On 9 February 2014 I again had the privilege to preach at St. John's church in Bothasig. The topic was "Love Is...". This was the first in a series which we are presenting love and relationships in February, the so-called "month of love". This is a message which I have been wanting to give for a long time and I am happy to have finally been able to do so. It also challenged me greatly. The text was 1 Corinthians 13. Read more …

These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.

G.K. Chesterton

I want to thank you, my readers, for this past year. On numerous occasions have I been humbled to hear from people who read this blog and find encouragement in it. It makes me realise that I am not just yelling out into a void, but that people are hearing what I have to say, al be it often quietly so. That is an incredible feeling. So thank you again. As long as God gives me the strength to continue, I shall. (And, remember, your feedback is always welcome!) Read more …

This year I did not prepare a Christmas message of my own. But that is fine, because sometimes it is good to keep quiet, listen to others and let their message go out. And so I invite you to give this song a listen. Read more …

Last night I preached my second sermon at St. John's church in Bothasig. My topic was "The Nativity According to the Gospel of John". This is a message idea which I have had for a long time and I was happy to finally deliver it. Read more …

A local Cape Town church, Joshua Generation has recently come into the spotlight over some of its teaching. A complaint had been lodged with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) that the church instructs and sanctions corporal punishment. The complaint concerns the church's literal interpretation over certain verses in the book of Proverbs and there are, presumably, fears that this could lead to child abuse. The resulting controversy has led to a rare discussion about freedom of religion in South Africa, which is a culturally diverse, tolerant, yet often religious, society. In this article I want to describe the issue thus far and give a couple of personal opinions on the matter. Read more …

While I was still busy with my postgraduate degree, one of my friends was diagnosed with having Asperger Syndrome (AS). AS is a type of autism: a neurological development condition (i.e. how the brains of such people developed) which leads to people perceiving, reasoning about, and reacting to the world differently than people who are "neurotypical". It seemed quite ironic to me, as my thesis revolved around AS, so I knew a little bit about it. As with many people, the diagnosis brought my friend a sense of relief. She was already in her 40s and could now for the first time put a name to an ever-present feeling of being different from most other people. Read more …