The world that Jesus was born into

Around the era when Jesus was born, ...

• Julius Caesar was assassinated by Brutus.  Cassius succeeded Caesar as the next emperor of Rome (44 BC).
• Mark Antony and Octavian overthrows Cassius.  (42BC).
• Octavian wins over Mark Antony, changes his name to Augustus, and becomes the next emperor.  (31BC).

Around this time, a man called Herod the Great (74BC - 4BC) lived.  Herod:

•  sided with Cassius when he was in power, then Mark Antony, then changed sides to Octavian at the right times to be on the right side politically throughout his career years.
• had a brother-in-law put in a good word for him such that Augustus installed him as the Roman client-king over Judea.
• was bestowed the title "king of the Jews".  Consequently felt threatened when the Magi sought a different "king of the Jews".
• was a "Jew" in the sense that John Hyrcanus had previously forced Idumeans to convert to Judaism; although, in terms of race, Herod was really an Idumean or an Edomite.
• As "king of the Jews", Herod was to represent the Jews.  However, he also saw himself as a friend of the non-Jews, and allowed these people to have their temples in Jerusalem.  This is probably the right position politically, but it upset the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin since it was not enough Jewish representation for them.
• Herod was heavily into construction, building ports and cities - for strength, for protection, and for economic advantage.
• Married more than once; going for extra wives while previous wives were not yet dead or divorced.  (Adultery)
• Charged his wife with adultery and sentenced her to death when he suspected that she had desire to dethrone him.
• Wife's mother was executed without trial when she tried to retaliate.

Romans, at that time were:

• brutal enforcers of their law.
• tolerant of other people's religion.
• demanded high taxes.

It was to this world that Jesus was born.  It was to this world that He said that He is "the way, the truth and the life" and promised  to take us to a better place that He has prepared for us if we believe in Him.

I thought that there are many characteristics in the world in the time of Jesus that has not really changed ... and is still prevalent today.  Jesus' promise is relevant to us now, as it was to the people of Jesus' time.

Do you think so?  Does it upset your world to believe in Jesus?  How?  Why?  Would you do it?

Retiring

What happens when your job gets too tough?  When you get too old?

There has been talk in recent times in Australia to raise the retirement age to 70.  This is because people are living longer, and the average age of the population is getting higher.  There is no point having a high rate of unemployment and having older people living lives with less challenges if they are able to work.

On the other hand, as people's memories wane, as their eyesight become too weak to solder, as memories become too weak to do their jobs effectively, as they become too unfit to safely climb up roofs to pull cable, etc, perhaps raising the retirement age does not make sense.  As it is, people who lose their jobs after the age of 50 have a great difficulty finding another job.  So raising the retirement age wouldn't really help.  Instead, it would make it harder for the unemployed older people.  And social security would need to assist.

What do you think an appropriate solution to this problem might be?

As I pondered this question, I was drawn to a few side points that does not exactly answer the question, but adds to the thoughts on this issue:

• In Numbers 8:23-26, Levites were told to be in service from 25-50.  Ie. a retirement age was set.  Some discussion on this study suggested that retirement is Biblical, even if some Christian leaders do not believe in retirement.
  
• The Bible's talk of work vs resting, saving vs. giving, service vs. retirement seems to imply both as a part of living, according to Bob.  It is all a matter of stewardship.
  
• In a particular area of service, ie. school-teaching - about 30% leave their preferred profession after about 3 years.  Some reasons cited for this high drop-out rate were that they lost the passion for this after children have worn them out and other attractive offers come.  People need to have the right preparation and support in order to stay with their vocation.

Do you think so?  What do you think the right balance is?  How do you think one can be motivated, or should be motivated, to stay with one's vocation?  For how long?  Is there really an issue with retirement?

Economic cycle

News about the coming closure of the Holden brand in Australia was sad to many Australians, especially their own employees.  But it is said that this is something that has been on the cards for a while.  What led to this situation, though?  Can we really analyse this?

Holden became part of General Motors (GM) some time ago.  GM preserved the Holden brand because of its popularity in Australia.  GM actually carries 15 brands.  Australia has been carrying the Holden brand as well as Chevrolet, HSV and Opel.  Dropping the Holden brand does not mean that GM is pulling out of Australia, but it is a smack to the Australian perception because of how Australians regard Holden to be their home-grown product.

