Steven Colborne's Blog, page 56

Beard Trimming and God

Yesterday, I was trimming my beard using a small pair of metal nail scissors, and I very nearly cut my ear. It’s always a little treacherous trimming around the ear area because the way the mirror reflects light means I sometimes think left is right and right is left. Dear reader, I know you understand!

When the ‘near miss’ happened and I stopped the scissors from cutting — with my earlobe already between the blades — I immediately gasped with relief and spontaneously uttered “Thank you, Lord!” out of relief and gratitude that I didn’t injure myself.

But let us look at this event a little more closely, and examine what was really going on.

My gratefulness to God would seem to imply that God stopped me from operating the scissors in such a way as to prevent me from cutting my ear. So God must have been in control of my hand, and its movement (or lack of movement!), at that moment.

But was God also controlling the trimming process leading up to the moment of my close encounter? To deny this would mean God’s involvement in my beard trimming activity was very strange indeed. It would mean God was not at all involved in moving my hand as I trimmed my beard, up until the very moment I was about to cut my ear, and then He entered into my body and seized control of my hand and held it still, preventing a bloody lobe-rupturing mishap.

Reader, is this what you believe was happening?

An alternative view would be that God is in control of all human activity, and that we are simply like puppets in God’s metaphorical hands, so God was in control of the entire beard trimming process, as well as everything else I have ever done. This is not what Christians believe, as the majority of Christians insist that we have free will. But if I freely stopped myself from cutting my ear, what would be the logic in thanking God for saving me from injury?

My beard trimming example can be expanded outward to important theological matters such as sin and salvation. Are we freely sinning throughout our lives, but then God steps in and takes control only at the moment of salvation, so that we thank God for salvation, and say that it was a work of grace and solely God’s doing? In light of my beard trimming example, does such a perspective really make sense?

The key question is whether God is sovereign over all events, or only some events. My personal perspective, as elaborated on in detail in my book God’s Grand Game, is that God controls every aspect of our lives, and this can be understood by considering His omnipresence, which leaves no room for free will.

If the reality is that God was in control of the entire beard trimming process, then perhaps, rather than thanking God for saving me from cutting my ear, I should ask God why He almost made me cut my ear in the first place (Was it perhaps so I had inspiration for today’s blog post, I wonder?!) In a similar way, instead of simply apologising to God repeatedly for our sins, and thanking God for our salvation, we might like to ask God about the reasons why He caused us to commit those sins in the first place.

In summary, then, while the Christian might simply thank God for saving them from mishaps and disasters, someone who understands God’s sovereignty over all events may well question why it is that God put them in the way of danger in the first place. This is a significant difference, as while the Christian will simply say “Thank you, Lord!”, the person who believes in God’s control will say “Thank you, Lord, but why?” The latter question makes more sense to me, and would seem to accord better with the nature of reality and the truth regarding God’s sovereign control of everything that happens.

In this series, entitled Praise and Prose, I offer a daily reflection on the way we use language, with a focus on faith and spirituality. For each post in this series, I focus on a different example of how I believe language could change in order to better accord with reality. I warmly invite you to share your thoughts on each post in the comments section, and feel free to subscribe to this blog to follow along with the series. Thank you for reading.

(Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash)

The Language of Silence

I believe that in our interactions with others, we often don’t value the power, and necessity, of silence.

In my youth, and even in young adulthood, I was terrified of silence. Refusing to allow silence in my interactions with others meant that I would never have to face the contents of that silence — feelings of fear, anger, and depression. People used to refer to me as “the guy that’s always smiling”, but my smiles were merely makeup hiding an emotional mess which lay beneath.

During a time of psychological desperation in my 20’s, a caring friend suggested to me that psychotherapy might be worth a try. My psychotherapist, acting from years of experience and with emotional expertise, helped me to confront the emotional distress I was hiding from view. Eventually, after many sessions and the shedding of many tears, I became silent. I was able to be silent in the presence of another person for the first time. From that point forward, silence has been a central aspect of my life, and I recognise it to be one of the most important components of healthy communication.

