Wright On

My wife is now one week overdue on the delivery of our third child which has left us in a rather peculiar time frame. The last few evenings have felt a bit like a reprieve from the inevitable shock of no sleep and precious little time to myself for the next few months. (The difference between waiting for this child and the first time around is initially I was anxious about the unknowns of parenthood. Now I am anxious about the knows!)

Anyway, it has given me a couple of opportunities to go out for coffee one last time - I may yet get one more last time. So I have been taking along a book which I started about a year ago, but didn't finish. I started from the beginning again.

I've been reading Simply Christian by Tom Wright and have now finished it. I found it a really good read. It's a clear, concise and easily accessible overview of what it means to be a Christian and has been compared by some as a contemporary version of C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity - although Wright correctly suggests that the questions that people are asking today plus the context of Westernized Christianity is quite different than Lewis's time.

The book is divided into three main sections: First is the presentation that many people become aware of something in this life which is beyond themselves, although they would have a hard job particularly explaining what this means. It's an awareness of something just around the corner not quite in sight or reach. Tom Wright calls these echoes of a voice, and it is an echo which can be heard in the longing of people for justice; a sense of spirituality; the need for relationships; and the appreciation of beauty. Wright goes on to suggest that these echoes, these whispers come straight from the heart of God.

The second part of the book explores how these themes are expressed by God - ultimately in the person of Jesus. But in order to understand who Jesus was and why he did the things that he did (the stories he told, the miracles he performed, his challenges to authority, and his death and resurrection) we are first taken on a journey to discover the people group from which Jesus emerged. And in order to understand these people, Wright begins section two grappling with what we mean when we say 'God'. Here Wright presents three broad options of how people view God. Option one explores the view of understanding God to be present in all things - people, trees, clouds, poison ivy. Option two is to view him as a distant deity who very rarely, if ever, has any connection with his creation. The third view is what Tom Wright holds as a classic Jewish and New Testament view of God's space (heaven) and our space (earth) overlapping. Wright's conclusion is that in the person of Jesus is found the embodiment of that overlap. (For a more detailed understanding of heaven try Tom Wright's latest book Surprised by Hope. It will make you think again about little cherubs playing golden harps in the clouds as the common misconception of what heaven means. Wright says that heaven is important, but it's not the end of the world - you'll have to get the book to find out why!)

Part three of the book focuses on what the response of a person should be who recognizes the purposes of God being fulfilled in Jesus and wants to align themselves continuing that fulfilment. And so Wright talks about reflecting the image of God through worship, prayer, the Bible, getting involved in a local church, and participating in the renewal of creation. (If my reprieve continues I'll write a short reflection on the chapter about prayer.)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who may be at the beginning stages of exploring the Christian faith or for those, like me, who have been following Jesus for a while now but feel like there is much more to know.

Coffee is Good for You

I picked up a bag of coffee the other day purely because of the description on the packet. It's from a company called Union Hand-Roasted, their Fairtrade blend.

This is how it describes itself:

"The easy-going coffee with a big grapefruit kick for breakfast time, and soft chocolate and orange hints for a harmonious afternoon."

Now, I might be open to suggestion, but I think I did detect a slight citrus nature to the flavour. I can't help wondering now if a couple of cups of this coffee could count as a serving of fruit!

Rathmines Festival

As I walked past my local coffeehouse there was a tap on the window and M invited me inside. The offer of a free cup of coffee and catching up was too much to pass by.

I got to know M a little last year when he headed up the committee I was on for the Rathmines Festival. M has passed on that responsibility this year, but was helping to run the 'Festival Office' located in the coffeehouse. I couldn't be on the committee this year because of a busy study schedule and the impending arrival of baby number 3 - the due date coincides with the festival. It's a pity really. I think I could have handled running the festival office while sipping lattes and watching the world go by.

Anyway, the Rathmines Festival is this weekend. Some good stuff going on which I hope to get along to, unless number 3...

They always come in threes

As I walked down to the coffeehouse this evening I passed a guy walking the other way wearing a T-shirt that had printed on it, 'This is my shirt from Philadelphia.' I don't think it would have stuck in my mind if it wasn't for the fact that the next person to walk past was wearing a sweatshirt that said, 'New York City'.



How funny, I thought, to have an American connection like that. What would be the possibility of...?



Sure enough, a minute later as I entered the coffeehouse, a girl was leaving wearing a top that had printed in large letters, 'Delaware' (of all places!)



So, if you happen to be from Philly, New York or Delaware I, in some way, thought about you tonight!

Stealing Kisses

While I sipped my latte this evening I happened to pause and look up over my cup. In the quarter of a second in which it took for my eyes to observe the scene around me I noticed a couple, leaning in close to each other, her arms hooked around his neck. She was moving in to kiss him when, perhaps because of my slight movement, she happened to glance at me as she made contact with him.



Immediately I felt as though I had stepped in to a moment, moved in to an intimate space in which I was neither invited, nor wanted to be. It felt quite odd and I was glad when they both left a few minutes later.



Perhaps this is why kisses are always better with your eyes closed.

That's a new one to me

I've previously mentioned about how some girls around Dublin go out and about in their pyjamas at all hours of the day. (Ali let me know it wasn't confined to Dublin). Well tonight, on my way home from the coffeehouse I stoped in to McDonald's to get a chocolate shake for my wife and the girl in front of me was placing her order in her PJs. What surprised me though was that the guy she was with also seemed to be in a pyjama like state - complete with slippers!

Nice One Wallace

When you get a chance, pop over to Wallace's blog. He dug through his files to find a couple of great coffee photos.

While you're there check out some of the other images he has recorded from around Ireland. Some really nice photos.

Overheard in Starbucks II

To prepare me for the weekly grocery shop this evening I stopped into a cafe for a few minutes with a magazine and a latte. At the table next to me was a father and daughter spending some valuable time together. He was drinking a particularly frothy cappuccino and she was using a stirring stick to steal some foam for herself.

I couldn't help hearing the dad asking the girl about the behaviour of some classmates.

"Does 'so-and-so' still push you?"

"What about 'such-and-such'"?

The daughter shook her head and continued with de-foaming dad's drink.

Naturally my mind went to my three and-a-half year old daughter who was tucked up in bed and chatting to herself (or the teddies) as I left the house. One day, I thought, I'll have to have conversations like this with her.

"Is there anyone who is pushing you now?", continued the father.

I looked across the table and the beautiful young thing glanced my way with a smile that would make the hardest of hearts feel warmth.

I guessed she was younger than my girl. It made me feel sad.