I've been asked to consider publishing book reviews separately and I can see the benefit of this. I am therefore changing the content of the page marked Book List and the page banner title will be changed in due course. In the meantime, I'll transfer across the Book Reviews I've undertaken to date.

It is always good to get feedback.

Monday 3rd June 2013

One of the greatest innovations of this Century is the advent of Social Media. It is a truly 21st Century phenomenon and children born within the last ten years are growing up to this as a state of normality, just as I did with the telephone more than half a century ago.

Social Media is an incredible means of bringing people of all cultures together, and giving us the opportunity to see beyond our own immediate culture, to see beyond the geographical borders of our countries, and to converse with people of different languages.

As a boy, I remember being encouraged to have a pen friend. Mine lived in France and my class would write letters, each to our pen friends. It seemed strange though. Paris was on the other side of the world so far as I was concerned. And Moscow, well, that was a mystical city behind an apparent iron curtain. To this day, as a very young boy watching history newsreels and Churchill's famous speech about an iron curtain descending, I actually pictured a curtain made of iron, bolts, rivets and all! - like a ship's hull. Haha - a child's literal mind. Sweet innocence. (smile).

Sometimes, social media can cause problems, especially when it is misused or even abused. And not always do institutions such as facebook and twitter make the right decisions. Not the first time, do we find that people who have done no wrong are suddenly blocked, while people who are definitely up to no good, remain open and free. Eventually it gets resolved, but not without us feeling upset and aggrieved.

For me, the greatest joy with social media is the richness of the material that appears on my timeline. The Arts, Sciences, Mathematics and Physics, Religion, Irreligion, Physical Beauty in the most amazing compositions, brought to us all by high-minded people from all corners of the globe, bringing richness and diversity and education into our daily lives.

This is what social media is all about. Openness. Diversity. Sharing.

Long, long, long may this continue.

Alexander Petricca here, the photographer Ian kindly asked to shoot the cover for Being Gay Being Bi Whatever. Ian has asked me to briefly talk about how I came to the final concept I shot for the book.

After previously creating the artwork for his earlier book, Meanderings, Ian told me he was compiling some of his work into a further book, Being Gay Being Bi Whatever.

Ian strongly believes in allowing his team to “go free” and allows total creative freedom on his commissions. Naturally, I started by reading the manuscript. From the reading the pieces in the book I realised this was a book about equality, about being accepted. I wanted to depict the emotion and difficulty that many people must feel when “coming out”, whilst offering a modern and striking image that would encourage people to look twice. I settled on the two stage portrait seen here: the closed eyes on the front cover depict a person wondering how best to move forward, a person who might be surrounded by people they don’t know how to tell about their sexuality. At the end of the journey, on the back cover, they are portrayed with their eyes open, full of acceptance and even hinted a slight smile.

Pulling this concept together and capturing what I held in my mind was an absolute pleasure and I hope you agree, the results were well worth it.

Sorry for the lengthy post!

A

COMMENTARY ON JOHN’S GOSPEL

Ian Bradley Marshall

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2002-2013 Ian Bradley Marshall

Saturday, 25th May 2013

TODAY’S TEXT

John 1:1 – 5

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1:2 He was in the beginning with God.

1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

My Comment

This is the Glorious Proclamation of the Pre-eminence and Magnificence of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Most Excellent and Glorious Majesty, King of the Jews, Ruler of All Israel, and Creator of the Universe, Yeshua HaMashiach Melek Yisrael.

Here are His Credentials.   In these verses we learn that He is the Word.   And verse one tells us so clearly that He ranks equal to GOD, is not subordinate or any way inferior or of secondary status to GOD.   Indeed, we learn in these last three words – in just three simple syllables – Word was GOD – that He is None Other than GOD Himself.

In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with GOD, and Jesus was GOD.  Jesus was in the beginning with GOD.   All things were made through Jesus, and without Jesus nothing was made that was made. In Jesus was life, and the life of Jesus was the light of men.   And the Light of Jesus shines in the darkness, and the darkness can only retreat and vanish in the Light of Jesus.