A popular and commonly used phrase is “I was just making conversation”, and some of us do that a lot — chatting without any real depth or purpose. Speaking out loud is not really necessary a lot of the time if we are sensitive to other people’s emotions, or “energies”. I believe that we would all be much healthier psychologically, and therefore happier, if we shifted our focus to emotions rather than words, and learned to be comfortable with exploring the silence in between our words, and the emotions which may be present in the silence.

Often we store up emotions in our bodies as a defence mechanism which is used in order to cope with emotional or physical distress. We use phrases such as “I need to get it off my chest” because we recognise that sometimes there are emotions trapped in our bodies that need to find expression and release. Being silent in the presence of an emotionally mature person can help us explore these emotions, which are easily hidden in casual conversation and the chaos of everyday life.

You may like to ask yourself this question: Am I as comfortable being in silence when I am around other people as I am when I am alone? If not, why not? What am I afraid will happen in the silence?

Just imagine, for a second, being around your friends and family, and everyone sitting together in silence for an hour. I wonder what insights and lessons would be learned during that time.

Silence can be a beautiful and liberating thing. We can only really be ‘with’ someone if we can be silent with them. True silence never gets boring. You only truly understand who a person is, and connect with them properly, when you have had the experience of being with them in silence.

In this series, entitled Praise and Prose, I offer a daily reflection on the way we use language, with a focus on faith and spirituality. For each post in this series, I focus on a different example of how I believe language could change for the better. I warmly invite you to share your thoughts on each post in the comments below and to subscribe to this blog to follow along with the series. Thank you for reading.

(Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay)

Praise and Prose: New Series Info

Greetings and blessings. In today’s post, I’m just going to provide a quick update on my new blogging series which, God willing, will start tomorrow. The series will look at the kind of everyday language we use to talk about life and faith, and I will aim to offer insights to help us assess whether that language is truthful and helpful. For a few examples of the kinds of things I’ll be covering, check out my previous post where I announced the series.

Today, I did a brainstorm and came up with a title for the series: Praise and Prose. I didn’t want a title of more than two or three words because long titles tend to look messy on WordPress (with my theme, anyway), and the aesthetic side of things is important to me as I want readers to enjoy visiting the blog and experience as little frustration and friction as possible.

I am not a design expert but I did spend quite of lot of time designing a simple header for the series, which you can see accompanying this post if you click or tap through to the blog. I realise it’s not exactly the Mona Lisa, but I hope it’s good enough to go with and won’t provoke too many feelings of disgust!

My intention right now is to post in this series daily, and to keep posts short. I really need a positive distraction at the moment and this series will hopefully help. I’m excited to get your thoughts and ideas in the comments as the series unfolds — you are just as important to this series as I am, so please do contribute.

I’m going to end here for today because it’s been a busy day so far and I’m feeling the urge to relax with a cup of spicy chai and a slice of swiss roll. If you’re looking forward to the series, please hit the like button to let me know you’ll be following along.

Prayers for everyone who is suffering at the moment; feel free to check out my essay on God, Suffering, and Covid-19 if you need some encouragement. You can find it on my Essays page. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Suffering, God, and Covid-19

Is God responsible for human suffering? This question has been a major consideration of mine ever since God revealed Himself to me and I became a Christian back in 2008. I have considered Biblical interpretations of suffering, and have also explored a range of non-Christian arguments as to why we suffer, including those from Eastern philosophy and also atheist and humanist accounts.

With the hope of being some help to those who are suffering in the midst of this pandemic, I have written a short essay entitled The God Who Tortures: A Covid-19 Theology. You can download the PDF and read it here.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to bring back and freshen up my Essays page, so you will see that the page has returned to the navigation menu.

Visit the Essays page on Perfect Chaos

Talking of ‘freshening up’, I have also given Perfect Chaos a makeover. The new dark theme is not a reflection of any particular navigation towards darkness on my own part (not consciously, in any case!), but it is apt in the current circumstances and I did it because I felt like a change. I hope you like it. My personal website at stevencolborne.com has also had a makeover to match.

