One post to rule them all

Once you’ve been blogging for years, the older posts tend to get lost into the back end of the blogosphere never to surface again. So here’s a pinned mini-library for those of you here for the first time, or those wondering where to begin. Doubtless it’ll be an incomplete list, but I hope it may highlight the main thrust of content on here and save you hours of scrolling past irrelevant content.

Firstly, my main purpose in writing was to help myself explore the intersection of faith and travel. To that end I put a short (Christian) theology of travel together here, before I wrote the book. It itself is a mini-library, organised according to Biblical theology and Systematic theology, though not updated since well before I wrote Travel. You can find it here. Of course some of the most popular material I have written is not on this site either – things like this where I was interviewed by Andrew Wilson for Christianity Today.

Secondly, I have been told that some other series I have written would be useful to have linked here prominently. Often nonsense gets the most internet hits (sadly blog posts with words like “sex” in or blog posts that just tell people what to do on controversial topics [people seem to secretly love being told what to do]), but these are significant not for the number of blog hits they get but for the reasons stated.

• A series on Unengaged People Groups (UPG): if you’ve never heard of a UPG, aren’t regularly praying for UPGs and wonder why the western church doesn’t speak much about them, despite God’s heart for them, then you may like this series. It takes work done by others and applies it locally, but it may well still apply to some of your setting too.
• A stolen series on unity in diversity: courtesy of Dave Bish (now the pastor of the church I went to during university days), there’s some thoughts on Christian unity. His models have caused many a conversation with pastors when I’ve been on the road, and have been very helpful in work. Other posts on unity also can be found here and here.
• A series on how western mission agencies need to change: Like everything I write, it generally stems from work that others have done. This time taking from my experiences and from Eddie Arthur (@kouya) and applying it to the Irish setting. This series has helped round-table discussions amongst agencies on the island.

(C) mine

Thirdly, you may not like me hand-picking what I think you should read, and would prefer to walk into the blogosphere and climb a ladder to the fifteenth shelf and pick a blogpost that better interests you. To do this, most will know how WordPress blogs work:

• There is a simple search function on the right-hand-side.
• I have an unusual love of books. You can find all my book reviews and blog posts that resemble book reviews over under the topic heading “book reviews” on the right-hand-side.
• All my posts about ‘faith & travel’ I tend to categorise under the two tags “theology” and “travel” – you can bring them all up using the right-hand pane. There are far more than just the ones in the section mentioned above.
• Guest posts are also available through that “tag” on the right-hand-side. You’ll find more varied opinion in there than simply that of a young Irish lad.

Finally, there are some blog posts on here that fall into categories far away from anything about faith and travel but still seem popular. Here are a few of them:

• The Irish 4 Peak Challenge: could you climb the highest mountain in all 4 Irish provinces in 24 hours? Not many have done this challenge, but having completed it in 2019 I’m willing to help any others who want to give it a go.
• Tales from round the world: some of my blog posts I write simply for the joy of writing and telling (true) stories about things that have happened to me. You’ll see a few samples here:
  • At gunpoint in Egypt
  • Calling a helicopter search after a run in Ireland
  • Being followed up a mountain

[As things are written or re-discovered, I may update this as time goes on – we’ll see!]

The Air We Breathe (Scrivener, GBC, 2022)

What’s it about?

“How we all came to believe in freedom, kindness, progress and equality”

Glen takes 7 values that virtually everyone (in the West) believes in and lives for, and seeks to ask why we shape our lives around them. Equality, Compassion, Consent, Enlightenment, Science, Freedom and Progress. Where can we get our justification for saying these are good things? Was there a moment in history when people started believing in these things and shaping life around them? By believing in these things, are we just mindlessly having faith in unprovable values that we like or find comfortable?

Who is it written for?

Glen conveys that he writes for 3 audiences:

1. ‘Nones‘ – many who are atheistic or agnostic but have perhaps never stopped to think where these precious values might have come from.
2. ‘Dones‘ – the many people in our part of the globe who would perhaps have described themselves as ‘Christian’ at some point in their life but now no longer do, and who see the immense problems with it.
3. ‘Wons‘ – so that followers of Jesus can understand where they and the world around them got their values from, and how to better live with confidence in the days ahead.

“It is not necessary to be a Christian to appreciate the force of Glen Scrivener’s argument in this punchy, engaging and entertaining book.”

Tom Holland (Historian, Author and Podcaster)

A bit about it

As I’ve enjoyed Glen’s YouTube podcasts over the past couple of years, with varied thought-leaders from across the globe, I was crazily anticipating this book at the end of it all, and it didn’t disappoint. He writes in short, snappy chapters, yet readers would be mistaken to think there’s no depth in there. If you watch Glen’s YouTube series, you’ll know that each sentence, and certainly each chapter, is backed up by leading thinkers of diverse background. For example, in his introduction he lists a book or two per chapter that support his writing, as well as stating what he is and isn’t trying to do in this book.

