Every day ants do pretty much the same thing. They go out of their nests, find some food, and bring it back into the nest. Along the way, they stop each time they pass another ant, and their antennas touch briefly. Do they say hi? “How are the wife and kids!?” Receive a message from…
Author: Paul Grobler
What on earth were the Magi thinking?
Why did they think a bright star in the heavens signifies the birth of a divine king? Why did they connect it with Israel and Jerusalem of all places? They weren’t even Jewish! And what made them pack their bags and take a long journey to go and meet this child? Can you imagine the…
Letter in the sand: an open conversation with the LGBT community
Our family loves watching movies together. From when the kids were small, it was an opportunity to learn to accommodate each other’s tastes. Sunday nights are movie nights, and we all take turns to pick a movie for the night. We make popcorn, smoothies and later some hot chocolate. When the kids were smaller, this…
Are you a hedge builder?
“Demons watch you through the ink of your tattoos”, my daughter’s friend told her a few weeks ago, “when you have tattoos you give them a door into your life. My grandfather told me so”. My daughter was discussing some contemporary matters of the day during a youth group meeting, and she came to chat…
Interview with a Retrenchee
It’s an early evening on a Cape winters weekday. It’s dark. A man is walking, alone, his collar up to shield against the icy breeze coming from the cold Atlantic. Knowing it’s not quite safe to be alone at this hour, he keeps his head down but glances around every so often — a natural…
3 ways to dislodge yourself when you’re stuck in your bible reading
I remember as a boy, there were a few times I tried to bargain with God. If he would just answer my prayer and let me have that blue BMX or this Atari video game console, I would do some things for him in return. Do you know what I used for a bargaining chip?…
Polarisation: caught in the crossfire like me?
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We have everything. The sweeping Table Mountain range, the stunning beaches, one of only six floral kingdoms in the world. Some of the best restaurants globally. A host of sub cultures that makes the city truly fascinating to work and live in. But…
Time is on my side! (Giants part 3)
“Ti-i-i-ime, is on my side… yes it is!”. Remember that line from the movie Fallen, starring Denzil Washington? Wow, I can’t hear that song without thinking of that movie anymore! Or what about the block buster Noah starring Russel Crowe? City of Angels starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan? Do you remember The X-Files series…
Sins of the Fathers (Giants part 2)
Something was off in Genesis 6. This whole thing about the “sons of God” taking wives from the “daughters of man” drew a strong reaction from Yahweh. When this started to happen, he said “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years” (Genesis 6:1-4). This…
Fall of the Giants – part 1
Giants. An integral part of any great fantasy story. Clumsy and runny-nosed, it were those hilarious giants in the Hobbit who made Bilbo realise he is a pretty good burglar. Or remember those battle scenes in the Lord of the Rings? Those fierce Cave Trolls hammering away at the fighters from Middle-Earth facing him in…