As the now common pandemic mantra goes, stay safe! And I hope to be back soon with the first instalment in my new language series. I have closed comments for this post, but you are welcome to email me with any thoughts or questions. I will be opening comments for the language series. See you all soon.

(Image by bereg74 from Pixabay)

A New Blog Series

Greetings, friends, and God bless you.

In recent months, God has been bringing to my mind examples of phrases and commonly used manners of speech which are somewhat irrational, as they do not accord with the Truth about the way reality is.

Some general examples of this would be as follows:

Making claims about future events with certainty, when in reality, the future is not certain.
Making statements that imply we have the power to control events, when in reality, God is in control of everything that happens.
Making a promise to someone when we have no idea what the future holds and whether or not the promise will be fulfilled.

I believe that we can, and should, adjust our language so that it is more true to the way things really are, and I believe that in doing so we will experience relief, as old clichés and manners of speech are replaced with utterances that are more meaningful and truthful, and will therefore be more satisfying to use and will carry more weight.

To some people, this proposal might seem strange and perhaps overly ambitious, but I feel it is a natural progression from my book God’s Grand Game, as it will use the philosophical insights I shared in that book to justify the arguments I will make in relation to the way our use of language could evolve in the future.

I have already sketched out a plan for the series. With a different focus for each post, I will be working through the philosophy behind the way we use language and will be making suggestions, with examples, in relation to how our use of language might be improved. I think this will be a fun and enlightening process.

I will not be making heady technical arguments, because I have always been a firm believer in accessible philosophy and I hate it when when philosophers alienate people by being overly technical and obscure.

As the series unfolds, I would very much like to get your insights, thoughts, and feedback in the comments, as long as you are willing to be constructive and stay on topic. Hopefully, readers from around the world will contribute comments using their knowledge of non-English languages and how the arguments I will make relate to those languages. This will add great value to my posts and I wholeheartedly encourage your participation.

Thank you for reading this post, and God willing, I’ll get this new series underway next week. If you’re not yet subscribed and would like to follow the series, please do subscribe so that you will receive an email for each new post.

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

Easter Weekend Reading

Greetings, friends, and God bless you.

If you’re finding life difficult at the moment, please remember that you’re not alone. So many people are struggling with what can only be described as drastic societal changes, and isolation and interruption to our regular routines can be very uncomfortable.

It is for the reason just stated that I felt the urge to share my own strategies for dealing with the lockdown, which I did last last week in my article entitled Staying Positive During Coronavirus Lockdown — 10 Strategies, which you can read here. I know the article helped some people, and this makes me feel delighted as it was written for that purpose.

It’s going to be a strange Easter weekend for us all, and I know some people are anxious that they will have too much time on their hands and not know what to do with it. What I’m planning to do is get myself engrossed in one or two really great books, because there are few things that bring me more joy when I have time on my hands.

On the subject of reading, I must just share that I have made my book Big Ideas from Ancient Greece available for free in Kindle format via Amazon worldwide until Sunday. I’m very sad about the fact that in the UK I received a couple of one star reviews for the book, but I hope that won’t put you off reading it. Others have expressed their love for the book, and I would like you to make up your own mind. It’s only a short book, but it was written with care and attention, and I think there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy it. You can view the book in your local Amazon store by clicking here.

One of my plans for the future (should the world ever return to something resembling normality!) is to try to help people struggling with emotional problems through either working as a counsellor (a spiritual counsellor or psychotherapist, perhaps), or being involved in coordinating a counselling service in some way. I have some way to go until I will be ready to undertake such a role, but my personal reading over the Easter weekend will be counselling related.

Perhaps you could use your free time this weekend to find a book that will set you on course to further your dreams and ambitions? I know getting out to a book store will be problematic for most people, but you can read on an eReader, or on your phone, tablet, or computer. Just take care that you don’t give yourself eye strain

Who Runs the World?

