Friday 22 March 2013

Environment!

If you're an environmentalist, this week has a couple of big days - today is World Water Day, and tomorrow, Earth Hour.

I think most people will support World Water Day and what it represents.  When you look at the fact that 5,000 children die every day from dirty drinking water, and 3.4 million people die every year...and meanwhile we have the technology for water filtration systems, but for some reason, it's not reaching everyone in the world.  I find that unacceptable.  We're so blessed here in Canada because we have fresh water anytime we want, at our fingertips.  It's so much so that we waste water - we dump it out if there's a speck in it or if it's too warm, we let it run while we're brushing our teeth, we take excessively long showers or several showers a day...  It actually drives me crazy when people laugh at someone for being a conservationist.  For example, when I turn off the tap for someone who's just let it run, they think I'm crazy, but who's the crazy one?  Put a dying child in front of us as we're letting the water run and the humour is gone real fast.  Then comes the argument, "Fine, mail that cup of water to a third world country."  Sorry to be so blunt, but what a stupid argument.  It's about the principle of it all - it's not that one specific cup, it's the bigger picture!

Same deal with Earth Hour.  Lots of people pooh-pooh it, saying it doesn't make a difference.  But it's not about the one hour, it's about what it represents - a change in lifestyle to be more conservative with our energy.  There is so much unnecessary pollution in all forms, and we need to do our part to help reduce it and save the world we live in.  That sounds so 'new-agey', but think about it, all those activities you love to do outside - canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, admiring a beautiful nature spot - the more we pollute, consume, and waste, the more we ruin all that stuff.  But just like World Water Day, there's an argument here - this time it's "look at the governments and big corporations and how much they're polluting!  How will it make a difference if I conserve?"  Valid argument in that, yes, corporations are terrible polluters.  But horrible argument in that everyone makes a difference.  If 1,000 people say, "I won't make a difference, so I'm not going to do anything", then nothing happens.  If those same 1,000 people say, "I can make a difference", then something big happens.  But it all starts with one.  And who knows, maybe we'll start to inspire the governments and corporations.  It's a vicious cycle right now - we're waiting for them to get better, they're waiting for us to get better, and in the meantime we're all getting worse.

For both World Water Day and Earth Hour, it's starts with one.

Thursday 14 March 2013

Ah, Memory Lane, one of my favourite lanes to walk...

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you'll know the big story of the week - the election of the new pope.  Sorry to start off on a tangent, but I have to say that it's been interesting to watch how it all takes place and how much media attention there has been on this - particularly because it's a religious thing and western media does not usually take well to religion.

Anyway, being in the news I've been watching a lot of it and I've really enjoyed it - partly because it was interesting, yes, but more so because it brought back a lot of cool memories for me.

My wife and I backpacked through parts of Europe two summers ago, and one of our stops was of course Vatican City, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel.  Seeing it all on the news is cool in general, but having been there makes it so much more interesting.  Every TV shot is a memory - "Oh yeah, remember when we were there?"  "Remember when we had lunch at this spot?"  "Remember when we saw the pope here?"  etc...

The coolest part for me over the past week was seeing the Sistine Chapel again.  You're not allowed to take pictures or video inside the chapel, so my wife and I spent an extra long time in there trying to memorize as much of it as we could.  Then seeing the pictures of the cardinals in the chapel this week just brought it all back...so cool...


In the square 


The inside of St. Peter's Basilica


We did not actually plan to see Pope Benedict but we found out he was holding a 'General Audience' when we were there, so we waited around.  He drove past us, 8-10 feet away, then we heard him speak a bit.


Thursday 7 March 2013

Fighting in hockey?

The question has reared its head again, after that awful fight last night between the Toronto Maple Leafs' Frazer McLaren and Ottawa's David Dziurzynski, where Dziurzynski was knocked out cold.

I was at the game (a wonderful Valentines/birthday gift from my wife), and will never forget seeing Dziurzynski's lifeless body drop to the ice.  It was one horrific moment after another - when he was knocked out by the punch, when he seemingly fell face first into the ice (at least from where I was sitting), when he could only get off the ice with the help of teammates (and barely at that), and when the crowd couldn't get enough of it all.

The punch alone was enough for me to say that fighting has no place in hockey.  To clarify, I am a HUGE hockey fan, and I used to love a good fight...but my perspective has changed in the last few years and was solidified yesterday.  Hockey is a game of intensity, finesse, speed, skill, hands, and vision.  Fighting belongs in a different arena.  If you want fighting, watch boxing, wrestling, or UFC - that's their express purpose.  But hockey's purpose is to try to get a puck into the opposing team's net.  How does fighting figure into that?  Basketball, soccer, and football all have similar structures - score on the other team - but none of them have fighting.  Why hockey?

I'm all for intensity.  I want to see the game played hard, and that intensity can bring some aggression.  That's fine, but know the line.  Fighting is too far.  Dziurzynski has a concussion, which is in essence a brain injury.  What's most frustrating is that it was so unnecessary.  This concussion could affect him for the rest of his life.  In fact, it could have even killed him if it was bad enough.  How is that "entertainment" when my wife and I just want to watch a hockey game?  Or when I take my kids to a game in the future?  I don't want them seeing that.

The other thing that made me sick to my stomach yesterday was the crowd's reaction.  Watching replays of the fight, you hear a  hush come over the crowd...but not from where I was sitting.  From my seat, I heard a huge roar when Dziurzynski was knocked out.  Thousands started cheering "Go Leafs Go" as he was lying on the ice.  The cheering continued as he was helped off the ice.

Absolutely classless.

And then the worst part - when it was all over, everyone sat down again, completely oblivious to the fact that someone in the building just suffered brain damage.  People went back to laughing, joking, enjoying their beer and food, and taking pictures.  Most did not give a second thought to what just happened.  Out of sight, out of mind.

Perhaps most importantly though, is the message we're sending the kids.  Go ahead, fight!  It's okay, it's part of the game!  No it's not.  The game is Canada's past-time, to be played on frozen lakes and rivers and ice-cold arenas.  It's to be played with friends who grab a stick and hit the ice to shoot the puck around.

Want to play with intensity?  Dig into the corners, skate hard, block shots, master puck control.  But don't hit another guy in the face.  That has nothing to do with hockey.

Friday 1 March 2013

Money - where's the balance?

I've often wrestled with this question and I've been thinking about it again this week.  Where's the balance when it comes to working a lot to make enough money, and trusting God to provide?

I know many people who work 2-4 jobs to make sure they and their families live a comfortable life - not necessarily wealthy, but comfortable.  That means they can take a vacation, put their kids in sports and music lessons, go out to dinner once in a while, etc...  They still trust in God of course, but financially they're pretty secure.  It's nice because they feel good and they are providing for their families.  (Just to clarify, they still make sure to spend time with their families)

But my question is, is that too much?  Do we need all those extras?

The other way to live is to trust that God will provide for those who love Him.  So work one job where you make enough to pay the bills and that's about it, and then trust God for the rest....

I wrestle with this.  I don't know where the balance is - I'm not sure where we as Christians should stand.  Christians around the world (who are far more passionate about Christ than we are in the west) would likely say it's all about God, so give everything to Him and trust Him to provide - forget the luxuries.  Should we think the same way?  Isn't the whole point of this life God and spreading His good news?

Perhaps it's different for every Christian, and I think it likely is.  In fact, I think it can change in one's lifetime.  At one point in your life you could be in a position where God is telling you just to trust Him to provide, and then there are other times when He gives opportunities for you to make lots of money.  So perhaps we each have to find the balance for ourselves.

As I said, I wrestle with this, so leave me a comment, let me know what you think!