News media have been reasoning out the economic side of the equation.  With the high value of the Australian dollar, it has made sense to Australia to send its manufacturing industry off-shore.  It is cheaper that way.  However, this can come as a vicious cycle.  Without manufacturing, the cost of importing parts can become expensive.  Then, if Australia spends more money importing manufactured goods from overseas compared to its GDP, the value of the dollar and the value of the GDP will drop.  But this is forward-looking.  Does it make sense to continue manufacturing locally today when the cost is high?  To restart and rebuild manufacturing plants after closing them down is also a great cost.  Especially to those who lose their jobs.

I see that this issue does not lie with manufacturing alone.  It is the same with the building industry.

Presently, the cost of real-estate has soared quickly.  There was a slow period last year, but a drop in the interest rates and scare tactics through advertising and news broadcasts has pushed the cost to be high.  Many people are buying now, as they are afraid that they will not be able to afford the cost when it becomes higher.

Building of roads and rail services also pushed people to move houses and buy and sell their properties.

A lot of this has been due to anticipation of population growth in Sydney, especially in the area of Western Sydney.  And while the dollar is high and Australia is viewed as a rich country, this is attracting immigrants to this country.

But what if the dollar fell in value?  What if the job market became worse (as it seems to be becoming) as inflation rises (because of the rising housing cost)?  All that capital invested into housing could leave the city having many unoccupied homes.  Shopping malls not having enough customers for retailers to rent stalls.  Then all that investment in anticipation of a rising population would be Australia's downfall.

Now, I am not saying that Australia should not build.  If the population rises as it seems to be, not building can be a downfall, as the congestion and the strain increases.  The nation needs to plan in advance.

But plan in which direction?  How can the national leaders know?  They can look at the graphs that map the trend, but the trend is not dictated by the graphs - the trend can go the other way.  How can anybody know which way to go?

What do you think?  How would you plan?  Does God have anything to do with our future?

Happiness, Gratitude

"Happiness does not make us grateful; Gratefulness makes us happy".  These profound words by Miya Goodrich are thought provoking.

She shares her insights from a life of alcohol, lack of sleep, depression and chaos.  She was later diagnosed to have breast cancer.  That realisation woke her up to appreciate her life more before she no longer had life.

She wrote "I think sometimes in life we walk around with the illusion we’re in control. To some degree we are, but when faced with an illness you can very quickly be brought to your knees."

I think she is right.  It does frustrate us to realise that we are not in control, but life is like that.  In my opinion, we need God because we don't have control over the situations and circumstances around us.  I do not know if Goodrich believes in God though.

She also said that "we have a tendency to take life for granted."

I agree with this point also.  This is why we feel inadequate when we are sick, or poor, or hit with calamities and disasters that we cannot handle.  This is another reason we need God.

When we cease to take things for granted, when we realise that we do not deserve anything in life, it is at these times that we feel grateful for the blessings and the life that we have been given.  And we can be grateful for it.  But when we take everything for granted and are happy because of it, then we feel sad when we lose it.

I have two friends who both got distinctions for a subject that we did together.  One was happy.  The distinction was above her expectations.  The other was sad.  He thought that he must have done badly in the final assessment component for him to not have had a better grade.  They both got distinctions!

I think it is a matter of perspective.  Don't you?

What do you believe?  Does your outlook on life give you much gratefulness and happiness?  What do you look for in life?  Do you take health and happiness for granted?  Is God in the picture for you?

Nudging

How do you get people to do what you want them to do?  Or what they should do, even without you?

Lawton, in a recent issue of New Scientist calls this technique "nudging".

A famous nudge is at the urinals of the airport in Amsterdam.  A picture of a fly is etched into each urinal.  With something to aim for, men have been urinating better than they did in the past.  This reduced the amount of work and the cost of cleaning the toilets.

Some other nudges noted in the article are:

• Motivating people to vote by telling them that their neighbours are voting;
• Similarly, motivating people to save power by citing how many dollars their neighbours are saving;
• Placing the brands of groceries that supermarkets want to sell at eye level and at check-outs;
• Setting the default in forms to be the choice you wish people to take - some people will choose a non-default option, but many won't bother

Do you find nudging to be manipulative?  Do you think your freedom to choose has been reduced because others have made part of that choice for you?

Lawton says that people generally have two paths of consideration.  One is to choose quickly and make the choice that seems right quickly, or to take a longer time deliberating and chose more carefully.  In this age of haste and lack of energy to consider carefully, most people are generally inclined to make the quick choice.  What seems right is often chosen, even if it isn't really right.

Would you fall for that kind of choice?  What if your life depended on it?

The easy choice is to choose what everybody else is choosing.  But that choice can be the choice that leads to death.  What would you choose then?