A brief excerpt from Mike Archer’s piece blistering piece at Abbotsford Today: Before Mayor Banman allows another Abbotsford taxpayer dollar to be given to the Calgary Flames he should buy every household in Abbotsford a copy of The Chicken Manure Incident. At $5 a copy it would be a bargain and it would change this city forever. Certainly more than any out-of-town hockey team ever could. The 44-minute film, which debuted Saturday night in front of, what Jesse Wegenast, of... Read more
I say, “Yes!” But if we are going to be scientific about theology, it seems to me we need to proceed like scientists, with as few assumptions about the data under observation as possible, i.e. that the Spirit is somehow guiding us. Rather than proceed from that assumption, I would rather wait and see if it emerges from the data. The interplay between theory and observation is inevitable. However, I prefer to be data-driven, because more often than not, our... Read more
In early 2001, I was doing research for a novel about a radio operator on a Trident nuclear submarine who receives a mysterious signal from what appears to be an extra-terrestrial source and subsequently finds himself at the center of an international and [possibly] interplanetary crisis. As part of my research, I spent time studying America’s intelligence infrastructure, including the CIA, FBI, military intelligence and the NSA. Seeing as the novel focused on encryption and decryption of coded messages, I... Read more
Just because something isn’t what you expected doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Just becomes something can’t do everything doesn’t mean it can’t do some things well. For something to be revealed, other things must be concealed. Therefore, the key question behind every “A-ha moment” should be, “What am I missing?” Don’t just accept an idea because it comes from someone you respect–or reject it because it comes from someone you don’t. Chronological snobbery is a two-way street. Our enemies often... Read more
I’ve spent most of the last 10 years working as a screenwriter. And as anyone in the film industry knows, when it comes to “above the line” talent (those who are responsible for the creative direction of a film), screenwriters consistently rank at the bottom. On a typical film set, the director is king, the actors are the prima donnas, the producer(s) are the generals and lieutenants, and the screenwriters–if they’re even allowed on set–are the hapless schmucks who are... Read more
Last weekend, my kids picked up an Xbox 360 in a post-Christmas sale. With it came a copy of Halo 4. As a rule, we don’t let our kids play first-person shooter games. However, I will admit to having a weakness for them, even though I have not indulged that weakness for nearly a decade due in large part to the motion sickness such games tend to generate in me. Nevertheless, with Halo 4 in hand, I couldn’t resist at... Read more
The Chicken Manure Incident, my new, 44-minute documentary about the ongoing battle between the City of Abbotsford, BC and its homeless population, will premiere at Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship in Abbotsford on January 25 at 7pm. Two of the principle figures in the film, Ward Draper and Jesse Wegenast of the 5&2 Ministries, will be on hand to do Q&A following the screening. And with any luck, so will I. If you’re in the area, please come out to the... Read more
Apparently, some troops stationed at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp–where prisoners have been routinely held without trial, abused and tortured since 2002–are upset about some nativity scenes displayed in two mess halls, which they say unfairly privilege Christianity over other religions. By placing these displays in prominent common areas, the impression is that one faith is better than others and that the military institution singularly promotes Christianity. So said an email written by the 18 Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish,... Read more
It’s fittingly ironic that I spent part of yesterday afternoon reading and ruminating on President Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in preparation for a documentary I’m developing called [Necessary] Evil, only to end the day reading about the drone strike in Yemen that killed 15 people who were on their way to a wedding. A few quotes from Obama’s speech stood out to me in relation to this event, particularly his definition of a just war: war is... Read more
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