backgammon

triangular paradise
i face myself
the greatest opponent

mercy paid for me

my pulse rises
i buy
consumed by the thought of what i want
consumption began before i paid

my wallet is my power
if my world is this one only
if i am the judge then more is more

the fool looks to money
as the thirsty looks to water
money does not satisfy
drinking it makes you thirstier still

only fools look to money
the way the runner sees the finish
there is no limit, no end
the finish line ever advancing

"the economy of mercy
is where my soul began" - Switchfoot

the solution

last night i was going through my top draw looking for a pen or something. could have been a pencil. i noticed a tube of ointment. its fancy name as adco acyclovir- well at least that is how i say it. this particular ointment is a remedy for fever blisters. cold sores. the ugly things some people get on their lips. i remember thinking about the ointment for a good ten seconds before continuing to look for a pen. or pencil.

this morning i woke up with a fever blister. i find this ironic. but it also makes me wonder if sometimes the disease only becomes apparent once you have glimpsed the solution.

love

if love is letting go, then love we must
if love is holding tight, then love we must
oh God, to know your heart
to know You
to know wisdom
to know what love means

oversupply of the Gospel

It’s Christmas! Today is the day that so many kids have waited for and so many parents have dreaded! This year I’d like to think economically about Christmas and the gospel of Jesus coming into the world. That’s right... economically... it should be fun :-)

I will have to start from the foundation of supply and demand as an economic theory, the gist of which says:

- the higher the demand the higher the price and vice versa (if you really want something you will pay more for it)
- the higher the supply the lower the price and vice versa (if there’s lots of something it’s not really worth that much)

[extract from ‘supply and demand’ posted on Dec 2nd 2008]

This morning I attended a PACKED Christmas service which was encouraging to see. But the corollary of course is that mostly the churches are not that full. Attendance is low. There are massive exceptions and world-wide this varies tremendously but in the main, church attendance is pretty low. Especially in the modern world like in America and the UK (the Christian powerhouses of old.) The supply of churches and christian merchandise has seemed to drop the demand for things that are ‘churchy’.

And yet in the past few decades the gospel, and Christianity as a way has flourished under oppression and persecution as was the case in China and Korea.

It seems that if you want Christianity to grow then fight it. And if you want to kill it and empty the churches, don’t oppose it.

These are interesting things to notice!

The story of Jesus is about the GIFT of salvation- and on a day like today when we are both receiving things that have cost other people money or giving presents that have cost us something, there is always a cost element involved. The same applies with Jesus. Except God’s gift has cost us nothing and has cost him everything. It is free. Yet cost an unfathomable amount.

And much like I don’t like pamphlets, a windscreen wash at the garage, bank diaries and most free stuff, I think that society doesn’t want what it can’t afford and thus the world refuses the greatest gift ever given to man.

Oversupply decreases value. Even for the Gospel?

the strength of the I.T industry (adapted)

I have decided to publish a post from ‘carlsonomics’ into ‘a thought collection’ because as I re-read what I had written I realised that I had written more about people and their behaviour than I had about the actual I.T. industry. This is consumer analysis that asks interesting questions about the changing nature and demands of us humans: consumers or consumed?

Many people remember the I.T. bubble. Since early 1990’s the industry looked saturated with potential and many investors made killer profits. Also known as the ‘dot com revolution’, many people believed that Information and Technology was the new economy rather than merely a part of the old economy. Much investor confidence was lost with the events of September 11, 2001... in fact the bubble burst and many investors made killer losses. As a result many people have developed an overly negative attitude to the I.T. industry, and for the past 7 years, I.T. companies have in the main not come close to returning to their former glory.

I remain optimistic about the future of the I.T. industry though and here’s why: The I.T. industry is driven by the needs of the modern human. Here are four:

1. The need to be connected
Never before in the history of man has it been so possible to always be available to whomever is trying to reach you. Even untouchable celebrities are known to sometimes return myspace / facebook messages. It is a case in point where the technology has created the need rather than vice versa. (ie. because we have cellphones we need cellphones OR because we have facebook we need to facebook.) The culture or being connected is becoming a way of life and thus it is becoming a social need thus driving the demand for connection providing services steadily higher. And culture changes slowly. Reversion is highly unlikely.

2. The need to be synchronised
Your email with your phone with your laptop with your contact database with your ipod with your itunes with your electronic calendar with your ... you get the point. The need to be synchronised is driving new technology.

3. The need for convenience
THe modern world could be said to be obsessed with convenience. Service delivery companies have always made margin on added convenience. Convenience has always had a price tag. Pre-made meals and salads, pizza delivery, electric windows, garage quickshops, portable music etc have all changed the face of the planet purely because they were convenient alternatives. Charles G. Mortimer is quoted as saying: “Today convenience is the success factor of just about every type of product and service that is showing steady growth.” Therefore, as long as life can be made more convenient, the I.T. industry will continue to find technological ways of doing it.

4. Lastly, the need for portability
This last point needs little explanation. I carry facebook in my pocket. It’s great when you are waiting in a queue. You can still be social. In fact I should say you can still be ‘social’. There is a difference of course... being social would mean being friendly with the people in the queue with me... That is the flesh and blood world. However if ever the line between reality and fiction was getting blurred it is surely in these times. I met somebody recently who firmly believed they were good at soccer because they were good at playing soccer on the playstation... as if one represented the other. He was insulted when I laughed at him.
Technology allows us to be mobile. It’s becoming a way of life. Laptop sales are sky high because people want to be able to compute on the move. There are many more examples too - I will not bore you with them - I think it’s clear to see...

I.T. companies have the odds in their favour in the modern world. Sure, the industry’s bubble popped but that’s because investors were blowing too hard, not because of the weakness of the industry.

Information and Technology has defined our needs, and now is the only one who can meet them.

and then it rained

the heat feeding the clouds since first light
evaporation taking away
stealing water from around me
invisible yet steady

the sky was like an over-ripe pimple
exploding
it was mercy after the heat
it was the give-back
always more than the take

saturating the hungry earth
satisfying my thirsty heart

water
freshness

He gives. He takes. Always working when we face Him. The give-back always exceeding the take.
This is my God making me more than moist.