Opiate

Education is the opiate of the masses.

Young

I haven’t washed my hands for nine hours
Time to go home and have a shower
The man himself will inherit the stage soon
To see and hear him I have waited since noon
His words and tunes have captivated my mind
He is a visionary only one of a kind
Aged now, but his power remains intact
And his ideas have taken root and become fact
Through fifty years ago, his words first were heard
Now again, these years we need to fight the absurd
And put people back on the political agenda
And free speech and creative thought comprehend
Music cannot be tied down with rules
Neither thoughts written to counteract the words of fools
We wait here now to hear songs ring out again
Inspiring others to participate with paper and pen.

Schools

Schools are becoming more and more like concentration camps,

and the streets as a jungle.

Is there a correlation?

Fighting to be heard

The fight to be heard is never won
Even when all debate is finished and done
The clamour of the unthinking drowns out the sound
The clarity and truthfulness of those on higher ground
So-called leaders instruct and dictate
Reaching only to the bottom of the shallow waters of hate
Questions and deviation cannot be tolerated
In case someone might see gaps and cause us to be agrivated
Some, thinking they can speak their own ideas
And rock the boat of the tyrants private fantasies
Tread the fatal boardwalk of the holiday from hell
Into a cataclismic disaster, thier lives an impromptu fell
Who can stand up against the tide of oppression
And save us all from the dark grip of depression
We could have a field day setting the captives free
Making sure all people get a chance the land to see
Everything is never perfect, words fall and rise like larks
You cannot always bask in light, there are improbable constant sparks
Maybe a spark will light a flame to burn in the cold
And a voice rise that will cease from getting old
The great will surely not end up second best
And the message will run and leap and drown out the rest
Courage is needed for these dull and mediocre days
A tough and steady spine to stand when nothing freely pays
The wisdom to know when to raise your hand and speak
Or another tactic to use against the morally weak
This modern tower of Babel will not long stand
For those who build it have no guiding hand
The fatal disobedience if to the right of left we roam
Will leave you forever in exile, never to return home
We can speak – theres’ nothing left to do
So gather up your brave heart and let your words be few

Out

I am missing you, my one true friend,
I wish the madness would quickly end.
The sane world is all we’ve got,
It’s something, but not a lot.
With you I know I can be honest and frank,
The stench of disgrace is rabid and rank.
It fills all our lives with hurt and deceit,
Making it hard for us to meet.
Little is fair and great is mistrust,
Precious jewels lie buried in dust.
I give mine to you, my one constant treasure
My love for you, beyond ordinary measure.
In the time between these weary days,
I trust you to come home always.
I wait for you, my friend and companion,
Until we can be together, again a union.

Politics and Education

The real power does not lie with politicians.  Politicians know it. Members of a society supposedly casts their ballot to choose a party and a leader who end up driving the decisions that are made by the other elected members of parliament. Leaders are said to be “chosen by the people for the people,” but some see them as only a reflection of the society they represent. It can be difficult to know where, and with whom the balance of power lies and what can be done to change attitudes and behaviours in a particular society.

The way to change society is not through politics. It is much more basic and grass roots than that. The real harbingers of power are the people who deal with children in our schools. They are molding the minds of the next generation and forming opinions, stimulating thought and guiding belief. Why do you think politicians are so interested in education? They know that if they can influence how people think, they can control them and how they ultimately vote, which is important to them in gaining and keeping control over the big decisions in society.

Over the past thirty years our education system has been radically and fundamentally changed. Why do you think that is? Do you think it just worked out that way? Maybe it is progress, as we are told by government figures and league tables. Think again. Control over the curriculum and how it is taught, has become increasingly centralized and perfunctory. Teachers are being trained to teach skills and lower level order thinking skills. They are regarded as successful if they enable the children to pass a test, and this is then used to judge the suitability of the school in preparing workers for jobs in society, and whether on not the school can be judged as “good”. There is no room for personal needs of either the young people, or the adults who work in the institutions. If staff perform to a given and prescribed set of criteria, they are regarded as suitable to teach. Teachers do not have a professional opinion, as it is not required. Staff who have a wider view of what Education is are being phased out of the system, as “creativity is not wanted any more.”

