Q Conversations 4: Jazz Singer and Photographer Ruth Naomi Floyd

While I was in the States at the end of last month, I had an afternoon to kill in Philadelphia. So the completely obvious thing to do was record another Q conversation. This time I sat down to chat with Ruth Naomi Floyd, whom I’d met at the European Leadership Conference in Hungary a few years ago. It’s available on iTunes podcasts, or if you prefer a direct feed, here on Jellycast.

Wisdom from the Palaver Tree: Kofi Annan’s impossible job cajoling the world

I have just finished Kofi Annan’s fascinating memoir Interventions. Annan is clearly a man of great stature and influence, who strained every sinew to bring about peace and dialogue during his 10 years as UN Secretary-General but tragically often failed. For all kinds of reasons. But as one might expect (and indeed hope), he has great wisdom to share, even if he cannot claim a string of personal triumphs.

But before a few gems, here’s my brief Amazon review (which you may want to find ‘helpful’?!):

The inaugural Q Conversations podcast: Talking with Jaap van Heusden

It’s been a germ of an idea for ages, but at last it’s finally come about. Q now has a podcast. Hurrah. I can just sense the infectious excitement simply oozing throughout cyberspace. But there are loads of fascinating people out there: hearing how a few live out their lives and passions ought to be fun. Doncha think?

Well, whatever you feel about the prospect of Q podcasts in general, the inaugural episode in particular is definitely exciting because last week, I had the chance to record a conversation with the very talented and thought-provoking Dutch filmmaker, Jaap van Heusden. Here is the link on iTunes (or if you don’t have that, direct through Jellycast)

Returning home changed to an unchanging Shire

Sabbaticals bring many benefits. One is obviously time for reflection: on the past, present and future; on what matters; on what has made us who we are. And I can say without hesitation that, for good and sometimes perhaps for ill, our Uganda years made a far greater impact on me than any other four-year period as an adult. Of course, one never realises it at the time. Life goes on, you blithely persevere from one thing to the next, you never stop to think.

Bishop Zac, the Black Monday campaign in Uganda and putting yourself in harm’s way

This is important. Bishop Zac Niringiye used to be my sort-of boss for the 4 years we worked in Uganda. He was the secretary of the trustees of the college I taught in and had actually been someone I consulted about life there before we moved in 2004. His advice to me was simple then. “Don’t try to be a Ugandan, Mark. You’re not. You’re a Brit.” Superb – of course cultural sensitivity is essential – but it is only works if it is accompanied by authenticity and integrity. Zac is a strong character with strong passions and a good mind (he was a Langham scholar, doing his theology PhD in Scotland). He’s not always easy! But he’s someone with real integrity and gospel concern.

The British Empire was never quite what you thought: John Darwin’s Unfinished Empire

Nearly 10 years ago, a dear friend of mine was addressing a gathering of Ugandan MPs in the Parliament building in Kampala (around the 40th anniversary of independence). It included those from all shades on the political spectrum, including not a few post-colonial firebrands. My friend is certainly no great apologist for imperialism, but he posed two simple questions.

• “Which Ugandan regions (of those that the British failed to develop) have we since developed?”
• “What aspects of public life, government and rule of law have we improved on or done better in than the colonial regime?”

Friday Fun 28: Aural Nostalgia for an African Day

This is a random Friday Fun. It’s not especially funny, although some will probably think this makes me seem very funny, putting me in the same bracket as collectors of birdsong CDs. Too bad. It just so happened that I was searching for some old files on my computer and came across these – I’d completely forgotten I’d made them. But in the few days before we left Uganda in the summer of 2005, I took my rudimentary digital recorder out into the garden and just let it listen.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 44 (May 2012)

Sacred Treasure

• A really impressive and helpful Holy Week Timeline
• An American anthropologist spent 4 years fully embedded in 2 Vineyard churches in the US. This is a review of revealing result.
• A great project to make the vast catalogue of Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ sermons available online.

The Saigon School of Missiology and Graham Greene’s QUIET AMERICAN

It is not just the victims of imperialism who easily identify its sins and blindspots. Those who have wielded and then lost empires are quick to spot the parallels in others’. Perhaps that was partly why Graham Greene was such a caustic critic of what he perceived as the twentieth century’s new imperialist incarnation: the United States. Of course Greene had strong left-wing sympathies and was openly anti-American, which provided  convenient filters by which the right could ignore his perspectives. It’s no surprise that he was under FBI surveillance from the 1955 publishing of The Quiet American until his death in 1991.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 38 (November 2011)

Sacred Treasure

• Every human being is part of the global community; every Christian is part of the global church; and yet is amazing how little we know of life in other parts of the world. This website will help a little – compare life in different countries and follow up with suggested reading.
• Did you go to a Christian University/College in the USA or were you home-schooled? If so, this research makes for interesting reading.
• I love good infographics. So when used with the Bible, it’s a win-win.

