Beauty for Ashes

This week we look at Christmas, clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan; attempted coup in Benin; Country of the week - Northern Ireland;  Males banned from Girl Guides; Rob Smith - The Body God Gives; The end of trial by jury?;  Climate Change - Deforestation in Indonesia; the humility of Mitchell Starc; The Queens Gambit and Nona Gaprindashvili; Radiohead and Gaelic Psalm 9; Rainn Wilson and Alex O'Connor;  Conversations with Geoff Bullock; Suffering with Steve Laws; and the Final Word.with music from Bob Dylan, Colin Buchanan,  Stiff Little Fingers, Anonymous Ulster, Radiohead, Back Gaelic Psalm Singers; Geoff Bullock;  and the Gettys.

This is a fascinating interview with Geoff Bullock, one of the founders of Hillsong - and a great musician/songwriter in his own right.  We talk about his life, the beginning of Hillsong, what went wrong....why he left....and how he is recovering now....includes the songs - The Power of Your Love; I am Carried; and the Great Southland

This week we look at the rising tides in our cultures - from climate protesters and trans ideology,  to AI and Islamists and war....including protest at Newcastle port;  Bjorn Lomberg; blackouts in Eastern Australia; Felling trees in Scotland;  China and Coal; the Maldives; the Great Barrier Reef; 2001 - a Space Odyssesy; the power needed by AI;  Islamic St Andrews Day; Immigration in the UK; Jakarta becomes largest city in the world;  Country of the week - Ukraine; the end of the Russia/Ukraine war?  North Korea and Russia;  Australia's sex discrimination minister doesn't know what a woman is; Your Party launches;  the new Archbishop of Melbourne; the intelligent pupils of Belmont Christian College; Feedback; and the Final Wordwith music from Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Richard Strauss, Ukrainian Orthodox music;  the Red Flag; Yothu Yindi and Hillsong.

I had the great privilege of having a discussion with several pupils from Belmont Christian College....I hope you find it as encouraging as I did.... Thanks to Hamilton, Faith, Meleluca, Liam, Josh, Kayden. And Alex Cameron The questions were What is the best advice you have received? How do you cope with people being bad to you? Are mission trips exploitative? If we keep sinning how can we be Christian?  What is repentance?  What about those we are lost?  Mental disorders…