Gingerbread "person" anyone?

The birthday week for my blog continue with some of my old posts. Here is the gingerbread person post. Enjoy.

This is the last straw I think. The news that we are now supposed to change the name of gingerbread man to gingerbread person or gingerbread people as it is not politically correct anymore.

I don’t like gingerbread anyway (nothing personal really) but I had so much fun helping in my local school with making gingerbread man with the kids, it was fun and messy experience. I was trying to follow the recipe while running after the kids who are trying to taste the dough that had raw eggs and stopping others from dipping their toys in the honey or making tracks on the floor with the flour. However, eventually we made the gingerbread man and they were really nice.

So what is the problem with calling them gingerbread man? And who exactly got offended by that? And where is all this political correctness taking us? and what is next? protest against snowman? Most women -in my opinion- do not actually mind what we call those ginger cookies, and it is not– as far as I am concerned - an equality problem in anyway. When God created us both men and women, He created us on His image, equal in His sight. Equal in being sinful, equal in our need to His grace, equal in being human and equal in our need to be accepted and loved. But saying that, He gave us different talents and different characters and so different ways to contribute and make a difference.

So when it comes to fitting that IKAE bookcase with instructions that only an expert in Egyptology can read and understand (as it seems to be in Hieroglyphics), men are well talented to do that and most women will have no problem accepting that. On the other hand, cooking, tidying and baking “gingerbread man” is enjoyable and women love doing that. I might be still sticking to the old stereotype but I believe that the issue is not who does what or what do we call things, gingerbread men or postman or chairperson etc. The point is that we are all accepted as equal in God’s eyes and it does not matter who does the ironing, what matter is that we are equal in being people who need to be loved and accepted as we are.

Sad news

About a year and half ago, I wrote about a big car accident that involved my old church back in Egypt. Sad to say that it has happened again. This time, in 2 different accidents in the space of one week, 2 dear friends have lost their life. There are a number of people still in hospital with broken bones and other injuries. The church is in shock to say the least. This is not a usual rate of road accidents in this part of the country and the obvious questions is

WHY?

On an online forum, people are posting messages and condolences, others are airing frustrations and condemnations to the church. It is a sad time and some are attacking the leadership of the church and declaring that this is God's judgment on his people. The church family is mourning the loss of 2 prominent people who have been serving the Lord for a long time and I have been personally blessed and guided by them as a young christian. The question is, how can the church mourn and still focus on God, the comforter, the redeemer and the saviour without blaming God or each other. We are all called to examine our hearts and repent, on a daily basis and not only when crises comes.

Only God in his mercy can deliver us.

What a week

It is so true that one week is too long in politics. Since last Thursday, we have seen an election, a hung parliament, some resignations, new type of coalition and a liberal democrat in the government for the first time in more than 60 years. What a week!


I think that the presence of the lib dem in the government will make the conservative rule a less bitter pill to stomach. On top of that, the conservative will have someone to blame if things do not go according to plan. "we had to do things in a difficult sitting working with the lib dem" I can hear the conservative say.

But in this time where the country face this huge task of dealing with the economic situation, I think we needed a government of national unity, putting the country first. Now, my question is, if this coalition government really work and they go on to deliver in this uncertain climate, can we have an option on the ballot paper to choose another hung parliament next time?

just a thought for electoral reforms :)