Edinburgh he could not sit unsupported. Now he sits,  is beginning to crawl and whenever he can will pull himself up to stand.

A nosedive!

On July 24th, when we arrived back in Edinburgh after our trip to Southampton, Brighton, London and Biddenden I had the beginnings of a sore throat that eventually led to a head cold, then a chest infection. Since then I have been battling chest troubles, eventually going to a doctor about a week ago. It was diagnosed as a "chest infection" and I was given antibiotics.  I have had to cope with fits of coughing which sometimes made me feel lightheaded. My chest seemed to be getting worse, so, keen to get it clear before our big flight back to New Zealand, we went back to the doctors’ rooms, talking with another doctor. He diagnosed "asthma", gave me a breathalyser and put me on a course of steroids. The first day of the dose I was feeling better and spent the afternoon helping my son erect a retaining wall. I noticed I was feeling pretty washed out so I tried to leave him to do much of the physical work. Both he and my wife were very protective but I could not help but get involved in the physical stuff. Their objections made me feel a bit passed my “use by” date, so I wanted to “do my bit”.

Pleased with our achievements, we settled for our evening meal, and remained around the table watching a TV program and chatting. It was then I got one of my coughing fits. Afraid I might scare the baby and disrupt the group I stood up and walked toward the bathroom. As I reached for the door of the bathroom I was momentarily dizzy, then all I knew was that I had collapsed, crashing against the walls as I went down. (– so much for not scaring the baby nor disrupting the group!) Still dazed, I rose to my feet stupidly saying, “I am fine!” Everybody was by then rushing to my aid and knew I wasn’t.  Me, bullet proof, Dave Brown had experienced a blackout? I felt stupid! I felt old! We measured my blood pressure, which wasn’t too bad.   My pulse, however, was racing, and kept racing into the night.  Was it just the coughing? Was it the steroids? We talked with a doctor this morning and she wasn’t worried. But it was for me, a new experience of vulnerability. 

I am happy to report my health today is improving in leaps and bounds, and I expect by the time we board the plane for New Zealand, I will not be one of those annoying, perpetually coughing passengers. I just feel a bit more aware of my age and mortality.

Marcus Borg motivates…

I have just finished reading Marcus Borg’s latest book, “Convictions: A manifesto for progressive Christians.”  I enjoyed it and have been challenged by his calls to seek justice. But I leave you with a quotation from his opening chapter. He writes; “I have also experienced a second and unexpected effect of turning seventy: it has been interestingly empowering. In a sentence: If we aren’t going to talk about our convictions – what we have learned about life that matters most – at seventy, then when?”  I have spent years carefully wording sermons and services so as not to offend too much. I run around being careful not to upset people by sharing different perspectives than they have, preferring often to keep silent. Maybe at nearly sixty-six I need to speak more plainly about my convictions?  If not now, when?  The nosedive mentioned above gives even more of a sense of urgency, maybe. 

Line drawings become real.

At the age I was when I caught this fish, I enjoyed reading the history of Great Britain.

The restored Abbey on Iona.

A courtyard in the Administration area of the Abbey

A garden in the ruins of the Nunnery. We lunched there.

This cross has stood here for 1200 years.

George MacLeod. (Ended up a Baron)

When I was a young boy, I had a book which I think came from my father’s childhood. It was an old book with those thick rough pages that old books had. The cover had long since gone, but I cherished it. It was entitled something like “A Boy’s History of Great Britain.” There were short readable articles progressing through a very abbreviated history of Great Britain, which were illustrated by line drawings. In it I read about Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Picts, Castles, Kings and events. Chapters about such things as the Magna Carter, Queen Elizabeth I, Robert the Bruce, Sir Francis Drake, the Fire of London, the plague, William Wilberforce and many other snap shots of UK history.  I devoured this book as a youngster, and have always valued the fact that it and others, gave me an appreciation of the movements of history that led to where we are now as a society. Among the many pictures in the volume, there were two drawings I can remember clearly.  These were a drawing of St Columba arriving at the Isle of Iona, and a drawing of Hadrian’s Wall. This trip to the UK I determined to visit both localities.

Iona

St Columba came from Ireland, though the reasons for his coming are somewhat disputed. In 563AD he set up a monastic community on Iona, a small island off the West Coast of Scotland, and became a big influence in the spread of Christianity in what is now Scotland and the North of England.  There is quite a history in his work and the establishment of a Benedictine Abbey there. But it has been the more recent history of Iona that has drawn me to want to visit the Island. In 1938 George MacLeod was a very active minister in Govan in Glasgow, where poverty reigned. He had fought in WW1 and been decorated for his gallantry, but his experiences in the war led him to train for ministry. He became known for his oratory, his pacifism, his socialist leanings and his involvement in ministry outside the boundaries of the Church. In 1938 he gave up his parish ministry and founded the Community of Iona, using unemployed labourers and clergy trainees to rebuild parts of St. Columba community’s buildings. The community continues and is dedicated to holding each other accountable for their discipleship and committed to justice, peace and the integrity of creation. They explore ways the Christian faith can be expressed in each generation. I read a book by George MacLeod years ago and enjoyed it immensely. I copied out a quotation, which I later discovered has become one of his most popular pieces of writing. I have had it on the wall of my study, my Church office and even on notice boards within the Church. I identify with it in my own life and ministry.