According to investigative journalist (aka conspiracy theorist) David Icke, there are a very small number of human beings — born through the same particular bloodlines as the centuries go by — who are controlling, from the shadows, the way global events play out on Earth. Icke believes that these bloodlines are imbued with power because they are controlled by very powerful alien entities (which Icke refers to as “reptilian”), who have played a central role, albeit a covert one, in the unfolding of events on Earth for many centuries.

I have a lot of time for David and his ideas, although I don’t agree with all of them. While David seems to have reliable sources that reveal some of the disgraceful and frightening corruption which is apparently taking place amongst the “global elite” (as Icke refers to them), I have less sympathy for the extra-terrestrial involvement elements of David’s worldview, which seem very far-fetched to me.

Rather than being attributable to the covert influence of alien entities, I know that it is God who controls the way events unfold on Planet Earth. A God exists who is sovereign over the entirety of creation, and nothing happens on our planet that is outside of His will. David’s speculations concerning the involvement of alien entities in events on Earth are an understandable way of explaining why deeply disturbing political corruption can take place. I know that while not necessarily agreeing with the alien involvement side of things, many Christians would find sympathy with Icke in wanting to absolve God of responsibility for corruption, and the tremendous suffering it causes on our planet.

My high view of God’s sovereignty leads me to the sometimes awkward conclusion that God is in control of everything that everyone does, including everything that leads to suffering on Earth. My arguments for God’s existence, and God’s sovereignty over all events (including those events which cause suffering), are discussed in detail in my book God’s Grand Game, which I mention here in case any readers are interested in understanding my arguments more fully. In essence, I believe God does cause all suffering, and has reasons for doing so.

The predominant view of Christians, which is different to my own worldview, is that God is perfectly good, and satan causes evil events (although there are of course differing views on God’s involvement in creation among Christians, between Arminians and Calvinists, for example). Actually, David Icke argues that the cult who are responsible for the unfolding of world events consists of satanists and pedophiles, so his views accord with the Christian perspective in that regard, as the Bible describes satan as ‘the god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Nobody should blindly trust what they read in the media, whether that be the mainstream media or the alternative media, so how are we to know what really goes on with the global elite behind the scenes? The only reliable source of knowledge we have access to is God, and that’s why I believe prayer is so important. We must pray for God to guide us in relation to what the Truth is.

Some Christians will say that the Bible contains all the Truth we need in order to understand global events (past, present, and future). On the other hand, some theologians and scholars have found there to be great contradictions, uncertainties, and errors within the pages of the Bible. Another important consideration is that if we are to look to Scripture for guidance, why should we trust the Bible for knowledge and not the Scriptures of other faiths such as Islam, the Baha’i faith, Sikhism, Hinduism, or others?

For me, there is One God who is controlling everything that takes place on Earth, coordinating all activity in both the macrocosm and the microcosm. This God has created all of the religions I mentioned above, as well as many others not listed, and also all non-religious perspectives. God has created a world with a huge diversity of human perspectives, and this is all part of the game of life God is unfolding, which I talk about extensively on this blog and in my books.

Let us end by looking at the current global health pandemic in light of what I have said in this article. If there is a deadly, naturally occurring virus sweeping across the globe (something which David Icke disputes), then I am certain that God is controlling its spread. This gives me hope, because I know that nothing can happen outside of the will of God. Prayer is only worthwhile, and can only be effective, if God is in control of global events, which I fervently believe He is. So I strongly believe our best weapon against the virus (or against any deception related to the virus) is prayer.

Even if David Icke is right in his outlandish suggestion that alien beings control events on Earth, the existence of an omnipresent God means that all beings in existence are ultimately under His control, so prayer remains our most effective course of action in this scenario, as well as in the less radical scenarios presented to us by the mainstream media. It is God who runs the world, and may we never forget it.

