GadgetVicar

Ruby Murray

Chicken Tikka Masala is not a product of the mystical east. It's more of a fusion of the east and west (end). Apparently it was invented in the street where St Silas' building is situated - Park Road, Glasgow.

Valkyrie

Lunch with GV Boy today, followed by the rather excellent Valkyrie, which chronicles the July 20th 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. Tom Cruise plays Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, the severely wounded veteran who pulls together the plotters and takes action.

For me, there were many reminders of how little events can change history - if only the meeting was held in the usual concrete bunker rather the wooden commmand hut; if only the briefcase containing the bomb had not been moved behind the thick wooden leg of the conference table; if only the second bomb had been planted too; if only General Olbricht had moved to take over Berlin sooner following the assassination attempt.

It was in the wake of this failed attempt that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed in April 1945 along with several leading conspirators. Many senior figures in the resistance movement as well as their families suffered humiliating and cruel deaths as Hitler took revenge.

Faith plays a part in the movie. Stauffenberg, a devout Catholic, meets a colleague in what turns out to be a bombed out Catholic church. The cross around his neck is entwined with his wedding ring, which he can no longer wear on his hand because of his wounds. Loyalty and fidelity lie at the heart of this story. Should oaths to a person take precedence over a greater loyalty to the people or even to God?

The acting is superb with an ensemble cast of English actors including a nervous General Olbricht played by Bill Nighy and the vacillating Erich Fromm played by Tom Wilkinson. Cruise is actually very good too.

Of course, the outcome is never in doubt. But this film reminds us that not all Germans were Nazis and that some resisted. Indeed some resisted Hitler from the outset of his regime. By war's end most of this resistance had been destroyed. We should never forget the sacrifices they made.

Many questions are raised by the film. What kind of regime would have been established if Hitler had perished? Goerdeler, who would have been made Chancellor, favoured a return to a right-wing monarchy. Assuming this new government would have attempted to surrender to the Western allies (in the hope of forestalling a Soviet invasion), would the have US/British accepted it and if so, what then? Would Germany and much of Eastern Europe have survived in tact? Would the Western allies have joined the Wehrmacht in fighting the Russians?

How world history might have been changed by the events of that July in 1944.

Masada

Yesterday, I took a drive down to the Dead Sea with Gary Nelson of Moore College. The goal was  to get to Masada, a place I've long-wanted to see.

It was an awesome experience. Unlike the visit to Galilee the day before, the place was virtually devoid of tourists. We were directed to the carpark under the main visitor centre, and took a lift to the cable car, which took us up to the fortress itself. It was baking hot, perhaps about forty degrees, but at the top there was a strong cooling breeze. It was easy to see why Herod had his place built in that spot. It's well preserved and the evidence walls of the besieging Romans' camps are visible all around. The ramp they built to gain access for their siege tower is also visible. The views are stunning.

It's an intensely important site for the Jewish people. Some Israeli Defence Force units still travel here to take an oath which states, "Masada shall never fall again".

Jerusalem - Day 5

I shouldn't have blogged about self publicity. At morning prayer, I found myself up on the big screen at in a snippet of a video interview I gave on Wednesday. I'm sure the Africans won't have got my accent. Actually, I'm not sure the English did either.

We travelled to Bethlehem today. We passed through the wall that separates the Palestinian Authority from Israel. A smiling military policewoman got on the bus for a half-hearted check of passports, then it was through the gate. It was profoundly sad to see in the flesh this concrete wall and observation towers. A brief mention of the wall as the border (duh!) was all we got from the guide on the issue. To open up the subject is probably more than his job is worth.

We visited Shepherds' Fields and the Church of the Nativity. We also saw some illegal Israeli settlers' houses which had been built on Palestinian land. Again this wasn't referred to, but it was quietly pointed out to me by a colleague. We ended up in a Palestinian Christian store selling carved olive wood products, icons and jewelry. Many pilgrims stocked up on gifts. This is an important economic activity here.

I can't say this these visits particularly moved me. Perhaps it was because I felt like too much of a tourist. I've always told myself that I'd never go on a package tour, and when we are not in session, I find myself on just such a tour!

Things are shaping up for the final statement. It's been a genuine process of consultation, with provincial groups consulting with one another and passing on their views. Press aren't privy to these discussions, and we bloggers have been asked to not leak the details of the draft. I know many are champing at the bit to know where all this is headed. In thirty-six hours or so, it will all be clear.

Last night I had a positive and encouraging discussion with a bishop and again today over lunch with an archbishop who had sought me out. That's been an amazing feature of this week. The interaction between everyone has been relaxed and fun. There is a powerful sense of fellowship, and a united commitment to getting the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ out to the world. I'm fired up.....

No more blogging today, I reckon, as we leave at 7am for Galilee. I might not get to blog on Sunday either, as we wrap up at midday. My plan is to head to Masada on Sunday afternoon before driving to Tel Aviv and the return flight at 5am on Monday. I should be back in Glasgow by 11am.

War Blogging

I began reading two blogs this weekend, both of which offer thought-provoking takes on soldiering and warfare.

