Musings

I love this song because it is so peaceful in the midst of a mad world. It is my experience to have found rest in God. Do not get me wrong, I love life and am delighted with the living, but it seems to me that man very often destroys the tranquility by creating a gaudy bubble of emptiness which bursts so very frequently. The emptiness and transience of life make me desire to build on a lasting foundation. God offers real peace and rest. I start each day by thanking Him for that real, deep serenity which will last forever. Matthew 11 v 28-30

It is always intriguing to observe which concepts and words are difficult to translate from English into a foreign language. As I currently find myself in the Republic of Macedonia, the wrinkled forehead, grimaces and rumblings of linguistic indigestion from deep within prove that it is not always easy to express everything in Macedonian. Sometimes where we have an adjective in English, Macedonian will use a preposition with the gerund/noun e.g. there is no adjective for' chewy', so it is expressed 'for chewing'. 'Creamy' is inadequately translated 'with cream'. Sometimes where we use Latin/Greek derivatives, they just spell out the object with words: e.g for 'funambulist', they say 'dancer on a rope'. However, more often than not, they too will borrow the word e.g 'cacophony' is 'kakofonija', 'ventriloquist' is 'ventrilokist' et al. One is never sure, though, if the Latin derivative is commonly known. Ob...

When I first came to Macedonia on a visit in 2001, I found this little country so intriguing and breathtakingly beautiful that I happily accepted the invitation to return for a longer period. That ‘longer period’ has now extended itself to several years during which I have had many enriching, memorable experiences. I thought it might be interesting to jot down a few observations about the difference in culture. I appeal to my Macedonian readers not to misunderstand my intentions. What I have observed are customs and habits which are as normal to you as breathing and sleeping, but to someone from an entirely different culture, they are both interesting and noteworthy. It is always thrilling for me to explore how various nations function and it is nothing short of a privilege to experience a foreign culture first-hand. Hospitality Macedonians are a friendly, hospitable people. I do not know how many times they have almost literally killed me with kindness. Indeed, I have often...

I had a terrible thought this morning. Would anyone ever ban Christmas? Would any government ever say, ‘In the name of political correctness, Christmas will no longer be celebrated.’? I get a feeling sometimes that some outspoken, prominent people in our society understand their vocation to be that of destroying all that’s precious and dear to some others. The strange thing about the sea of political correctness is that, very often, intolerance is the outcome. God forbid that the celebration of Christmas, whatever it means to you, should ever officially disappear. As I was considering this, an Oscar Wilde quote came into my mind: "Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you." I am a lover of the truth and that is why that particular quote stuck in my mind. It is true. You can take Christmas out of our calendars, but no one can ever remove it from my soul. It is a time of peace, joy, giving, cele...