Staying Positive During Coronavirus Lockdown — 10 Strategies

I recently ran a poll on this blog to get some feedback in relation to what readers would like me to blog about during the coronavirus pandemic. Someone suggested I should write about what I am doing to cope with isolation and living alone during this period of “lockdown”, so I’ll begin my new schedule today by sharing 10 strategies I am employing to help me stay positive and healthy while living alone and isolating. I have included many suggestions, which you can take or leave as feels appropriate!

1) Check the news only once a day

Checking for updates from our go-to news sources in relation to unfolding global events is important, as there may be information that affects us directly. However, the majority of news stories tend to create fear. As Morrissey sings in the brilliant song Spent the Day in Bed — “Stop watching the News, because the News contrives to frighten you, to make you feel small and alone, to make you feel your mind isn’t your own”. You can check out the song here.

Due to the negative effects of checking the News, I recommend doing so only once a day, in the morning. Just get the headlines and then crack on with doing something inspiring and productive with your day. Resist the urge to check, and check again. Perhaps remove the News website link from your browser’s bookmarks, or the News app from your phone. Make sure you stay strong, inquisitive, and independent in your views; don’t just parrot what you read every day, because each news story is only one perspective out of a potentially infinite number. Also, check different sources!

2. Daily exercise

The current instruction here in the UK from Prime Minister Boris Johnson is that we are allowed out to exercise once a day. I would definitely recommend doing this if you are able to, for the fresh air as much as anything. Personally, I tend to do a workout in my flat, just some press-ups, sit-ups, squat thrusts and some weights. I only spend about 10-15 minutes exercising each day, otherwise it would feel too much like a chore and I would avoid doing it. But everyone is different, so if you feel the urge to exercise for 30 minutes a day or whatever, go you!

3. Schedule productive activity

As I mentioned in the introduction, I have decided to introduce a new blogging schedule to keep me focused during this uncertain time. This accords with my main ambition in life which is to share my philosophical views via this blog and also via my books.

It’s a tough time we’re going through and many people have either lost their jobs or are in danger of becoming unemployed. But don’t let circumstances get you down, pick up a pen and paper and do a brainstorm: What is your life’s purpose? What are your passions? What are you good at? What opportunities are available to you right now?

If you can form a plan, and perhaps also some contingency plans, you will feel more on top of things and more confident that the coronavirus doesn’t mean your life is over.

4. Pray about all your decisions

Every day I pray throughout the day whenever I am troubled or confused about anything. I just close my eyes, put my hands together, and offer up a short prayer to God. I’m not suggesting it’s necessary to pray continually, although Christians are instructed to do so (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The instruction to ‘pray without ceasing’ in that scripture doesn’t mean praying non-stop, it means praying in a recurring way, just to be clear!

I have a longer time of prayer every Sunday in order prepare psychologically for the week ahead. Some of the things I personally pray about include protection, inspiration, spiritual direction, and mercy.

5) Keep your accommodation clean and tidy

Whether you live in a large house, a small flat or apartment, or are in hospital or temporary accommodation, you should do what you can to keep your living space clean and tidy and your belongings organised. A messy environment will make you feel stressed and depressed, and especially so at a time when many people are concerned about hygiene and not wanting to catch disease.

Don’t be obsessive though — I recommend setting a timer for 20 minutes and just having a high speed cleaning blitz during that time. You can get loads done in 20 minutes. When the alarm goes off, just be satisfied that you have done your best (or carry on for a little bit longer after the alarm if you’re feeling inspired to do so!) Don’t give yourself a hard time if your living space isn’t perfect, though, there will always be more you could do.

6) Keep in touch with friends and family

See this period of lockdown as an opportunity to reconnect with some people you may have lost touch with, and let them know that you care about them, and are thinking of them. Many people are also using this opportunity to build relationships with their neighbours — simply asking a neighbour if they need anything, or giving them a gift, can lift their spirits and your own. You could always drop a card through a letterbox, write a short note or letter, or give someone a quick ring or a text message.

7) Write your thoughts in a journal

I absolutely love journalling. One of the treats I afford myself (I’m on a tight budget!) is to purchase a Moleskine journal and a nice pen every so often, and then I write my thoughts in the journal on a daily basis. I have no set time or commitment to do this, I just do it as and when I feel like it.

