A
Cross
between
Circus
and
Jester
With some additional nuances of "Sir Jester" with 'suggester' and even 'surgEaster'...
In medieval and early modern europe, the fool played a specific role. His foolishness could shine a light, send a message, speak into the darkness. The fool was allowed license to move beyond the conventions of society, but it was a risky job, and a lonely job. He had no wealth, physical or legal power over other citizens, socially he was at the bottom of the rung. But he could use any other tool at his disposal, and he often relied on humour and storytelling which would help new ideas to germinate in the minds of the audience...
Some hated the fool, as Malvolio hated Feste in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Some would plot against him. But nothing could stop his message, because it relied not on indoctrination, but on inspiration. Such a message cannot be stopped by force. Only apathy can bring this kind of inspiration to a halt.
To those who are willing to play the fool to spread a message, is given a similar power of germination.
Today in our staffroom one of the teachers made the throw-away comment that she thought April Fool's Day would fall on Good Friday this year. She thought it would be fairly funny if that was the case. I didn't know what to say. Then I remembered Paul Walker sent us the lyric to a song called, 'The April Fool'. And I remembered that Jesus' conscious choice to die on a cross does look very foolish to many. But it seems to have been the kind of foolish act that still has power today. The message of the April Fool continues to germinate and live in the minds and hearts of his followers millenia after the historical event.
I feel excited and scared about the idea of spending eight days living with this concept. Excited about the ideas that could be germinating, and scared to look foolish :/
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
who's to say where the wind will take me...
One final week before the end of school, and I feel as though there is too much to fit in. Lessons to plan, marking to get on top of, people to hang with!
A little jester is giggling at me from the end of it all as well, daring me to get cold feet and forget to trust something bigger than myself. In reality the problem (if there is one) is that I haven't been diligent about fitting something fairly important in... space and time with and for the Father to hear his voice.
and I begin to sing
Who's to say where the wind will take you
Who's to say what it is will break you
I don't know which way the wind will blow
Who's to know when the time has come around
Don't want to see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye
In summer you can taste the salty sea
There's a kite blowing out of control on a breeze
you wonder what's gonna happen to me
I wonder what has happened to you...
lyrics found at http://www.threechordsandthetruth.net/u2lyrics/atyclb.htm
A little jester is giggling at me from the end of it all as well, daring me to get cold feet and forget to trust something bigger than myself. In reality the problem (if there is one) is that I haven't been diligent about fitting something fairly important in... space and time with and for the Father to hear his voice.
and I begin to sing
Who's to say where the wind will take you
Who's to say what it is will break you
I don't know which way the wind will blow
Who's to know when the time has come around
Don't want to see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye
In summer you can taste the salty sea
There's a kite blowing out of control on a breeze
you wonder what's gonna happen to me
I wonder what has happened to you...
lyrics found at http://www.threechordsandthetruth.net/u2lyrics/atyclb.htm
Monday, March 22, 2010
walkin in a green desert
Many things aren't as bad as you think they will be when you get there. When I was moving to Broken HIll, everyone I spoke to said that I would die in the summer. And yet it has been a beautiful moderate summer with lots of rain.
Our little community went walking in the desert this afternoon. It was a beautiful trek with lots of little trials and wonders. It was green, not red/brown/orange. When you walk out here you feel that you really are standing on an ancient land.
...and then some things are as bad as you think they are going to be, and sometimes they are even worse. In those times I begin to understand the need of being willing to trust in something bigger than ourselves.
Our little community went walking in the desert this afternoon. It was a beautiful trek with lots of little trials and wonders. It was green, not red/brown/orange. When you walk out here you feel that you really are standing on an ancient land.
...and then some things are as bad as you think they are going to be, and sometimes they are even worse. In those times I begin to understand the need of being willing to trust in something bigger than ourselves.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Friday afternoon hope
It's Friday afternoon at the end of my tough week with High School students (I am on a 2 wk cycle and the second week is a LOT more busy than the first)...
... and I still have Hope in my heart- methinks a sign of the goodness at the heart of the Universe.
I just had a Friday last period with my new Year 11s and....
THEY WERE QUIET AND COMPLETED THE WORK I SET THEM.
Amazing.
I go home tonight with my heart singing a little song. I am very grateful to be fighting on this side of the battle. Feeling a little bit more ready for the next one now. Thanks God.
... and I still have Hope in my heart- methinks a sign of the goodness at the heart of the Universe.
