Signs of the Times - August 2023

TheFaith t n e m i r e p x E FOUR PORN MYTHS

PRAYING THROUGH SILENCE

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY

SEEKING SILENCE

IN THIS ISSUE AUGUST 2023 MY POINT OF NO RETURN A brush with the dark side changed Robbie Berghan’s world forever PAGE 32

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CURRENT

WELLBEING

CULTURE

04 WHAT IN THE WORLD

18 HOW TO BULD A

06 HOW CHEFS BECAME

40 LEARNING TO EMBRACE THE SILENCE Reconnecting with the stillness of nature

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

26 BUSTING FOUR PORN

MYTHS Can we afford to allow it to go mainstream?

FAITH 12 PRAY AS YOU CAN

Breakthroughs in times of frustration

38 ASK PASTOR JESSE 48 OUR PREOCCUPATION

WITH DEATH Zombies are everywhere

BETTER BRAIN Beat the creep no matter your age

CELEBRITIES From obscurity to worldwide fame

46 THE COURAGE TO ASK FOR HELP How Perri found hope in the cost-ofliving crisis

54 CAN PROTEIN HELP

WITH WEIGHT LOSS?

56 IT’S TIME TO BUST

THE “CALORIES IN, CALORIES OUT” WEIGHT-LOSS MYTH There’s more to the weight-loss story

FUN 62 CROSSWORD & SUDOKU

As a child, the church that I attended had a tall, A-frame roof that peaked about 15 metres above the floor.

Often as I sat on the uncomfortable wooden pew and listened to the service I would look up, above the preacher’s head and stare at the open space the ceiling created. It was serene up there, peaceful and quiet, and I would imagine God’s presence inhabiting the small cavity. Maybe with some attending angels, sometimes by Himself.

I wasn't intimidated or overwhelmed. I imagined His presence as part of the worship service, watching the proceedings with a half-smile as His love and kindness flowed down to us. It was an eye in the storm, a peaceful enclave. Whatever else was happening, God was here.

Fast forward a few years and I’ve visited European cathedrals, Yosemite Valley and the Grand Canyon in the US, and tropical waterfalls in the Pacific. All these places have filled me with the same sense of awe, wonder, peace, gravitas and solitude I felt in that church all those years ago.

There is value in escaping the busyness of life to seek silence and solitude. Many of us embrace the noise because it shields us from introspection and reflection. But it is good to get away, to find those cathedrals in time and space (to quote Abraham Heschel), whether man-made or natural, that can give us space to just breathe and be.

As you read this issue, I challenge you to sit quietly with a hot drink to contemplate the wonder of silence (p40). Identify things that are stressing you and try giving them up in prayer (p12). And remember, in a storm (p32) or in the stillness God often shows up just when we need Him. Take some time to rest, escape and reflect with us today.

Jarrod

JARROD STACKELROTH Editor

VOL 138 NO 8 ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Jarrod Stackelroth ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jesse Herford ASSISTANT EDITOR Zanita Fletcher COPYEDITOR Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Theodora Pau'u Talia Valderrama Nerise M cQuillan PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsofthetimes.org.au WEBSITE signsofthetimes.org.au ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A28/$NZ30; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical.

Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs.

Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide.

COVER IMAGE:

Care of Robbie Berghan

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A NOISE-POLLUTED PLANET From planes to noisy neighbours, it can be hard to escape the noise. Here’s some stats to inspire you to seek out silence.

WHAT IN THE WORLD

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THE FUTURE OF ‘SHROOMS

NO MORE CERVICAL CANCER

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA

What if I told you your children might live in houses made of ‘shrooms? The mycelium network of roots and fibres that feed to the mushroom cap could be a helpful resource for creating more sustainable materials for the future.

These materials are five times stronger than petroleumbased products and have little environmental impact. At the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, mushroom bricks, leather alternatives, textiles and “soft” electronics are being explored to push boundaries of design and function in the future.—Inverse

According to a new study, Australia is on track to becoming the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer by 2028. The new predicted rate is four new cases per 100,000 people. According to the Cancer Council, it will be considered a rare cancer in two years. This is thanks to a comprehensive strategy that started in 1991, involving regular pap smears since 2007 and free HPV vaccines.—Science Alert

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The New Zealand government is bringing in sweeping changes in its new budget. Residents will receive free public transport for under 14-year-olds and half price for under 25s, and 20 hours of complimentary childcare for two-year-olds. The budget is called a “bread-and-butter” budget, with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins acknowledging that “it’s tough on families right now”.