The cross must be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am claiming that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap, at a crossroads so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. At the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble, because that is where He died and that is what he died about and that is where church people ought to be and what church people should be about.

Because of this movement, I was keen to make a pilgrimage to Iona. We caught trains through beautiful scenery to the town of Oban. Then the next day went on a ferry to the Island of Mull, a bus ride down to the end of the island, then a ferry the short distance to Iona, where we spent several hours visiting the Abbey and learning more of the history. I was pleased to visit, even though I was not in good health. There I sensed again a comradeship with people who had gone before – St Columba to George MacLeod (who apparently was often not easy to get on with) – who each sought to give expression in their time to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I sensed a calling again to continue to be involved in issues of ministry amongst the vulnerable, and to continue trying to give relevance to what it means to follow Jesus.

Hadrians Wall.

In AD 122 Emperor Hadrian visited the frontiers of the Roman Empire. The Romans had conquered Britain, but moving North could not fully subdue the Picts, who they saw as barbarians. They did not see it as worth the effort to try, especially in the rugged Highland regions. Apparently they saw them as blue, (they painted their faces and had tattoos) unclothed, hairy and uncouth. It was decided to build this frontier wall from coast to coast, to keep the Picts out. It was a colossal project, which took 15 years to complete. I think I read that 40million ton of squared rock was used in its construction! There were “milecastles” every Roman mile (It is 73 miles long) and bigger forts built along the way. As a boy I was fascinated by the article about the wall and was keen to visit.  When we visited Carlisle on our last visit to the UK we walked for miles along a path called “Hadrians Wall Path” but never found it. This time we took a guided day trip from Edinburgh, the three hour drive to visit the wall at Housestead Fort. Again, even though I was in bad health, I loved finally stepping foot on this wall, walking along the path beside it and seeing the ruins of “Milecastle number 37” and the bigger ruins of Housestead Fort where up to 1000 men were housed.  Over the nearly 2000 years a lot of the rock has been taken for farm buildings, fences and even to repair Carlisle Castle. There are, however, big sections of the wall still intact.

Line drawings and history, in a book I read in my childhood came alive for me in both my visit to Iona and Hadrians Wall. I felt deeply privileged to be able to encounter both.

At the border between Scotland and England

My wife walking on Hadrians wall.

40 million ton of squared stone about 2000 years ago! Part of Housesteads fort.

The wall

Did the gym circuit help or hinder?

A number of years ago I was a keen gym freak. For quite a few years I got up in the morning four or five times a week and went to workout for an hour in the gym.  At first I met a friend there and that sense of accountability kept me going. In time my sons joined me before school so that also kept me going on a regular basis. There I enjoyed doing the gym circuit. I could go in, warm up, run through the circuit twice, warm down, shower, get the kids to school and me to the office by 9 a.m. The circuit consisted of alternating a minute each (I think) on a weights machine, then an aerobic machine. I loved it, I could do it without thinking and rip into it without getting bored of one exercise only. The first machine was a butterfly weights machine to strengthen your pecks. You sat on it, set your weight and did repetitions until a light changed. You leapt off that and onto aerobic machine, a grinder and you ground away energetically for a minute.  There were about 20 stations. Some of the weights machines included the butterfly peck machine, leg extension machine, a back extension, lateral pull downs, shoulder presses, seated leg press machine and there were others. As I say at least four days, most often five days a week twice around this circuit was my routine for several years. My muscles twitched and ached. I sweated profusely and went through towels and gym gear regularly.  I was so pleased with myself, I could out perform younger gym goers.  I could see them trying to keep up and often getting half way around and giving up, competitive twit that I was.  I do recall, though, doing leg extensions at various times and thinking, "What an unnatural movement this is! I can think of no situation where my legs would have to work this way." The same with the back extensions. The lateral pull downs just felt awkward and there were other machines I felt forced an unnatural movement out of me.  It was, however, a great start to my day and I expected the gym trainers to know what was right. I felt so righteous and superior, I was doing my body good, while others were lazy! ..... But....
I read an article the other day on the internet (so it must be true) which was entitled "Weight machines to avoid".  It listed off nearly every weight machine in that circuit and told of horrible damage they were doing to your joints, your spine, your ligaments and muscle structure! These days, when my knees start "going out" and my spine and shoulders get stabs of pain from time to time, I wonder if my blissful, righteous morning workouts actually damaged my body?