I just had a Friday last period with my new Year 11s and....
THEY WERE QUIET AND COMPLETED THE WORK I SET THEM.
Amazing.
I go home tonight with my heart singing a little song. I am very grateful to be fighting on this side of the battle. Feeling a little bit more ready for the next one now. Thanks God.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
the most remarkable thing I have read (so far today...)
I woke this morning, picked up my little 'how to dismantle an atomic bomb' book and found the following piece of writing. It helped me to understand a little bit more about how to dismantle atomic bombs.
The Himalayas are as high as a human being can get without getting a nose bleed. At about 10 000 feet the mountain becomes unfriendly, the rockface only a goat would trust... The earth doesn't so much punch a hole in the sky with a fist, more a series of elbows arch over its head to protect the peace loving peoples who live in their shade. Etched into this Vertical that has forgotten it started as a Horizontal are paths... the ground on its side more a profile against a cold whisking sky... The paths are sometimes twenty or thirty mile contours that offer the only way around the mountain... if your were 1. mad enough, 2. a parachutist, 3. a goat.
Start down one of these trails and Nature will teach you a lesson about God, or maybe it's God teach a lesson about your nature... to meet another soul on one of those paths without rock climbing equipment is disaster. The goats know this. They stare at each other. They Gristle. Their baby that's just woken cry becomes a grown up growl. To pass each other is impossible. One will have to turn back to give way to the other. Struggle will mean a certain end for one of them, maybe both of them, unless...
One lies down and becomes the path for the other. It's an extraordinary thing to see a goat do what a human cannot. Compromise. As it's legs bend and kneel the comic devil creature lies down with its face pressing into the humbling dirt. The one makes way for the other. The other awkwardly mounts and walks over its potential rival and goes it's way...
It's an extraordinary thing to see a goat do what a human cannot. What is it about our human heart/mind/soul that doesn't see the obvious answer, especially when it is something a little bit humiliating?
Lord help me to see the obvious next thing to do.
extract from U2/HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB Limited Edition 48 page book featuring illustrations, paintings and photography by U2, 2004
The Himalayas are as high as a human being can get without getting a nose bleed. At about 10 000 feet the mountain becomes unfriendly, the rockface only a goat would trust... The earth doesn't so much punch a hole in the sky with a fist, more a series of elbows arch over its head to protect the peace loving peoples who live in their shade. Etched into this Vertical that has forgotten it started as a Horizontal are paths... the ground on its side more a profile against a cold whisking sky... The paths are sometimes twenty or thirty mile contours that offer the only way around the mountain... if your were 1. mad enough, 2. a parachutist, 3. a goat.
Start down one of these trails and Nature will teach you a lesson about God, or maybe it's God teach a lesson about your nature... to meet another soul on one of those paths without rock climbing equipment is disaster. The goats know this. They stare at each other. They Gristle. Their baby that's just woken cry becomes a grown up growl. To pass each other is impossible. One will have to turn back to give way to the other. Struggle will mean a certain end for one of them, maybe both of them, unless...
One lies down and becomes the path for the other. It's an extraordinary thing to see a goat do what a human cannot. Compromise. As it's legs bend and kneel the comic devil creature lies down with its face pressing into the humbling dirt. The one makes way for the other. The other awkwardly mounts and walks over its potential rival and goes it's way...
It's an extraordinary thing to see a goat do what a human cannot. What is it about our human heart/mind/soul that doesn't see the obvious answer, especially when it is something a little bit humiliating?
Lord help me to see the obvious next thing to do.
extract from U2/HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB Limited Edition 48 page book featuring illustrations, paintings and photography by U2, 2004
Sunday, January 31, 2010
It's dusting... no wait a minute it's raining
Greetings. A new blog for a New Year. I am living in Broken Hill, outback NSW. I haven't yet moved into my new house or found steady work, but we are working towards those things. I do (at least) have a washing machine!
Today Milly came running to get me - there was a massive amazing dust storm coming (my second one in two weeks). My car went from being mildly dusty to very dusty in a matter of seconds! About an hour later it rained! Milly, Sam and I stood in the rain talking to the Lockenspiel (Lochie Skinner). I like this town.
Today Milly came running to get me - there was a massive amazing dust storm coming (my second one in two weeks). My car went from being mildly dusty to very dusty in a matter of seconds! About an hour later it rained! Milly, Sam and I stood in the rain talking to the Lockenspiel (Lochie Skinner). I like this town.
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