I managed to get down to the Bald Barista again this evening - I've been a few times since I originally blogged about it. When I got there the man himself was particularly upbeat, and for good reason. The cafe has just today been voted as serving Dublin's best espresso according to The Dubliner magazine. The cafe won the same accolade last year from the Irish Times. However, this time the survey was done by a secret espresso drinker (can I have that job next year???) who discovered that attention to detail and quality is presented in every cup.
I have to say that the blend used does produce a flavour that I haven't yet experienced elsewhere in Dublin and after a few visits now it is growing on me more and more. Tonight's shot actually seemed that little bit extra special.
The article will appear in the special summer issue of The Dubliner - so I'd like to think that I might be blogging an exclusive breaking news story!
Anyway, congratulations to the Bald Barista. If readers are ever in the south inner city area of Dublin go check out the cafe on Aungier Street. It's about a five minute walk from St Stephen's Green.
Thursday 21 May 2009
Tuesday 12 May 2009
An Apologetic for God
Sometimes when I take a book with me for coffee I hope to find something inspirational and thought provoking, but end up coming away disappointed. At other times I take a book or a magazine with no real expectations and come away with new insights or ideas. The espresso must have been good because the latter is what happened to me this evening. Reading a few remarks about suffering caused my mind to wander and think, ending in me formulating an apologetic for God (as if God needed someone like me to defend him - which is what an apologetic is, rather than apologising for God).
It went something like this.
When people experience suffering (in whatever circumstances it may be) there will always be some who blame God. Fair enough.
However, many people would cite suffering as proof that God does not exist:
"How can there possibly be a god when I see this child suffering from cancer?" Also understandable.
So I started thinking to myself, what if that same person imagined that God did exist? Would they resort to the same response as the first person above - namely to blame God for suffering? Quite possibly.
However, by their own admission God could not exist because of suffering, therefore who do you blame for the misery that envelopes so many people? Clearly not God because he doesn't exist. Yet suffering continues. It would just seem that bad things happen to some people (while others experience good).
So I began to wonder, would it be possible to bring God back into the equation despite the suffering in the world. Now God exists, but this time does not become the target of blame because stuff just happens. Suffering in the world can't be proof of a world without God.
Ah, but if there is suffering in the world and God exists, then why doesn't he do something about it? Why doesn't he cure that sick child? I suppose my honest answer is that I don't know, but that is wholly unsatisfactory. So perhaps I should answer that maybe God will do something about it.
St Paul wrote some famous words suggesting that despite what happens in life three things should remain: faith, hope and love. I like the idea of faith and hope. It has a particular optimism that says things could be different.
There was once a man in an ancient land who, for whatever reason, was sentenced to death. His pleas to the king for mercy where to no avail until he came up with an idea. "Your majesty," groveled the man, "if you spare my life for one year I will teach your horse to fly". Intrigued, the king granted a 365 day extension to the man's life. When questioned later by one of the servants as to why the man made such a ridiculous promise, the man replied, "In one year I may die anyway. Or the king may die! Or, who knows, I may even be able to teach that horse to fly."
To me this simple illustration speaks in someway about faith and hope in times of adversity. But what do we do in the meantime for those who suffer as we wait in faith and hope for a change of circumstances? What can we do? We love.
But is loving through suffering something God can relate to?
It went something like this.
When people experience suffering (in whatever circumstances it may be) there will always be some who blame God. Fair enough.
However, many people would cite suffering as proof that God does not exist:
"How can there possibly be a god when I see this child suffering from cancer?" Also understandable.
So I started thinking to myself, what if that same person imagined that God did exist? Would they resort to the same response as the first person above - namely to blame God for suffering? Quite possibly.
However, by their own admission God could not exist because of suffering, therefore who do you blame for the misery that envelopes so many people? Clearly not God because he doesn't exist. Yet suffering continues. It would just seem that bad things happen to some people (while others experience good).
So I began to wonder, would it be possible to bring God back into the equation despite the suffering in the world. Now God exists, but this time does not become the target of blame because stuff just happens. Suffering in the world can't be proof of a world without God.
Ah, but if there is suffering in the world and God exists, then why doesn't he do something about it? Why doesn't he cure that sick child? I suppose my honest answer is that I don't know, but that is wholly unsatisfactory. So perhaps I should answer that maybe God will do something about it.
St Paul wrote some famous words suggesting that despite what happens in life three things should remain: faith, hope and love. I like the idea of faith and hope. It has a particular optimism that says things could be different.
There was once a man in an ancient land who, for whatever reason, was sentenced to death. His pleas to the king for mercy where to no avail until he came up with an idea. "Your majesty," groveled the man, "if you spare my life for one year I will teach your horse to fly". Intrigued, the king granted a 365 day extension to the man's life. When questioned later by one of the servants as to why the man made such a ridiculous promise, the man replied, "In one year I may die anyway. Or the king may die! Or, who knows, I may even be able to teach that horse to fly."
To me this simple illustration speaks in someway about faith and hope in times of adversity. But what do we do in the meantime for those who suffer as we wait in faith and hope for a change of circumstances? What can we do? We love.
But is loving through suffering something God can relate to?
Not everything lucky is good for you
I sat at a table by the window this evening so I could occasionally watch the world go past my latte. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a cyclist seemingly toss a packet of cigarettes on to the roadside. I found this quite annoying and couldn't understand why he didn't just find a bin to throw them away.
A few minutes later a man came walking down the street, saw the packet and gave it a good kick a little further down the road. Now I was getting cross! How could someone take an interest in a piece of rubbish only up to the point of kicking it, but not disposing of it?
Soon enough another cyclist came across the packet, but this time he stopped and picked it up. Hooray! Someone with a social conscience for the well-being of our planet. Then this cyclist flipped open the lid, looked inside and smiled. He pulled out a cigarette, popped it in his mouth and cycled off.
I wondered, who was the victim of a negative outcome in that interchange?
A few minutes later a man came walking down the street, saw the packet and gave it a good kick a little further down the road. Now I was getting cross! How could someone take an interest in a piece of rubbish only up to the point of kicking it, but not disposing of it?
Soon enough another cyclist came across the packet, but this time he stopped and picked it up. Hooray! Someone with a social conscience for the well-being of our planet. Then this cyclist flipped open the lid, looked inside and smiled. He pulled out a cigarette, popped it in his mouth and cycled off.
I wondered, who was the victim of a negative outcome in that interchange?
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