Q’s Espionage Festival: 1. Gordon Corera’s The Art of Betrayal

BBC Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera‘s new book, The Art of Betrayal – Life and Death in the British Secret Service covers ground that will be familiar to all students of the Cold War and spy fiction fans. But he does so in a very readable, engaging but authoritative way. The British Secret Service was in some ways one of the last relics of British imperial glory, with an ability to strut across the world stage despite other aspects of British influence declining.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 37 (October 2011)

Sacred Treasure

• Sinclair Ferguson has some great preaching tips in his Preacher’s Decalogue
• A friend of mine who works in Sarajevo, Bosnia has researched a distant English relative of his who had a profound impact on the city. He’s written a book, and now has an accompanying website, MissIrby.com – really interesting stuff.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 35 (August 2011)

Sacred Treasure

• Carl Trueman is his trenchant, swashbuckling self in his corrective about current obsessions with all things urban
• Jason Ramsami has remarkable graphic gifts. He’s now made his Jesus Comic (which is available as an iPhone app) freely available on his website in its entirety.
• Been doing the rounds, but Taylor Mali does a brilliant job of cultural deconstruction with his earnest appeal to speak with conviction. Check it out if you’ve not done so yet.

Hackgate, Corruption and African perceptions of the West

During the 4 years we worked in Uganda, I would have this conversation with students all too often. They would despairingly deprecate African states for their oh-so predictable corruption, nepotism and despotism. It would be shrugged off and perhaps accompanied by a green-eyed comment about western political systems. And indeed, when chatting with friends back home, they would often enquire whether X or Y countries were doing ‘worse or better these days’ – shorthand for whether their respective rulers were now more, or less, openly corrupt and oppressive. Such is the caricature many outsiders have of Africa – and of course, there’s no smoke without fire, etc etc.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 34 (July 2011)

Sacred Treasure

• Pete Saunders very helpfully lists 20 things that the Pratchett BBC2 doc on assisted suicide doesn’t tell you
• Krish Kandiah does a great service by his thoughtful comments on Grudem’s recent Politics book.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 33 (June 2011)

Sacred Treasure

• This is a truly remarkable testimony of forgiveness from the wife of one of the hijacked co-pilots on 9/11 (HT Nancy)
• Very interesting comment on Religion and the Royal Wedding after Bashir & Wark talked on Newsnight

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 32 (May 2011)

Sacred Treasure

• Tyndale House has come up trumps with these really helpful little Easter videos
• ASBO Jesus has a nice Prodigal Son overview:

The joys of Ugandan English

Not quite sure how I came across this wonderful Wiki page - but for any who have ever lived or visited Uganda, or East Africa generally for that matter, it is a treasure trove. Definitely worth printing out as a precautionary measure to keep in your back pocket.

Which reminded me of some things we wrote in our monthly newsletter when we were living there… exactly 7 years ago  - simply can’t believe it was that long ago now.

Sherif, Social Media & a local church in Austria

STOP PRESS: Written Question in Parliament about Sherif:

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This is has been a very weird, virtual week, but weird in a rather wonderful way. Virtual not because it didn’t happen but because some of the exciting things that happened occurred online. But first, let Emma & Sherif set the scene after Sherif’s 20 days of unlawful detention in Egypt.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 27 (December 2010)

Sacred Treasure

• The dilemma for Iraqi Christians
• Charts showing the difference between NIV2011 and previous versions, and here. (HT Antony Billington)
• Full schedule of Lausanne III at Cape Town to see videos of main talks etc
• Bring Advent to life by following Natwivity on Twitter
• David Instone-Brewer at Tyndale House has very helpfully reviewed a variety of computer resources for the bible scholar – check them out at Tyndale Tech
  • 1. Writing a book/thesis
  • 2. Research that can be re-searched
  • 3. Surviving the death of your Hard Drive
  • 4. Writing Greek & Hebrew with ease
  • 5. Translating ancient & modern languages
  • 6. Finding and reading online books & periodicals

Topical Treasure

• If you know anything about recent Balkan history, this news is an encouraging sign.
• Books vs eBooks – an interesting Newsweek chart
• Very interesting article about what Americans feel about their ex-Presidents.
• Scary infographic about internet porn. (HT Simple Pastor)
• The problem of contemporary parental discipline:

Quirky Treasure

• Ever been on an overnight flight? Well this sums up the experience perfectly.
• I love tilt-shift photos – clever focus manipulation that makes real life scenes look like models. Check these out.
• Some rather fun and quirky photographs from everyday London.
• I rather like these Ukrainian designs for playing cards
• 50 office jargon phrases we just totally hate
• Some fascinating cartographic futurology from the ever reliable Strange Maps
• People are awesome (not dumb… mostly) …!
• Rather fun reflection by Kevin Connolly on James Bond, America and post-war austerity