Just got back from holiday. I have not had internet for a week.

Both of the above were really rather nice.

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Massive props (am I allowed to say that? I think it's cringeworthy, but it gets the point across) to the lovely people at The Divining Blog who listed me in the top 50 blogs by Divinity Students, prompting a stream of poor, unwitting Christians to stumble across my blog. However, now you're here, please stick around. I'll put the kettle on, and write something interesting soon.

You still haven't found what you're looking for

My friendly search engine/stalking machine/Big Brother let me know that some poor soul came upon my blog via a search for: 'what's needed to be a theology student?'

Now, I reckon my blog does little to answer that question, so I'm going to rectify this clear oversight:

• You need to want to learn. Obvious, perhaps, but I have known students who stick to their guns so much that they fail to take onboard anything they are taught. If you're going to do this, save yourself a few thousand quid and stay at home.
• Have a sense of humour. Seriously.
  
• Know the Bible. People who wander into theological institutions (like myself) with a pretty hazy knowledge of the Bible are just asking for trouble. You will get battered and bruised.
• No, really, have a sense of humour.
• Be aware that a good theological institution will teach you how to think, not what to think. You're not studying theology to become a carbon copy of your lecturers (however good they may be), you're studying theology to engage with God of Scripture.
• No, I'm not joking: have a sense of humour.
• Listen to your lecturers. You may not like them, their style, or what they teach you. But listen, nonetheless. I regret the times I drifted off (purposefully or accidently) and missed absolute gems.
• Er... yeah, sense of humour.
  
• Finally, and most importantly (I think), be willing to make your theology work in the real world. There is no point studying theology and being tight-fisted, ungracious, and proud.

I think that's just about all I have to say on the matter, in blog-form anyway. Anyone who wants to pitch in, feel free. As MxPx once said, 'We're all just learning as we go...'

Big Brother

The final series of Big Brother is soon to kick off in the UK. Details of the house have been released, and someone thought it a good idea that the house took on a circus theme. That's OK - you can click the link. Go and have a read, I'll be here when you get back.

Now, are we all together? Good. That article claimed that the contestants will have 'less privacy than normal.' 'Less privacy'?! How can you get any less private than being permanently filmed for however long you 'successfully' stay in the house and being broadcast into every home in Britain?!

I'd love to be on Big Brother - always been a secret ideal of mine - but that's probably because, as I was described by a good friend of mine earlier this week, I'm a floozy. But I think that idea was brought about when Big Brother was an interesting experiment, admittedly capitalistic and flawed, but an interesting experiment, nonetheless.

Now, it's just a chance for producers to be weird and get away with it. It's a unmanned freak show, and the only criteria to get on the show is to be as bizarre as possible. You happen to be a left-handed tractor-worshipping terrorist? You almost don't need an interview. Just don't threaten any bomb scares when inside. That's bad form. Because you can only do weird things if Big Brother says so.

I reckon Mr. Orwell is turning in his grave.

Jesus wants me for a boyfriend

"Your worship encourages emotionalism, dwells unhealthily upon sin, and your lyrics contain unnecessarily erotic imagery."

A critique of modern worship? Perhaps aimed at Hillsongs or Soul Survivor? A shot across the bows of Contemporary Christian Music? All of the above?

No. Critics of the great hymn writer Charles Wesley levelled the above accusations at him.

Apparently, there's nothing new under the sun, or so I hear.

I like to think they're holding hands.

Cycling

My friends are doing a good, if crazy thing: cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats. I would quite like to join them. I probably can't. So I'm going to follow their blog. You should too:

http://followingthecyclists.tumblr.com/

The day has dawned...

The 6th of May, the day the whole world - by which I mean those citizens of the UK who aren't lazy or cynical - has been waiting for. I mean, previously, in times gone past, it was nearly literally the whole world. Now, no-one seems to care. Anyway. The General Election, and some thinkings.

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I shan't mention who I voted for. It's irrelevant. I don't think I will support that candidate or their policies my whole life. It was a vote that best represents my current feelings for the constituency I currently live in. And that is how I intend to vote for the whole of my life.

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The Tories have some stupid policies. So do the Lib Dems, and Labour has done a fairly mediocre job of running the country. But the feeling that seems to be predominating Twitter is 'vote, but don't vote Tory.' Maybe I just follow predominantly Lefty Twitterers. But it's interesting, that despite general mockery of all political parties, when it comes down to the vote, there is a genuine fear that the Tories are the worst possible option. Fascinating.

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I heard a statistic yesterday that suggests that up to 70% of the electorate might vote. That would be an absolutely astonishing turn out. Awe-inspiring, even. I hope the gravity of the potentially biggest turnout since '97 will make our politicians sit up and take notice that they're not dealing with the apathetic electorate of the last 10 or so years.

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Whatever happens tonight, tomorrow, the next weeks and months, there is one thing I fairly assured of: it won't be as bad as people want to make out today. This is not to diminish the importance of the vote. But as I feel with religion, football, life and now politics: don't take it too seriously.

Maybe I'm naive. Maybe I'm too young to remember the woes of the 80s/90s, etc., but my eternal optimism says that, y'know what? I think it'll be alright.