Author Archives: abeccai
Words & Worlds
Phial of Galadriel
‘In this phial,’ she said, ‘is caught the light of Eärendil’s star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. Remember Galadriel and her Mirror!’ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two TowersContinue reading “Phial of Galadriel”
Neighbour to Neighbour
I’m not sure of the circumstances that led to his present condition, and frankly it doesn’t matter. What did matter was that this large gentleman, this double amputee, needed help – and fast. He was being pushed by his wafer thin companion, and it was obvious that the combination of gravity and Seattle’s hills wouldContinue reading “Neighbour to Neighbour”
Prisoners of Hope – On Cornel West and Abraham Joshua Heschel.
On Saturday night I had the opportunity to listen to Cornel West (Professor, Historian, Philosopher and Social Activist) wax eloquent about the work of Rabi Abraham Heschel, and how it fertilised the soil of his imagination. For West the kinship with Heschel transcends their shared Judeo-Christian roots, rather it is in the subversive prose that HeschelContinue reading “Prisoners of Hope – On Cornel West and Abraham Joshua Heschel.”
When the saints went marching
MLK Jr. day was on Monday. I went to my first march and it was incredible. The march snaked for two miles along Seattle’s streets. It started in the Central District, and moved through Capitol Hill, ending at WestLake Park. A multitude of people, fighting for a plethora of causes, turned up to have theirContinue reading “When the saints went marching”
This is life.
I came home last night around 10pm. My wife had told me that our daughter was still up, which is unusual for her. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened when I opened the front door. My 7.5 month year old daughter saw me, and before I could take another step in the houseContinue reading “This is life.”
How to lessen your chances of being railroaded.
Sometimes in life, we make decisions that take an awful turn for the worst, and it is entirely our own fault. We can’t divorce ourselves from the blame, we messed up royally, and have to deal with the consequences as gamely as possible. There are times though, when we are the unfortunate animal, that isContinue reading “How to lessen your chances of being railroaded.”
Talking about bicyles
“It is the work of true education. . . to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought.” – Education, Chapter 1, page 17 These are the opening lines of the revealing article “It’s complicated” written by Luke Whiting in Spectrum magazine 3 weeks ago. Luke traces his lifeContinue reading “Talking about bicyles”
“It’s only a joke” –
I have mainly been a bystander in the issue of race, but this week I was forcefully thrust from the green room to the main stage. It started out with a seemingly innocent question – “do they have malls in England?” I wasn’t paying much attention to his question, and I mentally swatted it away.Continue reading ““It’s only a joke” –”
andreas | beccai 