Psalm 104: 10-14 He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;…
Complex & Simple
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
Serenity and the Spirit
The readings at Easter always throws us back to a time when the Church was new, and reflecting on the accounts in the Acts of the Apostles, we imagine ourselves in the place of the followers (or apostles!), wondering if we too, could stand up to the challenges of being early adopters of the faith.…
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
Absolutism and Relativism
In times of uncertainty, people look to a solid and stable anchor to underpin their underlying values and principles. This search for something that is incontrovertible and unshakeable is a concept at the centre of the debate between absolutism and relativism. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the unique relationship of the Father and…
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
Of Sheep and Wolves
Would you rather be a wise shepherd leading a flock of docile sheep, or be the wily leader of a band of hungry wolves? Not infrequently, this module on leadership in business school or executive training, walks participants through the pros and cons of two team-leader role-models. As the discussion and classroom scenarios play themselves…
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
The Road To Emmaus (And Back)
There is something deeply attractive about the narrative of the two disciples who encountered the Risen Christ and walked with him from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Countless artists have painted the Road to Emmaus, often bathe in a shade of gold as the day draws to a close, when dusk beckons, the silhouettes lengthen,…
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
Remembering Pope John Paul II
Divine Mercy Sunday 1 May 2011 – Remembering Pope John Paul II There is a photograph by the late Gianni Giansanti (1956-2009) in John Paul II – Portrait of A Pontiff ( White Star Publishers, 1996) of the Holy Father at a working breakfast with Cardinal Stephen Kim of Korea (1). Giansanti wrote, ‘Breakfast comes after…
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
A Season of Hope and Preparedness
For the early Christians, the Image of the Risen Christ must have been a great bulwark and source of comfort as they lived in constant threat of persecution for their faith, their right to gather to worship, and to proselytise. The symbols needed by the early Christians were ones of hope and salvation. The challenges…
Complex & Simple, Persons, Posts
New Wine Into Fresh Skins!
And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine into fresh skins! (Mk 2: 21-22) Ord. Wk 2nd. Monday, 8 January 2016 This eloquent parable by Jesus in Mark’s Gospel conveys the graphic image of fresh starts and new beginnings, only…
Complex & Simple, Places, Posts
The Timeless Bridge
The timeless beauty of the Ishibashi bridge is shown, with the Imperial Palace in Tokyo across the moat in the background, surrounding by a moat with its classic white swan in the foreground. The bridge is featured in the 2014 Japanese film Snow on the Blades, a sensitive portrayal of the fate of the Bushido code and the ageing Samurai and the rapidly…
Complex & Simple, Posts
Demonstrating Our True Self
These pictures were from Lake Shikotsu, Chitose, on the island of Hokkaido, Japan (2013). The most notable part of that evening was the mist that enveloped the lake and its vicinity, rendering the beautiful place hidden, almost deserted, and mysterious. The experience suggests that it is not uncommon that what a place or a person has to offer…