—Financial Review

SHVETS PRODUCTION, ARTHOUSE STUDIO, POLINA TANKILEVITCH, PIXABAY—PEXELS.COM

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NEW ZEALAND

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BREAD AND BUTTER BUDGET

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FROM WASTE TO PLAY SPACE

INDIA

Hundreds of playgrounds are popping up in India with brightly coloured animals made from recycled materials. Old tyres, used ropes and waste scraps are being cleaned, inspected and painted to create jungle gyms, seesaws and swings. A new playground can be built in five days at a fraction of the cost of a standard one. The project has been led by architect Pooja Rai who believes play is a human right.

—The Guardian

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise pollution increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, anxiety, depression and cognitive decline.

The WHO claims that traffic noise is such a big psychological stressor that the risks are on par with second-hand smoking.

Noise from ships, oil drills and sonar devices cause a threat to marine mammals that rely on sound to navigate, communicate and find food. Research shows that in some areas dolphins and whales are now having to “shout” to one another. Los Angeles and Boston are experiencing a decline in dolphin numbers because it has become too loud for them to survive.

The cities with the highest noise pollution levels are Mumbai, Cairo, Shanghai, London and New York.

The number one cause of hearing loss is not age but noise.

Experts suggest minimising risks by closing windows, planting trees and shrubs around your property, wearing noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs, having a dedicated quiet space, going into nature often, keeping the music and television volume down, and finding out what your local government can do.

LT U R E

HOW CHEFS BECAME CELEBRITIES Whether it’s MasterChef or Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, celebrity chefs are here to stay. But how did the humble chef become an icon and what can they teach us about ourselves?

BY JESSE HERFORD

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hat do a foul-mouthed, drug-abusing Canadian, a stately Frenchman from Bourg-en-Bresse and an American businesswoman whose prison nickname was “M Diddy”, all have in common? If you guessed that they’re all celebrity chefs, you’re correct. I am, of course, referring to Matty Matheson, Jacques Pépin and Martha Stewart.

Whereas Pépin and Stewart belong to the “old guard” of celebrity chefs, Matty Matheson made internet fame with his Vice shows It’s Suppertime, Keep it Canada and Dead Set on Life.

He’s also a restaurateur and cookbook author, as well as having acting and producing roles in FX’s The Bear.

However, Matheson’s popularity is not due to his culinary prowess but his edginess. While most celebrity chefs keep an immaculate kitchen, Matheson embraces the mess. In his wildly popular YouTube show Just a Dash, he regularly expresses such aphorisms as “TV chefs are liars!” or “describing food is so stupid!”

Rachael Ray or Jamie Oliver tend to portray a highly curated approach to cooking, but Matheson leans into the absurdity of it all. He regularly complains to his producers in his videos, makes rude jokes where he is often the target and generally seeks to dispel the perfect image most celebrity chefs cultivate.

Like any artistic pursuit, there are figures who have won fame in the culinary world throughout history.

Marcus Gavius Apicius wrote

MIDJOURNEY

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ing at his restaurant Spago. Marco Pierre White in the UK likewise grew a reputation for innovation, though also becoming known for his cantankerous, brutal leadership style. The way he abused his team and customers made him a polarising figure and set a norm for how kitchen staff were treated. Both Puck and White are responsible for originating the concept of the celebrity chef, but White perhaps made the most enduring contribution, having trained Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthal, Curtis Stone and Gordon Ramsay.

These chefs paved the way for what would become a brand-new TV sub-genre. Riding on the coat-tails of the reality TV craze, Hell’s Kitchen, The Great British Bake-Off and MasterChef have all gained incredible popularity around the world. Many, including the aforementioned MasterChef, even have their own regional variants that have turned contestants into celebrity chefs.

