Tag Archive for: consumerism
ODJ: true fulfilment
How many times have you, as I have, delved into sin—addiction, sexual impropriety, gossip, pride, unbridled anger, slothfulness and more—in an attempt to mask the pain of life? It’s so easy to respond to emptiness, disappointment or hurt by turning away from God’s commands.
We find, however, that sin never leads to the peace or lasting fulfilment we crave. Instead, as we take thing
We find, however, that sin never leads to the peace or lasting fulfilment we crave. Instead, as we take thing
ODJ: freeing money
Among the poor, I’ve often encountered extravagant generosity. In the Amazon jungle, locals stretched their meagre resources to provide me with daily meals. One evening they prepared fresh monkey stew and though it was not something I cared to eat, it was a costly delicacy for them. Within the slums of Mexico or Indonesia, you’ll often discover individuals who, because they have so little to h
ODJ: driving God out?
/
1 Comment
Is it possible to drive God away? The answer is a
resounding “Yes!” Ezekiel gives us one sure way—
idolatry. In a fascinating account, the prophet recorded what made God leave the room. In Ezekiel 8:1 we read that the leaders of Judah were gathered at Ezekiel’s home. They were probably seeking a word of encouragement and comfort from the Lord (14:1, 20:1). God, in reply, gave Ezekie
ODJ: disney’s gospel
As my family was leaving the park after a fun day at Disney, the loudspeakers were playing a happy song with the chorus, “In everything you do, celebrate you!” The song reminded me of the earlier parade that encouraged us to celebrate our dreams, “whatever they are”. My 12 year old son, the apparent cynic in the family, proclaimed that his dream was to take over the world. Should that be c
ODJ: no app for that
When I was a child I knew some people who did nothing but watch television. They sat in their armchairs and absorbed continuous loops of game shows, sitcoms and sporting events.
ODJ: fast cash
On her way home, Heather Kelly noticed what looked like “a snow globe of cash” on a dual carriageway. An armoured van had failed to secure its rear door, and the money was airborne. Roughly 30 cars lined the dual carriageway as motorists pulled over and tried to grab the banknotes that had escaped from the van. Kelly recalled, “People had fists full of money.”
For some of us the prospect
ODJ: work
The first thing you notice are the nets. They stretch tautly between buildings, hung to catch workers who might attempt to leap to their deaths. This is Foxconn, the behemoth factory in Shenzhen, China, where crowds of young Chinese people manufacture iPads, iPhones and computers for the world. As the nets attest, the job isn’t always fulfilling.
To be fair the suicide rate at Foxconn is lowe