Brandon Blog

November 2008
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Dance Dance Dance!

Posted on October 2nd, 2008 by Brandon.
Categories: Stuff that Happens.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a live recording of the television show “So You Think You Can Dance South Africa.” I also had the privilege of writing a review for Dance Directory. If you are interested, you can check out my review at:

http://www.dancedirectory.co.za/content/articles/articles.asp?MID=708&Section=News

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Let Your Voice Be Heard…

Posted on September 26th, 2008 by Brandon.
Categories: Mixed Thoughts on Reality.

Disclaimer: This post is actually about culture and not politics. The author claims no specific political agenda.

Recently, on a certain online social network, I came across an upcoming event in which the participants are planning on skipping school (meaning, college or University classes) on Nov. 5^th (the day after elections in the U.S.) if a certain candidate is elected. The creator of this event claims that skipping classes will be a way to protest against this certain candidate. He says that he thinks they should be heard even if they cannot be counted.

What struck me most about this particular initiative was not the political agenda or even the absurdity of such a “protest” that would accomplish nothing. It was rather the attitude behind the initiative. Now, I don’t know the guy who started this thing, so my opinion of him is clearly not very well rounded, but it seems as if the spirit behind this event is something along the lines of, “I want my voice to be heard even if it makes no difference in the world around me” (keep in mind that the people attending this event are of voting age). Of course, in America, South Africa, and many other nations around the world, we have that right to voice our opinions and voice them loudly. However, it seems to me that this event is actually reflective of a subtle and gradual shift happening in the culture today: We are moving away from voicing our opinions in order to make a difference and moving towards voicing opinions for the sake of voicing opinions. To put it another way, our right to protest may be in danger of losing its purpose. If we protest to affect positive and progressive change in the surrounding society, then the protest serves a purpose; however, if we protest simply to whine, knowing that nothing will change, then the protest becomes a vacuous and hollow gesture, reeking of immaturity.

In looking at this particular event, it is quite clear that the protest will change nothing. Once a president is elected, he is there for at least four years (assuming he does not die, resign, or get impeached). So why protest? What is the purpose? In this particular case, doesn’t the protest just further divide people who already disagree on political and social issues? It reminds me of a child throwing a temper tantrum at the grocery store because his mother would not buy him the cookie he wants.

What do you think? Are we moving further away from voicing opinions for a purpose? Are we as a culture (whether you are American or South African) falling into the trap of claiming rights even if we don’t plan on using them for a good reason? If we lose sight of the purpose for which certain rights were originally granted, do we then abuse and misuse them? Am I just thinking too much on my first day off in two weeks?

3 comments.

Jailhouse Rock

Posted on September 8th, 2008 by Brandon.
Categories: Stuff that Happens, Teaching.

Yesterday I went to Prison….. but I’m getting ahead of myself.

About five years ago I had a dream. Not a day-dream or an image in my mind, but a real fall-asleep-and-dream-of-something kind of dream. In the dream I’m standing in front of a huge crowd of people, but they are all black people. I am speaking to them, giving them Truth to hold onto, but I am not speaking in English. In the dream, I don’t know what language I’m speaking, but I knew that it was the language of the people listening. I didn’t understand it, but they did, and that was the important thing.

Okay, so yesterday I went to prison. My boss Flaps was supposed to preach in the prison, but he was unable to go, so I went instead. Inside the medium security wing of the Pretoria Correctional Facility is an alive and vibrant congregation of Christians. This was not just one or two Christians who were trying to cram a few nuggets of truth down the throats of a handful of inmates. This was a full-fledged church! Even the pastor is an inmate!

We had an awesome worship time with two guitars, an accordion, and even a tenor saxophone! There was commissioning of elders (yes, even prison churches have elders, and yes, they are inmates), and then I got to speak.

I had my sermon all ready to go, but they didn’t tell me that I would be using an interpreter, which was a new experience for me. Most of the guys do speak English, but the interpreter (also an inmate and member of the church) translated everything I said into Tswana, which many of them speak as a first language. It was a bit awkward for me at first, because I’m not used to someone interrupting me in the middle of every sentence while I’m busy giving a message.

In the end, pastor George came up to me and said that he wanted to use what I said and continue teaching on it that month. I was very encouraged to know that my words might be used to strengthen the maturity of these incarcerated Christians. For those of you who are curious, yes, there was one convert, and that is a beautiful thing, but on that day I was actually more encouraged by the thought of the 150 Christians being challenged towards further maturity.

I wondered when I left if that was what my dream was about. I was in front of a crowd of mostly black people speaking to them, but my words were received by them in another language, one that I don’t understand yet. Honestly, I don’t know. I’d like to think that it was one possible meaning for that dream, but I do not believe that dream is yet fulfilled.

I still believe that we will stumble upon our destinies if we only focus on what is in front of us in this moment and ask God to throw us into the middle of the action.

I will get ready, and then perhaps my time will come…

4 comments.

PARTY!!

Posted on August 25th, 2008 by Brandon.
Categories: Stuff that Happens, Wife.

…and what a PARTY it was! My wife organized and executed a superb 27^th birthday party for me. And since I am turning 27 on the 27^th, it was a GOLDEN birthday party, full of golden food, golden beverages, golden decorations, and even some pretty wild golden outfits (Marisa made my

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Dance Dance Dance!

Let Your Voice Be Heard…

Jailhouse Rock

PARTY!!