The game changed again when chefs and home cooks alike discovered YouTube. Binging with Babish, Uncle Roger, Marion’s Kitchen and more have all become household names, watched by billions worldwide. Then TikTok revolutionised short-form video, spawning creators like The Pasta Queen, Notorious Foodie, Chef Reactions and others, who have all established a place in the cultural zeitgeist. Food is now not just material to ingest; it’s content to consume.

But celebrity chefs, TV chefs and

digital content creators all share one thing. To connect with their audience, they need not only to be able to cook delicious food—they need you to connect with their brand. We don’t watch Jamie Oliver or (my personal favourite) J Kenji López-Alt simply for their ability to assemble ingredients effectively. We watch them because we like their personality, presentation style or even just their face. They are the brand, as much as (or more than) the food itself. For my part, I don’t necessarily watch Matty Matheson for the food. Beyond the crude language and rough styling, there’s something about his personality I resonate with.

Of course, this shouldn’t be remotely surprising to anyone.

For millennia, humans have been attracted to certain personalities more than others. In the ancient era, they were kings, prophets and poets. In more modern times, they are musicians, actors, authors and influencers. And yes, even chefs.

There’s a story in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel where the people of Israel declare that they want a king. Until this point, the nation had been governed by judges and prophets. One day, the tribal elders gathered and told Samuel, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:4, 5).

The biblical text tells us that Samuel was “displeased”, and after spending time praying to God, returned with

MIDJOURNEY

De re Coquinaria (The Art of Cooking in Vulgar Latin) in the fourth century. Today it is considered one of the oldest cookbooks in history.

Chinese-Turkish writer Hu Sihui wrote the Yinshan Zhengyao in the fourteenth century, combining the culinary arts with medicine.

Around the same time, Le Viandier was purportedly penned by royal French cook Guillaume Tirel under the name Taillevent (meaning “idle swaggerer”).

It was also a Frenchman who can claim the (somewhat dubious) title of “world’s first celebrity chef ”.

Alexis Soyer found fame when he emigrated to England and in 1837 became the head chef of The Reform Club—an establishment built on the principles of radical political action. The way he revolutionised cooking paved the way for the cook to become an auteur—something previously only reserved for writers, painters and philosophers.

To be fair, the image of the genius chef, bent over a counter, tweezering edible flowers onto a meticulously crafted mélange of colours, textures and tastes is a relatively new phenomenon. According to author Andrew Friedman in his book Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, chefs were considered “anonymous workhorses” for most of human history. Relegated to the back of the restaurant, chefs were never seen, let alone idolised.

That all changed in the 1970s.

Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck in the US grew a reputation for new think-

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what it really is: a flimsy façade. This is not even mentioning that to deliver your dish, an entire team—often ignored and forgotten—is required.

From the food preparation to the assembly, quality control to table service, restaurants are a team sport, yet often the team is forgotten and the star player—the chef whose name is emblazoned on the restaurant, is elevated above all others. As much as I’m a fan of some of the names listed in this article, we would do well to remember the rise and fall of celebrities who—in their hubris—failed to take stock of their fame and deal responsibly with the ramifications thereof. We would also do well to learn from figures such as Saul and model our lives not on him but on the true King of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, who said: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43, 44).

Jesse Herford is a pastor and associate editor for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times.

He lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife, Carina and their miniature schnauzer, Banjo.

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a reply. A king, he warns, will do many things. He will make their children into soldiers, cooks and servants, take their fields, vineyards, livestock and produce for himself.

“When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day” (1 Samuel 8:10–18).

Nevertheless, the people persist, and Saul, son of Kish, is chosen as the first king of Israel. He’s described as a tall man, broad-shouldered and with the look of a sovereign. Perhaps Chris Hemsworth could play him in a film adaptation. However, looks alone isn’t enough and Saul’s reign is disastrous. He continually fumbles with his responsibilities, makes terrible choices for his house and kingdom, and at the end of his life sinks into a deep depression (some scholars think potentially bipolar disorder). He later, his legacy forever tarnished.