Tourist keeps discovering connection!

Britannia.

The state dinning room. 

Lively North Indian dance performance

Craigmillar Castle. 

"As fair as these green foreign hills maybe they are not the hills of home." Still nice though.

Again I choked up at the discovery of unity in a foreign land.

No tourist attraction could beat that!

Dave Brown, tourist...
We have been visiting our son in Edinburgh. This time in two weeks we will be somewhere over the Atlantic ocean heading home to New Zealand. This will be good because I am starting to long for the familiar and am missing responsibility, purpose and routine. I am also missing New Zealand country side. But we have enjoyed being tourists. We are not loaded with money so we have had to be careful about what we do. Here are some thrills of the last week.
The Britannia.. 
We took two buses to the Ocean Terminal Shopping centre, which meant we passed through yet another area of Edinburgh we had not seen.  We visited what is claimed to be the UK's number one attraction, the Royal yacht Britannia. This ship was the home away from home of the Royal family, but is now out of service. I was struck by the sort of British pride in the ship and in the Royal family. I was also aware of the incredible cost to the tax payer of having this ship. We saw the relative comfort of the Royal living quarters and the cramped living quarters of the crew. Compared to Royals of other countries and other rich folk, it was not luxurious, but still I became more aware of the monarchy and the costs involved. As we walked through the rooms, decks and hallways we could hear people conversing in various languages, we realised we were among tourists from a wide range of countries. Some people touring the ship with us belonged to a troupe of performers from North India and at the end of our tour they put on a performance on the wharf beside the ship. As they danced I choked up.  Their performance and the awareness that there were people from all over the world amongst the delighted audience gave a real sense of oneness with the world community. While we fight among ourselves we are essentially one, we ought to enjoy that unity more often. 
Friendship...
The minister of the Augustine United Church where we have been attending invited us to have coffee with her. We enjoyed coffee and nearly two hours chatting in a cafe in the museum. We instantly liked her, her openness, the similarities of our understandings and values and the sense of collegiality in ministry.  It was delightful to feel the sense of unity of purpose and concern with this person. 
Craigmillar Castle..
We visited Craigmillar Castle, a preserved ruin close to here, where at one stage Mary Queen of Scots used to enjoy staying. (we can see the castle from our bedroom window)  I still marvel at how they built these buildings away back in the 1400's, the walls still straight, towers perfectly round and arched stone ceilings still standing. It did, however, make me aware of the feudal system of the old days. A laird would live in this castle and serfs would pay rent and taxes for the privilege of eking out a measly living on the land. They would be expected to protect the castle and their lives were at the mercy of the man in the castle on the hill. Jesus in his time got into trouble because he confronted and questioned a similar domination system that was backed by the religion of the time.  I wondered with our growing gap between rich and poor whether we are getting close to a modern version of this same system? I once did a Structural Analyses course where the directors of the main companies in NZ were listed off.  It was a relatively short list of rich people, with lots of overlap, who basically had the power over the rest of us, determining prices, wages, regulations and economic directions.  In visiting this castle both before and after we walked through grassy fields and woodland. I loved that, being off pavements and away from the crowds of the city. 
Special worship
Today we worshipped at a combined, University of Edinburgh Festival service in a packed Greyfriars Kirk. Soweto Melodic Voices sang. It was a friendly service in spite of the crowd, with people of different denominations, no denomination and obviously different nationalities.  We stood in big circles in the corners of the Kirk and passed the bread and chalice around.  After communion we all "Passed the Peace" with warm chatter breaking out in the Church. It was very moving as communion ended the singers sang the chorus of "It is well with my soul". Behind me a man was seated and at the end of the service I got to chat with him. I discovered that he was an elderly retired minister. He had worked as a carpenter in shipyards, served in the war, then studied for ministry. In the short conversation we had we both sensed a connection and shook hands several times as we told of similar experiences, discoveries and values in our journey in life. For example he was delighted when he learned I had been a plumber! We both shared how our tradesman experience had contributed to our life as ministers. It was one of those special moments. We did not even exchange names, but we were instant companions.
Family
I guess that the highlight of our trip will be time with family. I have enjoyed working on projects with my son. There is a sense of journeying together as we plan and then work on the project together. I enjoy time with my grandson. He is only 9 months so I guess he will never remember this time. But it is simply precious when I see him during the day, I say "Hello" and "What's happenin'?" He looks at me briefly and a smile crosses his face, his eyes light up, he reaches a hand out in my direction and sometimes squeals in joy. No tourist attraction will beat that!
Two weeks left..
I had a secondhand picture book history of England as a child. I devoured that again and again. There were two places that stuck in my mind. They are Hadrian's Wall and the Isle of Iona. In the next two weeks we visit both places and my son and I have a further DIY project to complete.