Each chapter tries to take us on a short history of the idea or concept, and help us to see that really each one comes about in history because of Jesus. That other cultures and worldviews are radically opposed to such thinking (or should be, unless they’ve blindly borrowed these ideas).

And in case that sounds too far-fetched an agenda to be true, others across the West are starting to realise Glen’s main thrust of his argument. In the Irish Times ‘Inside Politics’ podcast, Hugh Linehan has just done a very similar interview, bringing out some of the points Glen tries to make. And that’s not to mention people like the secular historian Tom Holland’s foundational work “Dominion”, and many others like Larry Siedentop, Rodney Stark, Kyle Harper and Joseph Henrich, to name a few that Glen quotes (none of whom are Christians).

Ultimately, Glen tries to convince each group of something:

1. ‘Nones‘ – that most of the values they hold to are indeed Christian values, only come about through Jesus. You can’t have these values without Jesus. Or you can, but you’d be basing life on blind faith.
2. ‘Dones‘ – that the values they (rightly!) judge Christianity by, are indeed Christian values. That there isn’t any leg to stand on to try and judge Christianity, unless these values are true.
3. ‘Wons‘ – that Jesus’ values are worth holding on to, sharing and enjoying in their right context.

The group of young adults who I read this with particularly enjoyed Glen’s quotation towards the end of the book:

“Be half a Christian and you shall have enough religion to make you miserable”

Charles Spurgeon here

Glen really helped us to see that we all want to live by Jesus’ values, even if we find those who take Jesus’ name utterly repulsive at times. But that to take his values, without taking him, is just giving ourselves a list of preachy rules to keep, applied by everyone differently. It is taking enough of Him to make our lives miserable (for none of us live up to our own standards, nevermind His), and not enough of Him to offer us forgiveness and some context for how to apply such values with wisdom.

The weaknesses of the book?

Chapter 5 on ‘the Enlightenment’ rushed over five things (technology, universities, human rights, parliaments, The Reformation) that Glen tried to connect to Christianity. Although he may well have been right, I think this was the weakest supported part of the book, spending not enough time on each one. I could imagine hearing my Muslim friends’ voices making audible remarks in my ear about why some of these things developed. But then again, Glen was writing to an English speaking, Western context, rather than engaging with other religions.

I wonder whether this will be the flaw more generally of the book – that there’s not enough in it to convince the reader on each point, unless they are prepared to do the homework on reading up elsewhere. That said, I know what it is to be an author and to be trying to decide what content to put into the book, while keeping it at a popular level that people will actually read and engage with! A daunting challenge, and I think Glen has done well in what he selected. I trust the way he writes will encourage others to go away and explore more.

Anything else?

Reading it as a book club together here in Crumlin, Dublin, we loved being able to watch his video that goes with each chapter, and discuss the questions together. You can find the videos and discussion guide here for free. I look forward to giving away a few copies of this book, and to continue discussing it with all of you, whether ‘nones’, ‘dones’ or ‘wons’!

You can buy the book:

• Here in Ireland
• Here in UK
• From the publisher

And here’s the opener to provoke some thought!

5 Top Tips for Travelling Christians in 2022

“The pandemic has been (largely) left behind and finally we’re free! Travel figures are back surging again as travel-hungry individuals, families and groups of friends seek to make up for lost time. Wanted to go somewhere for that big birthday? 2022 is your year to catch-up! Missed a honeymoon? 2022! Simply want to see family and friends again after years? Now’s your chance!

Partly due to the surge, and partly to make up for lost sales, travel in 2022 may not be the cheapest it’s ever been (car hire and competition around accommodation especially), but there’s plenty of bargains out there still, depending on what kind of travel you’re interested in and whether you’re flexible.

But what does it look like for a Jesus-follower to travel this year? Here’s 5 ideas which hopefully may be of use to us all…”

Here’s some thoughts I shared on a friend’s blog recently. Just click on the image or link below for more…and while you’re there, why not order (the blogger) Seth’s upcoming book “Dream Small”. I’m excited to see another new author here in Ireland.

https://sethlewis.ie/2022/05/04/5-top-tips-for-christians-travelling-in-2022/

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Is it Unspiritual to be Depressed? (CFP, 2022)

It's an amazing privilege to not only be able to read this book in print, but to have known the author Paul Ritchie as much as to nearly be able to hear him say everything in it, and to know that this book is something real. I say that to disclose that I'm not a neutral coming to this book review, but I hope you'll trust me on it!

‘Is it Unspiritual to be Depressed?’ is an ideal short read (90ish pages) on the topic, perfect for both someone who is depressed or wrestling with mental health issues, but also for those who wish to know how to live alongside those who do. The author is a Baptist pastor in Limerick (Ireland) who fits both of these descriptions.

