the red pill

I’m listening to Faithless’ latest album “To all new arrivals”. It’s been slated by many critics, and I can understand why. It’s a very different kind of album. It’s not a pumping trance-dance hard-hitting lyric one like the one we might have expected. It’s more of a chillout album, perhaps reflecting the mood induced by the album’s theme, the arrival of new children in a household. As a fairly new parent, it’s the kind of album I need to listen to after a hard day. What it lacks is a single amazing track, there’s no We become 1, God is a DJ, Insomnia or Mass Destruction here. What there is a loving, intelligent, playful and occasionally inspiring album reflecting on the kind of world children are being born into, pondering both the breathtaking beauty of a new baby, and a mind-numbing sickness in the world. I think this album has the lowest profile of Maxi Jazz that I’ve heard on a Faithless CD, and this weakens the whole. The guest singers (including Dido, predictably and adding litt...

It was at the end of July that I blogged about the impending move, I kinda figured it was time to write more, and to try and create a platform for more regular postings. We've been here ten weeks now, and it seems strange that it's been so long, it really feels like in many ways we're still trying to get to know the place. Starting with important things, as a family we're doing OK but it has taken a while to adjust to the move. I guess we'd expected that a move would take us further north, to be closer to family, and so we're still getting used to being further south. Our son is doing really well, despite a few recent bugs. His confidence and joy are still apparent. He's loving living close to a railway line where he gets to see the Eurostar fairly frequently. Our welcome here was suitable otherworldy. As we had breakfast on the first morning my wife looked out of the window and was amazed to see what we thought were green parrots (we were later informed the...

I love the Matrix movies, yes all three of them. The first was so strong, with a stunning central idea that was mindblowing in its simplicity and consequence. the other two were less powerful, but nonetheles thought-provoking and engaging. I often find myself using scenes from the films as metaphors, and here I am, starting a blog with one. Neo's choices were to either take the blue pill and go back to living like he had before, ignorant of the truth and unaware of the alternative reality on offer, or to take the red pill, and to go on a journey, the final destination of which is unsure, but will involve enlightenment, a new reality and a sense of mission and purpose. I hope it's not melodramatic to suggest that i feel a little like Neo. I'm Jon, Jonathan, Rev, Pastor. Associate Minister at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Northampton. It's a good solid Baptist Church, and my time here has been fruitful and the church has (I hope) been blessed by the emphasis that I hav...