Like Saul, very few people can handle the pressure the limelight brings. The 2022 film The Menu shone a satirical light on this very issue, revealing the awed veneration directed toward celebrity chefs for

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as you can

Prayer for some is a source of great richness but for others, it’s frustrating. How can we grow, even in seasons of silence?

BY ZANITA FLETCHER

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MIDJOURNEY

I

’m going to be honest with you. I find prayer really hard.

If I had to give reasons for all my tears over the past few years, most of them have come during conversations with God. Part of why I find it difficult is because it hasn’t always been this way. I’ve had periods of life where prayer has been a great joy, when I would carve out space most days to walk long stretches of sandy beaches speaking to God. In those times, prayer brought me comfort, clarity and direction.

But that hasn’t been the case for a while. Instead, prayer has been the source of deep wounds and disappointment. Over and over, I’ve found myself asking, “Where are You?” and “If You are there somewhere, why does this seem like such a one-way relationship?”

While people don’t spend as much time in church or places of worship as they once did, polls consistently show that, irrespective of religious beliefs, people all around the world turn to prayer seeking solace, hope, help or a sense of purpose. A Pew Research Center survey conducted across 65 countries showed that 55 per cent of all people pray every day. One in five adults admit to praying despite having no religion, more than 10 per cent of self-described “non-religious” people say they pray in times of crisis and another nine per cent pray at least occasionally.1 AUGUST 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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Abraham Lincoln once admitted, none of us are immune to suffering.

“I have been driven many times We can be humming along high on upon my knees by the overwhelming life when suddenly we’re in a plot conviction that I had nowhere else we can’t make sense of. The rain to go. My own wisdom . . . seemed dumps and we’re like a piece of wet insufficient for that day.”2 Foo clothing that gets put in a dryer and Fighters band leader Dave Grohl thrown around on full speed. For also admitted that he prayed dessome, answers come quickly, as do perately when his drummer, Taylor peace, clarity, healing and direction.

Hawkins, overdosed at a festival. He But others find themselves stuck in remembers talking to God out loud the middle, waiting, wondering and as he was walking to and from the trying to white-knuckle their way hospital where his friend laid in a through the mess, trying to trust that coma. “I’m not a there is somereligious person thing bigger out but I was out of there that cares my mind, I was about them. This so frightened and is often where heartbroken and our questions confused,” he about prayer and Irrespective of said.3 God get asked: As someone “Do my religious beliefs, who believes in prayers matter?”

God, I find it “Why does God people all around amazing that only answer some the world turn to so many people people’s prayers?” instinctively “Is there some prayer turn to prayer. magical equation However, not that consists all cries to the sky end up how we of what I ask and the time I spend hope. A Pew Research Center survey praying that gets God’s attention?” showed that a little less than half of “If He says everything is possible, those who pray say that God actually why isn’t He doing anything?” hears them.4 Every now and then Some of Jesus’ most well-known we see or hear of a miracle. But a lot yet confusing words on prayer were of the time it seems as though our given to His followers and a crowd prayers don’t change things. And so, of people who had gathered on a we’re left with questions. mountain to hear Him speak. Jesus Life has a way of dealing us some said, “Ask and it will be given to you; rough cards at times. No matter how seek and you will find; knock and good we’ve been or what we believe, the door will be opened to you. For

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everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7,8).

Jesus’ instructions sound pretty straightforward: seek, ask, knock and receive. But that doesn’t always happen. So, what do we do when our asking doesn’t result in receiving or when our seeking leaves us with more questions than answers? How are we supposed to believe someone who claims to do something, but doesn’t always follow through?

In his book Praying like Monks, Living like Fools, Taylor Staton explains that those three words “ask”, “seek” and “knock” are written in a Greek verb tense we don’t have a grammatical equivalent for in English. They imply an ongoing action that takes place in the present and the future. The most literal way to translate this passage in Matthew 7 is: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Jesus’ response to those asking without getting answers and growing weary is . . . persistence.

But persistence, by definition, is a hard slog. It’s not easy to keep coming to God with the same things for weeks, months, years or for some, decades. When the struggle remains, the sickness lingers, the questions multiply, the heart still hurts and the desires go unmet—coming to God again and again is exhausting.