Eight short chapters await the reader, which I robbed myself by reading in one sitting in just over an hour this evening. There is a feast of things to meditate upon in those chapters, but all very simply put. In fact that was one of the great notable features of the book. It was not only the chapters which were short yet rich, supportive and very practical. Even the way Paul told real stories of those around him, and often his own struggles in life, was in a very simple, down-to-earth kind of way, which anyone could pick up and read, even with poor concentration.

Despite this, from knowing many of those he quotes, there is considerable research, and decades of medical, psychological, pastoral and theological wisdom which will have been poured into the book from various people. But you wouldn’t have guessed it from its readability – more from how the author tackles the topic in hand, responds to questions and places emphasis on certain things.

Every word and story is born out of real life experience, and the messy reality is helpfully present in the book. This authenticity was one of the powerful things about the book, that made me think more of the good news and of Jesus, as I saw His grace in action in the life of Paul and those he spoke of. Paul reminds us of some of the glorious realities of the good news in ways that are not cringeworthy, and seem very relevant to many dark places where our minds and hearts can go.

In a world where huge percentages of people do struggle with mental health and will continue to do so, Paul’s realism to prepare Christians to live with these challenges is a welcome refreshment amongst other spiritual responses which can try and suggest that depression will necessarily go away if you truly know Jesus (or similar).

Please do get yourself (and a friend or your church) a copy of this book from the publisher (GB), from an Irish bookshop like Teach Solas or if you really must, from the dark underworld for your Kindle. And if you feel up to it, why not even start a conversation with someone else about this, or simply confess our struggles to each other as we do life together? Thanks Paul for leading us in this so well.

Christian Travel Network Meetup

Since writing my book, I’ve been delighted to see several Christian travel networks develop and grow and be part of joining their conversations across the globe. One of those is the Christian Travelers Network.

Tomorrow (Saturday 15th January) is a fantastic opportunity to connect with Christian travellers from across the globe, as a virtual meet-up is scheduled which is free to attend. You can pop in for a bit of it, or stay for the whole thing. There’ll be networking, a few short workshops and plenty of thought-provoking, imagination-spurring things which will hopefully engage wherever you are spiritually at the moment!

I’m hoping that this will just be the first of many meet-ups as the network grows and develops, but I’m excited by a whole range of people from across the globe who have already booked in. It’s hosted on an online platform that will be very easy to interact on, and far more professional than Zoom. And while we’d all dream of being in the same room as each other and able to travel to the same location someday (I’m thinking a stunning beach resort with a drink in hand and mountains nearby!), for now we’ll make the most of the fact that everyone knows online platforms like the back of our hands. And even if you don’t – why not drop in for the main sessions and at the very least connect with some key voices in the world of (Christian) travel, and be challenged in your spiritual walk?

Hope to see you there!

Click here to sign up

It’s not just us who travels…

Well, it’s been all quiet here for a while, but here’s a fascinating idea which Sam Learner in the States has just launched. We often think of our journeys, of animals migrating or even of plants pollinating. But what about a drop of water? What journey might it go on from its point of falling?

There’s some incredible footage which takes you on each journey at a speed of your choosing.

Check it out here:

https://river-runner.samlearner.com/

HT: https://www.fromeverynation.net/

The Future of Travel

Moving to Dublin, changing jobs and being in a 5km lockdown until recently has made for another year of reflecting on travel, and travelling locally, rather than internationally. And during lockdown there is much that has been predicted about travel post-Covid which is sheer speculation and wishful thinking. Of course that isn’t a surprise, as predicting the future is hard to do! And it is very hard to untangle our wishes for the future, our worldview, and what is driven by what we observe around us.

_{Walks in my 5k}

But, sparked on by a competition I entered, I added to the pile of speculations and wishful thinking with this poem about the future of travel post-Covid and my journey shaped by my faith.

Bucket list ticks.
Where next?
What now?

Ticks the watch.
More next!
Everything now!

Watches the world.

Breaks.

Slow...now.

World of diversity,
Community next,
Environment now.

Diversity uniting,
Humility next,
Generosity now.

Uniting in journey,
Curiosity next,
What now?

Journey into unknown
What next?
Changes me now.

(What I suggest of course, is simply wishful thinking, unless there is something in our worldview that will empower us to live in what I propose is a fairly selfless way described above. Right thinking alone will not produce the fuel of love in our hearts to look beyond ourselves.)

^{Sights that have been long forgotten (Dublin airport)}

But I’d love to know your thoughts or predictions about the future of travel, particularly in relation to faith or your worldview. So if you have any ideas, do drop me a line and I might even be up for a guest post soon!

And as much as I can say, I’m confident it won’t be as long until the next post! 6 months of creative juices await!