Writing in a journal feels more private than writing on a computer, because as we all know our online activities are monitored and recorded and this can often make us feel reluctant to share how we’re really feeling. A journal is relatively private so we can write down how we’re really feeling, including all our quirks and insecurities, fearlessly.

8) Treat yourself sometimes

The UK government have added off-licenses (shops that sell alcohol) to the list of shops that can remain open during the lockdown. I found this quite amusing, it’s a very British thing to turn to alcohol in times of crisis! Personally, I don’t drink, because I like to keep my wits about me, but I do have a couple of addictions — I like a bottle of Coke Zero occasionally and also a chocolate bar with my cup of spicy chai.

Definitely make sure that while treating yourself occasionally, you also stay disciplined and don’t fall into bad habits. You want your body and mind to be as strong as possible when there is so much uncertainty. I know many people have only limited access to food and drink, so you might have to find more creative ways to treat yourself!

9) Keep an open mind

Now I’m not especially drawn to conspiracy theories, but I do know that governments keep secrets. I mean, there are authorities which call themselves Secret Services for crying out loud, so the assertion is hardly a shocking one! This means that there is likely to be loads going on behind the scenes that we don’t know about. For this reason, I don’t believe everything I read, and I keep an open mind. I suggest praying that God will guide you in all situations is the best course of action when it comes to knowing what to believe. And as I mentioned before, read a variety of News sources, if you can.

10) Be kind to everyone, always

Show no partiality. Keep a clear conscience by always showing kindness. Even when others are apparently selfish or unkind, give them the benefit of the doubt and know that everyone always does their best with the knowledge that they have.

BONUS TIP — MUSIC!

Music has often been one of the main reasons I have survived during some of the most challenging times in my life. I have a YouTube Premium subscription, which allows me to watch both ad-free videos on YouTube and also have unlimited ad-free streaming of music through the YouTube Music app. It’s actually very affordable, and as a musician myself, I simply have to have some kind of music subscription!

There are many things that I hate, and fear, about the prevalence of technology and artificial intelligence in the 21st century, but having unlimited access to a wide variety of great music is one of the incredible, even miraculous things that technological advances have given us. Let’s make the most of it!

That’s a wrap! Which of these strategies do you like, and do you have your own? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below. And do subscribe to this blog for new posts Monday to Friday, and share this post if you found it useful!

New Blogging Schedule

In response to the poll I carried out this week I can confirm that this will be my blogging schedule for the foreseeable future (I know it’s not some big announcement that you’re all on the edge of your seats for, but this is for those who are interested!

The Results of my Poll

Greetings from London. How are you all? I hope that wherever you are, you are feeling safe and blessed. Today, I just want to share the results of the poll that I asked readers to participate in on Monday. Here they are:

[image error]

Thank you to everyone who voted! As there was no clear winner, what I’ve decided to do is incorporate all the subjects into my schedule by focusing on a different topic from the poll each day, Monday to Friday. Thank you especially to the person who suggested I write about how I’m coping with living alone, I thought that was a great idea.

Now, I’m under no illusion as to how uncertain these times are, and I don’t know whether obstacles will come up in my life that will prevent me from blogging. I think it’s quite likely. But if I’m able to, I will do things in the way I have set out above.

I hope some of you were able to view the videos I shared in yesterday’s post, and if not you can click this link to read the post. It’s probably the most important post I’ve ever shared.

Wishing you all peace and safety in the midst of the chaos. Remember that God is in absolute sovereign control of all events, which is why I use the word ‘perfect’ in my blog title, ‘Perfect Chaos’. I don’t think the title has ever felt more apt than now.

I’m not sure when I will start the series, maybe tomorrow or maybe on Monday. I will open comments for at least some of the posts if I feel psychologically strong enough to read them and moderate them. If I keep them closed sometimes, please forgive me.

God bless you, thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you again soon!