Resilience is one thing, but putting up with abusive and unloving behaviour is another.

Don't do it.
Keep vigilant.
Protect yourself.
Listen to trusted people who have your back and your heart.
Do something about the red flags.
Challenge what causes them, and if there is no change then call it out or walk away.

Anti-heroes are complicated and misunderstood... And I find them fascinating!
Are they heroes?
Don't they kind of look a lot like the villain?
Do the ends really justify the means?

A while ago I did a podcast with a friend of mine thinking about the "Black Adam" film and theology, and I talked a bit about anti-heroes there.

But what about me?

There's a degree of pressure on us when we do that.

To “hold a mirror up to" is a phrase meaning “to take a look at oneself objectively to examine or reflect on things (issues) stemming from the reality of reflection; to reveal to someone about the way they look (differently) to the rest of the world (so that they can reflect upon themselves); expose, show up, bring to light (some (unpleasant) aspects to oneself)”.

Community done badly holds up images of the ideal alongside the mirror and tells us all the ways we don't measure up.

This one is about forgiveness.

Watch this long, uncomfortable and difficult TED talk, and then have a listen to the song.

They say that ignorance is bliss.

Sometimes we'd rather close our eyes and have everything go away.

Perhaps if we sleep things will be better when we wake. Someone will have magically fixed the problem.

I guess this song just draws together the thoughts that I've already had with "Bridge over troubled water" and "Eyes of a child".

Human kind has been on a journey round light:
We sat round a fire and told stories as communities and clans;
We moved indoors and read stories around the fireplace, or listened to them on the radio;
The radio got replaced by the television and we continued to have less responsibility in telling the story, though we were all still pointing in the same direction;
Nowadays the TV is still in the corner of the living room, and the seats still point towards it, and it ever continues to burn out a light and tell stories, but whilst it tells its stories I tune it out and disappear into the light of the screen in my hand. It tells stories, paints pictures and shows things to me. I experience them alone, along with millions of other people, and occasionally I send them to other people on social media so that they too can enjoy them alone.

"I Do."
No caveat.
No grudge.
Not feeling like I have to, but because I want to and more than that, that I have the privilege to... I GET to... And I am free to!

That is the feeling that I had when I got married. I didn't feel like I had to say I do, but I really wanted to. And I knew the potential and privilege of it.

I wonder if that's the same thing when we are asked to say "I do" at things like church services, when we sign up to things in life?
Do we see the opportunity and potential excitement, or are we just saying it because we have to?

Because when we say it we open ourselves up to a whole lot more... What more could we get ourselves into?

I've had to learn it before, and I'll have to learn it again:

That would be nice...
I often feel like there's an almighty downpour inside my head, as I try and work out the mess of thoughts that spiral around!

Some of those thoughts are trying to unpack faith and theology...

I loved 1984. I think it was my first real experience with dystopian literature and worlds. I think there’s something in those things that get written, or filmed that we go on to consume that make us believe their fantastical and gold for the world we live in, but if they’re really good then there’s something about them that make us just a little bit afraid of what could be…
​
Muse used 1984 style vibes and influences in their 2009 album “The Resistance”, and I loved it.