I learn too that light ALWAYS overcomes darkness. Darkness CANNOT overcome light. Darkness cannot extinguish light.   Stand in a room of total darkness and then light a match or switch the weakest of battery lights on, and the darkness will be in full retreat.

And as the eyes become accustomed to the dimmest of light, so too will the eyes become focussed and see all manner of things hitherto hidden by the darkness.

Ian Bradley Marshall

Liverpool

Sunday, 26th May 2013                   

TODAY’S TEXT

John 1:6-13

1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

1:7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

My Comment

John the Baptiser, John the Immerser, John the Baptist heralds the imminent arrival of the Messiah amongst His People – the Jewish People.

John fulfils the Biblical prophecy that the Prophet Elijah (EliYahu) (pronounced Elly-yahoo in Hebrew) would return and announce the imminent return of the Messiah.

Elijah is one of YHWH’s principal Ambassadors, the other being Moses (Moshe in Hebrew), and later we read of the account of the Transfiguration that when Jesus (in Spanish it is rendered ‘Hey-zoos’ and which I really do like) was transfigured before the eyes of His three principal Apostles, Peter, James and John (the writer of this Epistle), that they actually saw Him speaking with Moses and Elijah about the events that were shortly to overtake them all – namely, the Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion and Resurrection of The Messiah.

In this text we learn that many people believed that John was the Messiah. We also see Jesus referred to again as The Light and how good it is to recall so many times how we see this same light in the eyes of those who have truly surrendered their hearts to Jesus, the Light of the Holy Spirit now shining out of them, in their eyes, in their speech, in their overall countenance – the countenance of the Lord.

John came to bear witness of Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) to the Jews. But we read that most of the Jews refused to accept Him. They could not believe and did not want to believe that their Messiah would be an ordinary man among them. But some did accept Him – such as His Apostles and later for example Nicodemus as we shall read in chapter 3.

But others too accepted Him – people to whom Jesus was not directly concerned at that time – the Gentiles.

Now people could be forgiven for thinking that GOD was uncharitable here – that He had only concern for the Jewish People. Not so. For as we read verse 13 with great joy, we see that this is confirmation that Jesus was merely coming to the very souls (throughout history) who had already been chosen as His from the very beginning of time, whether they be Jew or Gentile.

Let us therefore not forget that when a person turns to the Lord even as a pensioner or on his death bed, or dying on the battlefield, nevertheless that person had been earmarked from before his or her conception by the Lord to be His very own.

So let us have patience as we deal with our friends and people around us today. Who are we to judge them? Only GOD can do that. Let us rejoice that instead, we already know Him and have that wonderful relationship with Him.

Let us also remember that we have much to learn from people of all faiths and people who insist on having no faith, no religion. In everyone, do as He commanded when He spoke with Samuel who couldn’t quite work out why the least of all the sons of Jesse should be chosen – David – I look upon the heart, not upon the outward appearance.

And let us rejoice too in enjoying life to the full and not going round as a gloom and doom merchant!

Ian Bradley Marshall

Liverpool

THE TRILOGY - Part III - Cumuppence

First of all, watch this clip again. This is written as if the homophobic guy is confronted by his own son being gay. Be patient with the 30 sec obligatory advert! ;) http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/feb/10/kick-homophobia-out-advertisemen

CUMUPPENCE

Look, you got me
fair to rights
I was a thug
That nasty little thug
the one who spat
on you from the terraces
and called you a faggot
and kicked you in the balls

But that was then
In the old days
Now I’ve got kids of my own
two girls, two boys
and I’m the proudest Dad there is

It’s not been easy
Got reasons

I came home one night
Odd atmosphere in the kitchen
Mum didn’t say much
The girls mumbled ‘hi’
Even the lads
I smacked em play-like
roughing their hair
like Dads do with their kids,
you know, like you do,
I mean come on
you worship the ground
they walk on don’t ya!
Well I do.