The first consists of transcripts of Harry Lamin's letters from the first World War. The letters are posted exactly 90 years after they were written. It's a great idea, and a powerful tool for studying history. One needs to keep reading the blog in order to find out what happens to Harry. Read it here.

The second blogger is Andrew Olmsted. He is in the news because he was killed on  the 3rd January, while serving in the US army in Iraq. In the event of his death, he had arranged for this post to be made on his original blog (which he stopped posting on last year for fear of falling foul of the military's rules on political involvement). Since May 2007, he had been blogging for the Rocky Mountain News. He was clearly a thoughtful person who wrote movingly about his work, the politics involved and the frustrations he experienced.

Both of these blogs illustrate the power of the internet to inform and challenge. They certainly don't glamourise war.

31 October 1517 - 31 October 2007 490 years

Some church history today, courtesy of Anglican Mainstream:

It is exactly 490 years since Martin Luther issued his 95 theses against church practices that he considered inappropriate - the sale of indulgences to raise funds to rebuild St Peter’s Rome.

Wikipedia notes here

Another Weekend

Friday night: cell group prayer night (good food, wine and craic too). Ms GadgetVicar couldn't make it, as she was at a Woodcraft Folk ceilidh with Gadgetvicar Girl No. 2, who danced until well after 11pm. They made it home just before I did.

Saturday morning: lazy, other than going through twenty applications for a job (I have to decide who should be shortlisted - this is a hard task, as people invest a lot in these things. I hate the thought of people being rejected. We must make sure those who are not being interviewed are informed timeously).

Saturday afternoon: 'Amazing Grace'. I cannot recommend this film enough. How some of our predecessors made a difference. How to serve God in politics. Humour, tears and and a great story. I saw it with two teenage boys. Both enjoyed it and were moved by it. But I hope they were also inspired to make their lives count and to make a difference.

Saturday evening: The return of 'Dr Who', followed by a party with the worship teams. More good craic. There was a chocolate fountain. I can't eat chocolate right now (nothing to do with Lent). I looked on enviously.

Sunday morning: Listening to B.H. on Radio 4 (was that really M.I.C.K.E.Y. Mouse being sung by the Revolutionary Guards in Iran?); another sunny day in Glasgow; 'All Glory, Laud and Honour';  the delightful dedication of baby Benjamin Lindsay; we learned that Jesus ought to be our King too. Lunch together. Preaching twice: Luke 19  this morning and Romans 1 tonight.

'The' busy week lies ahead. It's good to be church.

Jesus Family Tomb

James 'The Terminator' Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici have made a Discovery Channel special on the discovery of Jesus’ tomb, ossuary, bones, and that of his mother, brothers, wife, and his child Jude as well! Much publicity has followed the press launch yesterday of this project.

On the programme's website, the film-makers insist that their findings ought not to undermine the Christian faith. For example:

“The Lost Tomb Of Jesus” does not challenge the Resurrection. It asks viewers to consider the possibility that the Resurrection occurred from a second tomb.

Ben Witherington III has posted some helpful thoughts on this project.

For two thousand years, people have tried to deny the historicity of the resurrection and ascension. This is another attempt to do do so, albeit one with considerable marketing power behind it.

Now I don't know what to believe! This, or the Da Vinci Code?

Or I could simply continue to believe the bibical accounts?

Millennial Competition

Yes, several of you noticed that we have now taken down the millennium sign. We of course operate on 'St Silas time' , hence the delay of  six years in doing so (we use 'African Time'- 'Europeans have watches, Africans have time').

This plaque now needs a home. I did consider Ebay, but have opted instead to offer it to anyone who wants it (might look good on a bedroom wall?!).

So, if you would like to own this historic piece of art, please suggest an alternative use for it, and post it as a comment here. The winner will be announced late on Saturday night and the article itself can be picked up on Sunday (sorry, but we can't post it out).

Upcoming Movies

Movies that I'm hoping to see in the next month or so:

Apocalypto - Mel Gibson's gory Central American epic set around the time of the demise of the Mayan civilisation. The dialogue is in a tribal language with subtitles for those whose Mayan is lacking. By all accounts, it's not one for the faint-hearted, as it tells the story of one man as he attempts to outrun his captors, who have a penchant for human sacrifice. These chase scenes are reported to be amongst the finest committed to film.

Flags of our Fathers - Clint Eastwood's WW2 movie about the five marines and navy corpsman whose raising of the U.S. flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, was immortalised in this famous photograph. Three of the flag raisers were killed in action a few days after the photograph was taken. The three survivors were made famous by the photograph and toured the U.S.A. raising funds to help with the war effort. James Bradley, the writer of the book on which the film is based, is the son of one of the survivors.

Into Great Silence - A documentary about life in the Grande Chartreuse, the mother house of the Carthusian Order. From the film's website:

Silence. Repitition. Rhythm. The film is an austere, next to silent meditation on monastic life in a very pure form. No music except the chants in the monastery, no interviews, no commentaries, no extra material.