We Do Adventure

We had a timely reminder of the complexities of revisiting history the other night. A friend was recounting a version of the events surrounding Srebrenica in 1995 that she had heard from someone, who heard heard it from someone who had said they were there. The story was very different from the one widely reported, the story the has Karadzic currently on trial in the Hague. It'd be too easy to say they were obviously misinformed. So much depends on perspective. I grew up being taught history from an English (or British, if you prefer) perspective; the things that are invariably told as triumphs are also someone else's tragedies. History is so often left in the hands of the victorious. The official version that is. But if the vanquished live to tell the tale they will tell it and the two will not agree. Is true objectivity obtainable? Somehow I doubt it. Should we seek it? Probably. I know I should type an emphatic yes but permit me my pragmatism. Those who do not want to...

As I took a break from cooking what will pass as Christmas dinner in our house, I was struck by the sudden urge to blog. I reasoned that on a day such as today my last post - Lettuce Give Thanks - had to be followed up with one entitled Peas On Earth. At this point you've probably looked at the picture and thought something like 'surely he knows that's not peas, that's sweetcorn?' Fear not, I do know my vegetables, frozen or not. The switch was initially based on necessity. We're out of peas. Pity really, I was planning to cook some today. The choice was to go with corn or carrots. Carrots carry the 'or stick' connotation which could have worked well in a 'peace on earth' context. But sweetcorn has one endearing quality. It's durability. I don't wish to lower the tone to explain myself but let's just say very little else can get chewed up and yet come out looking completely unscathed by the experience. Peas pale in comparison. Their c...

A friend spoke to me this morning in urgent tones: we have a problem, if there’s any violence they won’t let us in! We were just about to start a rehearsal, which although always loud has never ended in violence. It took me a minute to realise he was talking about football; specifically about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup qualifier against Estonia. A fatal shooting at a domestic fixture last weekend has clearly put the national team and its fans under special scrutiny. All this comes at a time when Bosnia and Herzegovina have a very real chance of making it to South Africa next year. For a nation whose Premier League is played by part-timers this is no small achievement. That it might be snatched away by some mindless crowd violence is a tragedy that it’s sadly all too easy to understand as an English football fan. And so on the day President Obama has been controversially announced as the latest Nobel Peace Prize winner I would like to suggest that he sprinkle a little bit of th...

My brother is big into trainers, or sneakers to the Americans. He once held the esteemed position of 'shoe guru' at Allsports. So naturally it was him I turned to for advice when I saw a very interesting pair of shoes in TkMaxx a few days before our departure. They're a Nike Air Max 90 boot , with almost a platform sole. I was um-ing and ah-ing about the purchase when a friend conveniently happened by and purchased them as a leaving gift for me. The good news is they have been immediately put to use protecting my feet from the rivers and lakes that form in Mostar's streets when the heavens open. Rowan has been similarly blessed by the Rocket Dog boots that were a leaving gift from our church. The more biblically minded among you may already be thinking 'Ephesians' when I mentioned footwear and so lets go there: For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. As important as keeping physical feet dry in wet weather i...

That's something we have to come to terms with as we leave England. There are some things that we've been working for that are going to seem unfinished. There are dreams and plans that we will never see the results of, or if we do it will be as spectators rather than as participants. At the moment I'd say I'm adjusting to this without much panic or anguish - time will tell whether that remains the case! The reassuring fact is that we're not leaving things to nothing. Whoever picks up and carries on what we've been working for is part of a bigger, grander, plan. God's plan. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church: I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. And that's where I’m at. I stole this title from this post from a Paddy Ashdown article I read earlier today . It's not breaking news because he penned it back in April 2007 before he f...