Me youngest tho’ was quiet
18 and coming on sommit
proper with his athletics
his fencing
his swimming
Every Dad’s idol

Dad  

Yeah, what son?
Why the gloomy faces?

Dad why did you spit at that player?

What player?
What you talking about?

On the terraces Dad
I saw you

What you mean you saw me?
You wasn’t even there!
You’re imagining things
Explain yerself and quick aboud it!

No Dad. Yer wrong. I saw you
I WAS there!
I came in wiv me friends
We watched the match
We saw the big neon sign flash up
over the pitch
‘Homophobia – Kick it Out’

And you spat!
You looked at that player
And you gobbed ‘im
I saw yer.
Me mates did too.
‘Here Mark’ they said
‘aint that yer Dad?
What’s he doin giving all that
Homophobic shit-stuff?

Me wife said nowt,
continued stirring the soup
the girls looked angry;
even me older lad looked on
with scorn.

Me! The household head!
The pillar.
The breadwinner;
made to feel like a pariah
at my own table!

No let up.

Well Dad?

Look Mark.
You don’t understand!
You gotta see things as they are
One day when, like me, you’re a Dad...

Dad put a sock in it

Here now look don’t you
be taking that line with me
I’ll take the belt to ya

No you won’t!

Gina you stay outta this!!
I tell you straight
no man likes a put down
by his woman in front of the kids
and that got me riled,
sure it did!

I looked back at Mark
You listen to me Mark lad
You ever tell me to ...

Dad, pack it in.

Ricky! What the ‘ells going on ‘ere.
For fuck sake!

It went silent.
Gina handed me the soup
with a thump
on the pad.
Gina has a way wiv her sure.
She hates foul language
and knows just how to
make her point.

I was fuming inside.
The girls just sat there.
Said nowt.
But I knew they weren’t with me.
My Girls. MY GIRLS!

Mark looked at me.

Dad?

What, for God’s sake?

Are you homophobic?
Are you?

My mind was racing
What was this inquisition
at my own table?

Do you love me Dad?

Mark, what the hell are you
drivelling on about?
This is fucking stupid!!!

Without a word
the flash of an eye,
and their Mum beckoned
our girls, my girls mind you
into the living room
and shut the door behind them.

She then turned facing me
like a Sentry!
She paused.
Drew herself up in that way
that told me to sit up straight
and listen!!
She rarely does it.
No one else can get away with
treating me that way

But she can
She’s me wife
and despite all that
I love ‘er to bits.

She sat diagonally across from me
Keeping our lads fixed in her gaze
Gina has this way with her, see;
She can sweep everyone in
just with her eyes,
like a sort of protective fence
but tonight I was not inside that fence
I was firmly on the outside

Dad you didn’t ought to ‘ave done that
on them terraces
It wasn’t nice
You had no right to single that player out
So what if he’s gay?

I felt the heat rising up in me

Ricky, just hold yer tongue lad
You’re out of turn

No Chris.
YOU’RE out of turn!
When we stood at the Altar
I didn’t marry what
you’ve become.

Even the dog left my side,
plonked herself heavily
down by Mark.

Dad. I’m gay.
Ricky’s right. And being gay
doesn’t make me hate or even
dislike you.
I adore you Dad.
You’re my mate
my sparring partner
and I love it when we have a
pint together.
But I’m gay.
Get that into your head
and remember that every time
you hurl abuse at someone
you’re hurling it at me.

Prove to me you’re not like
that old man who took his
fist to his son,
The Isle of Man T T Racer
beat ‘im up and broke his ribs
despite goin out and winning that race
to prove to his Dad
he was a man, a racer!

You think I can’t do my sport
still
just coz I’m gay?

You think I’m always
looking someone up in the showers?

