To all SOT members in 52 countries around the world may I wish you a relaxing and happy holiday over the December/January period.

In Australia, we are beach-lovers. This is our summer break so we mostly head off to our beaches and favourite holiday destinations with our family and friends. Traditionally, it’s a time for Aussies to relax together, to renew friendships and to have some fun.

We also have time to do a lot of reading and thinking. We meditate alone on our past year and our plans for the coming year. We have many shared discussions while sitting on the beach with friends or over a family barbecue. (Here’s a picture of St Kilda Beach where I was born and where I live today.)

Of course, I realise that SOT members in other countries do not live on the beach but in a diverse range of locations and different settings. So whatever situation you find yourself in, over December/January, I do hope you will have time to meditate and think and to renew your life as you embark on a new year in 2009.

Here below is a gift for you from me. Just today I watched on YouTube a fascinating discussion that I want to share with you as my holiday gift.

Because much of the discussion on the topic of ‘thinking’ involves the traditions of religion and the methods of science many of our SOT lessons explore and discuss these issues. They are often controversial. SOT lessons are meant to provoke your own thinking and, I admit, that sometimes the tone I use may appear to be tactless.

While I truly never intend to offend the reader, my tone is deliberate because I want to encourage members to think for themselves. So, it’s a kind of mini-shock treatment and has proven to be effective. Actually, in person, I’m a very nice man

If you check out this link you will find a very gentle (and not tactless) discussion between two eminent scientists. One is a Catholic priest and the other is an atheist. They both know their stuff!

In my experience, there are too few discussions, of this calibre, between religion and science. This intelligent and civilised exchange between two great thinkers from different traditions is well worth watching. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

Start with Part 1 and if you enjoy it you can progress through the other parts:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po0ZMfkSNxc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjjDDhE8R5k
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyySnUqCug
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEmnhmAwPM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl1xmkVOyRw
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwDTBW8oxug
Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPHIS3n7Lw

I was totally fascinated and it has given me much to think about and discuss with friends when I’m on the beach in the next few weeks.

Very best wishes to you and your family and friends, and I hope we will continue our journey into thinking … together in 2009.

Michael

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.