A new blog

I just published my new blog. I wanted to blog in English and French at least - perhaps German at times - but wasn't quite satisfied with the way bi-lingual blogging worked. So I created a site called UpsideDownHeaven and you find it here: http://web.me.com/johnhu2


It's still somewhat under construction but it feels inspiring. If you were signed up for RSS Feed, please click that option on the new site.


See you over there....

Food for life...

... not for profit. I was reminded to join Food for Life, by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. After watching "Le monde selon Monsanto" last night on Arte - you can watch it here - I can't not join that page. The documentary is very well done, original too, with Marie-Monique Robin, the journalist who made the film, sitting on her Mac and googling the various keywords, issues, persons involved in Monsanto's quest for conquering the world by literally hijacking the patents on seeds of all kinds, thus making producers dependent on their stuff. Even if genetically modified seed and food were harmless, which obviously they are not, by no means, such an undertaking is an injustice crying to the heavens.

That basic stuff for live, such as seed, water, health care be made into commodities so a few can get rich is one sin. That they are being monopolized is another on top, and when these things become toxic and poison the people touching or eating them, the cup of sins is full. If we're not angry, the stones will start shouting.

Albert Camus: pacifist-journalist

Forty years ago on January 4, 1960, Albert Camus, then 46, died in a car accident. At 20 or so, he had been refused an academic career because of his tuberculosis which was then not curable.

Camus was writing to advocate for the Algerian Muslims, who had no rights as French citizens. He was writing against fascism, but not simply that, his was a struggle against the denial of dignity and rights of people anywhere, from the Kabyle region to the Gulag. To portray Camus as a communist, as was common in schools of my upbringing, was not doing justice to him. Nor was he happy with being labeled as an existentialist. Camus was a pacifist of the best kind, struggling in favor of non-violence, human rights and truth. A pertinent model for today's journalism. Here is a quote from Camus I like: "All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning"

The TSR has a great documentary on Camus, and the Liberation has a series of articles. All of this can be found under lesdocs.ch

Year of Silence

A number of Christian bodies in Germany have taken initiative for  2010 to be a year of silence - Jahr der Stille. Most of them come from the tradition of the word, the protestant tradition. No doubt ours is a time and culture of words. Lots of noise and much of it less than very good. Churches too tend to be noisy and the tradition of silence appears to be fading. Silence is not media-compatible. It's useless for Radio and TV. The internet lives from words and pictures. We are under constant assault of words and noise. 


I welcome the initiative for a year of silence, even though I suspect it will be more words about silence. - Just what I do here. Real silence requires discipline. - As does writing and preaching. Silence is more than not talking. Turning off the constant noise not only outside, but inside, is a real challenge. Becoming quiet has its own blessings. The image of God who is not in the noisy storm or fire, but in the still small voice of a tender breeze is to be pondered more often and more deeply than is usually done. In my view silence and gentleness are cousins. And I wish God's quiet tenderness was as much evoked as God's almighty power. I'm pretty sure the we'd all be better off in our world.