Coz if you do
You haven’t got a clue Dad;
We’re the same as you and Mam.

I’ve got the same values as you.
You taught me them.
But I’m gay
and nothing’s gonna change me
and I aint in the business of changing
and I aint gonna be made
to become what you want me to be!

I’m not perverted,
I’m not sick,
I aint disordered and all those other
bits of unrepeatable filth you
were shouting out
on the terraces.
You made me ashamed Dad!

And that was it.
Blunt. Direct.
To the point.
Mark just got up and walked out.
Even the bleedin dog
Went wiv ‘I’m.
Ricky sat there.

I looked at my eldest
My drinking pal.
I wondered silently how long
he knew.

“Two years”
right on queue.

And I’ve done
a bit of a U turn since then
Sure, it was hard at first
But that night alone with Gina. . .

God! What a woman!!
A tower of strength.
She reasoned it out.
Seems she’s known almost
all her life.
But then Mums do don’t they.

Not often
Gina delivers me
of all people
an ultimatum.
But my God she did that night!

I did a lot of walking. . .
Tell you what – the bleedin
dog thought she’d arrived in ‘eaven,
so many walks that night!

Over the weeks that followed
a lot of walking to and from
the local community hall.
Now I’m on the committee
of the LGF
I even ‘elped to produce
this ‘ere little booklet
Our Kids Are Alright

A bloody masterpiece
even if I do say so myself!
Best thing ever happened
coz I met other Dads like me
and Mams.

And now things ‘ave changed
quite a bit.

I’ve even made my peace
with the News vendor!
Hell. What a history!!
You know he fought in
The Falklands?
Who’d ‘ave guessed?
‘E’s a bigger man than me
that I do know;
heart of gold too.

So you Dads out there
I can understand how confused you feel
But don’t be.
Open up.
Your kids are still your kids.
See them for real.
Rejoice in them.
Imagine life without ‘em.

Just think how you’d feel
at that knock on the door.
The bobbies standing there.
Always a man and a woman
that foreboding of pastoral care
preceding shattering news
that you aint a Dad any more;
That your kid has gone,
ended it coz others turned on him
just because of who and what he was
or because he felt he’d let you and
everyone else down;
saying goodbye from the rafters
or drowned in his vomit after
overdosing in the bathroom

There’s not a kid on this earth
that’s not priceless, precious,
Priceless beyond reason.

I love my kids
Ricky, Mark, Jasmine
and Kirsty
and you know
me and Gina
we’ve got through this
and now Mark’s
a very proud uncle
and a natural with the little uns’;
and few now can beat him
in swimming, athletics
and fencing!

Me?
I’m the proudest Dad there is!!

This is the flip side of the poem Conscience, again, based on the video clip Homophobia – Kick it Out of Football

The character Tony (Gavin Connolly) is perfect. Gavin, not his real name, is a very close friend of mine who I visited twice inside 10 years ago. Very much a heart of gold but dealt brutally with those who got in his way or who had no sense of natural justice. We actually met through the church! But he still had to do time. Married with kids by two girls, he was, like me, in the closet. We would meet up during the day in Sheffield, (City name changed) usually every Saturday. I would then train back home and on the last occasion Gav went to the nightclub that night. I got a call to go back. His sister had seen him kiss a lad he was dancing with, and he hadn’t realised his sis was in there. So Gav being Gav decided that to prove he was straight he must distance himself from the lad.

That lad spent two weeks in hospital. (Here is Medwin in ‘They Came in the Night’).

Gav did time again but not before the local gang worked out his sexual orientation and themselves went down for his attempted murder in 2001 – a vicious stabbing that was put up by the family.

Through all of this we remained firm friends - and you’ve now got another angle on the pieces.

If you met Gavin, you’d realise what a lovely guy he is. In him, I’ve seen that light that Tony, in the piece Sweet Seventeen, Mark sees momentarily in the smile and the eyes.

The Green Cauldron Castle Street Liverpool 2011