According to Got Questions (see here): “Watchmen in the Bible were guards responsible for protecting towns and military installations from surprise enemy attacks and other potential dangers. Ancient Israelite cities often stationed watchmen on high walls or in watchtowers. Their job was to keep watch and warn the townspeople of impending threats. The Hebrew word translated “watchman” means “one who looks out,” “one who spies,” or “one who watches.” Sometimes watchmen were scouts who looked out for approaching friends as well as enemies”. The Bible exhorts ordinary followers of Jesus to be watchmen, to “watch and pray”.

When I began my third career as a community worker, shortly after the turn of the millennium, I found myself then and ever since that time involved in a wide range of community related activities, in particular in the areas of mental health, homelessness, immigration and supporting different community groups, and representatives of all faiths and none and those of various ethnic origins and LBGT folk, with a wide range of interests and views on life. Initially it was my full-time paid occupation, but even then a lot of what I did was voluntary and as time went on and I drifted into retirement most of what I did was unpaid but then I did what I did in order to make a difference. A few years back I wrote “Outside the Camp” (see here) where I told my story and shared my perspectives.

It often occurred to me that the Almighty must have a sense of humour insofar that my biggest influencers were members of the Plymouth Brethren, who while recognising the importance of loving one’s neighbour usually viewed this as showing random acts of kindness to those we may come into contact with in our everyday lives and, when it comes to being involved in community activities, the notion of doing so in partnership with folk who weren’t pukka Christians was not encouraged and if one were to undertake projects to help others it should be done with the primary aim to share the Gospel message. While some of my community involvement was “Christian” led, a lot wasn’t. It is why later I chose to identify myself (if asked) as a “Gospel Preaching, Community Activist”.

Also, later, I found myself increasingly trying to figure out what was going on in the world and part of this was triggered by the thought that what was happening bore a relationship with my community activism. Some eleven years ago, I began to participate in social media and then to start my career as a blogger, that continues to this day. My blog subjects were various and these were typically headed by the two taboo subjects in polite circles – religion and politics. I also began to cotton on to the notion that what is happening in the world is often not what we are being told by media, politicians and societal elites (who I have since referred to as the “Unholy Trinity”). While some who I respect, including among dedicated Christians friends, may say “so what” (especially if there is little it appears that we can do) yet I have come to a view coming to a correct, even if incomplete, understanding does matter as it may help us toward having the right intel to make a difference and IS to do with that all important command to love one’s neighbour.

I have found myself, these past ten or more years, doing a lot more than most trying to figure out what is correct view on world events as I watch from my wall, and when I declare what I see is against the “official narrative” getting flak as a result, including being told I have been taken in by conspiracy theories. The challenge of course is if we can’t believe the “Unholy Trinity” (because they lie) then who do we believe in our quest for truth? Then there is the fact we are all beholden to our axioms and prejudices and to get to the bottom of what is really going on requires one to undertake a considerable amount of research and even then vital facts have been hidden. One thing I did do as a result of this activities, which amounts to a significant amount of time spent, is to rebrand myself as “a gospel preaching, community activist, watchmen on the wall”, albeit, if my detractors are to be believed, a self-appointed one, who in addition to checking out a wide range of often alternative media and other sources attempts to do so in the light of what the Bible tells us. I particularly try to check out what the prophets have to say, both the ancient Hebrew ones as well as modern day “prophets”, although some in that latter category I have found to be bogus.

The above blurb is by way of an introduction, and as it were say where it is “I am coming from”, to something that I hope to offer to anyone who might care to check out what I have to say with reference to all sorts of momentous events as a result of what I see as I watch from my wall. I hope to write on all of the following topics in the next couple of months, fully expecting many developments and even surprising ones, as well as see new subjects that merit consideration. I won’t claim to always being correct and like us all can be deceived, but I will endeavour to look critically at things that matter happening in our world at this time. I will try to be fully fact based and, if offering a view, differentiate fact from opinion. As I do, I want to recognise that these are huge subjects with many valid perspectives to be found and there is a danger of getting lost going down rabbit holes and being distracted from more pressing matters, but at least I will have begun to ask some of the important questions.

1. USA politics, especially Trump
2. UK politics, especially Starmer and Farage
3. The Climate Emergency – hoax or for real
4. The recent Pan(plan)demic and one to come
5. Wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Syria
6. Digital ids and Fiat currency
7. Masts, EMF and 5G
8. Globalism and Nationalism and free speech
9. The Church and the churches
10. The Bible and End Times

Finally, and as they say – watch this space … and if I don’t get to say it to your face – wishing you a God blessed New Year!