Education has been forced into the straight jacket of a false kind of science, which is not in reality science at all. Research has tried to be “scientific” but it has become clear that research can be used to justify so many things. Research is used to justify an opinion, which is then imposed on the whole structure. When it does not work out, we move onto something else. It is hard not to become cynical about so-called educational initiatives, as they ultimately end in change for changes sake, without benefiting anyone and wasting a lot of money in the process.

The truth is, human beings are more than their physical selves. We are emotional and spiritual beings and cannot be forced into a mould, like a piece of clay.
Education is an art form. We deal with human beings, who are creative creatures, not machines to be programmed by a programmer. Unsurprisingly, many young people cannot relate to school systems and leave school with nothing to show for their time there. People cannot learn without the moral and spiritual framework that is missing from our institutions in these days.

Education is fundamentally about forming relationships with each other. The quality of the education depends on the quality of the relationship and how the two parties (or more) work out their difficulties, problems and successes. If we cannot relate to students or each other, we need to ask ourselves some serious questions about what we are doing there in the first place. Relationships are built on trust and hard work and must be sincere. Ever young children are quick see through someone who is simply trying to manipulate them.

The view we have of our young people is the key to what we will provide for them. Lack of respect is a key issue to old and young alike, and the attitude of disregard filters down for the top layers of our social structure to the young people in our primary schools. Each layer seems to be a chopping block for the other, and in Educational terms, teacher are at the bottom of the food chain and have to try to stop the pressure from affecting the children they teach.

No matter how controlling the authorities, their programmes of work cannot take the place of faithfulness, hard work and dedication. Parents recognize it too and it helps them to have a high view of themselves and their families. Human beings were made for a high and exalted purpose- to be the friends of God. Nothing is greater that this, not even the role of angels in heaven. He was even prepared to give up his own life to rescue us from our own stupidity and rebellion. Human beings live forever and what we do and say has eternal consequences, therefore was need to be far more accountable for what we say and do, not to a human authority, but to our creator. Only as we respect and honour him do we in turn respect each other and lead each other on the right path.

It is not fashionable to talk about right and wrong, but it must be discussed. Maybe many young people have never thought of it before, and are very interested when someone talks to them openly about the things they do wrong, in fact, what all of us do wrong. The ideas that there is non-negotiable standard which must be kept, is news to many, and it can be liberating to children who struggle with their behaviour to know that we are all in this together. They are not the odd one out, but even their teacher has to grapple with doing the right thing.

We are not encouraged to think in this way, as the media preaches that everyone can do what they like and express what they like. I am not asking for a censorship of the press, but we need to change our world view completely. We need to instill in our youth that there are ultimate standards to be reached, and it has nothing to do with exam results. The reality of eternity should be felt by children, and the fact that wrong deeds must be answered for and that what we say matters. Some things should not be said….

Who is in control today? The Head teacher? The teachers? The government? Ofsted? The Local Educational Authority? Her Majesties Inspectors?
It is time for society to take a stand and speak out against the dark machinations which take place in the corridors of power. They have no place in schools. Schools are for children and parents and those who take responsibility for them, when parents are not there. We must put back the soul into Education and win back again the real aims of what Education is about. Schools were not invented to provide career opportunities for adults, but learning, services, help, support and comfort for those living in a community.

I am not asking for a rebellious uprising, but a quiet revolution, where everyone does the excellent job they are capable of, when they were given the chance to succeed. I am asking those in education to break out of the shackles of educational dictatorship and make a stand.

Things God cannot do…..

God cannot break his own rules
Nor think an unholy thing
He cannot ignore sinfulness
And leave even one sin unpunished.

God cannot disregard a creature he has made
Nor let it die without notice
He cannot condemn to hell without offering forgiveness
And leaving heaven’s door open for the repentant sinner.

God cannot hate a soul he has made
Nor unthinkingly send unfavourable consequences
He cannot leave us to pay the price alone
And instantly damn us to hell without him.

God cannot acquit the guilty with debts unpaid
Nor free the prisoner who does not confess
He cannot overlook the sentence of a just court
And open the prison doors without remuneration.

God cannot reject us if we truly come to him
Nor leave us unforgiven with repentant heart
He cannot leave us outside his kingdom
And forget to listen, forgive and bless.

God cannot make us pay again
Nor demand double for the price of guilt
He cannot forget the debt that was paid
And not set us free for our chains.

God cannot close his ears to his people
Nor leave them drowning in a sea of trouble
He cannot break his promises to answer prayer
And disregard has own son who prays.

God cannot stop loving his people
Nor cease from meeting their needs
He cannot leave his children without guidance
And let them make hurtful mistakes.

God cannot deny his eternal word
Nor change his mind at the last minute
He cannot renege on his promises
And let his people down after all.

God cannot close heaven’s door
Nor deny the reward to his faithful servants
He cannot leave them in cold Jordan alone
And let them drown in death’s cold wave.

If

If I don’t know where I’m going
I can trust him for sure
If the future is dim and uncertain
I can know my way is secure

If I do not know his future plans
I can feel his hand to guide
If my path is filled with trouble
I can walk with him by my side.

If I do not hear the clamour
Of this world’s senseless din
If I do not see its fancies
I can stay more close to him.

If I do not trust my own heart
I can read his word always
If I close my mind to doubt
I can rest in God’s promises.

If the path before me is dark
I can see by his glorious light
If the thorns and briars grow over
I can by grace take flight.

If everything is taken
And I’m left alone
If death is my only companion
I can still find my way home.

If only God is for me
Then no one is my foe
If all decays and dies
My soul to him will go.

This is true of every believer
Who in him confidence finds
If all is gone forever
Everything still is mine.

Mountains

The mountains stand like a refuge
Above the weary plain
Offering shelter from the heat
The burden and the pain.

The coolness of the solid rock
Calms the burning air
And often saves a pilgrim
From failure and despair.

Towering over the problems below
They stand majestic and strong
Pointing to a glorious sky
Where they truly belong.

Tired and disheartened I look up
The eye of my mind beholds
Unmoving glory from our God
And precious comfort unfolds.

Take heart, dear heart, and follow
Your eyes up to the sky
Beyond the earthbound mountains
Your soul and spirit fly.

They will always be there for you
A monument, stable and strong
Their power, only a look away
Reminding you where you belong.

If only to live in their shadow
Free from trouble to stay
And walk with our Saviour freely
In paths of endless day.

Some day, when the task is accomplished
And the time for rest appears
We will lay our heavenly burdens down
Under those mountains of our tears.

Deptford

Plastic stuff for the bathroom and kitchen
Locks, light bulbs, sink plungers
Charity shops, with new lick of yellow paint
Fancy antique dresses, over-priced
Egg shop with giant stuffed chicken
Fish shop and truckloads of ice- fresh?
Chinese supermarket selling unfamiliar items
The pub- not quite as busy as it once was
A multitude of market stalls
Selling everything you can think of
The focal point is the centre square
Tables and floor covered with a plethora of discarded goods
Many people trawling through the worn-out objects
Which they are sure can work again
Nothing appears to be unwanted or of no value
Back to the shops past the café with orange chairs
Halal meat shops with a selection of dead carcasses
Grocery shop with ubiquitous plastic bowls containing fruit
African dresses for a flattering figure
Redeemed Church of God between the shops
Local supermarket for basic foods and some magazines
Brooms, buckets, brushes and baths
Baby stuff- shoes for feet that can’t yet walk
Bible bookshop stacked with self-help books
Colour and excitement- music giving the atmosphere gaiety
Every human passing by, unique, extending friendships
Those alive and vibrant the best on the street.