Hence, many give up, others become

bitter and some become avoidant of prayer. Just like love and trust, prayer involves risk. Because what if He never answers? What will I make of all His promises? How will I trust that any of what He says is true?

Unfortunately, I don’t have answers to all the nitty gritty questions around suffering. There are some intellectual answers, but they don’t hold much water when life seems like it’s in a downward spiral or when dealing with profound turmoil.

What I’m here to do is offer you some encouragement for the ride.

So, what do we do when the events of our life lead us to prayer, but our prayer leaves us in the same place? How do we maintain the stamina to hold on? Here are some things that I’ve found helpful:

be as human as you possibly can

We often think we must come to God with our knees on the floor, hands clasped and a softly spoken monologue of poetic praises. But God doesn’t expect this from us. The only requirement for coming to Him is that we do so with honesty.

Just look at the book of Psalms in the Bible. The author David’s prayers were full of grumblings, groanings, complaints, shaking fists, accusations, messy tears . . . and I’m sure some expletives got left out in translation.

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don’t limit prayer to words

The essence of prayer is quality time. Sure, God wants you to speak to Him, but He understands we experience seasons where that is hard. If you’re struggling to get out words or talking about things is overwhelming, try spending time with God in other ways. Listen to worship music and let the lyrics be your prayer. Go out into nature. Express yourself creatively through art. Write your prayers as poems or letters. Or in the words of David, “Be still . . .”

(Psalm 46:10).

take up remembrance

It’s easy to remember the things that cause us pain and suffering. As it’s said, “the body keeps the score”.

But it’s not always easy to remember 16

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our blessings, especially during a difficult period. Yet we can often find hope for the future when we identify what God has done in the past. Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 prayer movement, says, “Remembering is at the heart of the Bible . . . It is an essential spiritual discipline.”5 Take time to think about the big and small things that are going well, the blessings in your life and the lives of those around you. Write them down so you can see the list of things add up over time.

surround yourself with people who will pray for and with you

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, after food and water, love is the most important need we must fulfil as humans.6 Not only do we have greater life satisfaction when we’re connected with others, but our mental health improves and we have more resilience when we experience trials.7 Too often, we stay quiet and try to carry our doubts and difficulties alone. If I can give you one piece of advice that’s helped me most, it’s

to find people you can trust, be open with them about what you’re going through, and let them help you carry your burdens. Ask them to pray for you and especially with you. Often people can speak hope into our situations and hearing their prayers can be a balm to the soul.

I still find prayer hard, and I’m still waiting for questions to be answered, desires to be met and healing to be had. But I’m holding onto hope that God is good, that He wants to answer us, give us our heart’s longings, and see us have joy and freedom in this life. He knows the latter can be painful and promises it won’t be this way forever.

As Staton writes, “God bends history so that the moments of greatest pain become the moments of greatest redemption, twisting the story to be sure that the pain we feel releases the power of new life, and the tears we cry become the foundation of a better world. We are promised that a day is coming when the Father himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes. But until then, we live on an in-between promise:

‘I will not let a single one of your tears be wasted.’”

If you’re wading through the mess and muddle of your story or navigating some uncomfortable twists and turns you didn’t see coming, keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. And when you’ve grown impatient with the waiting and are struggling to hold onto hope, heed the words of priest Dom John Chapman: “Pray as you can, not as you can’t.”

If you'd like to take the next step with prayer, visit <prayeronline.org.au> to get started.

Zanita Fletcher is a life coach, writer and assistant editor for the Australia/New Zealend edition of Signs of the Times. She writes from the Gold Coast, Australia.

1. <pewresearch.org/religion/2015/11/03/ chapter-2-religious-practices-and-experiences/#private-devotions> 2. This quote was cited by President Obama at the Democratic National Convention, September 2012.

It appears to have been first attributed to Abraham Lincoln by Noah Brooks, writing in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, vol. 31, 226, published in July 1865.

3. Paul Brannigan, This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl (London, Harper Collins, 2012).

4. <earth.com/news/religious-prayer-trouble> 5. <youtube.com/watch?v=PpHa3ww8GB0&t=2225s> 6. <mindtools.com/a4denhh/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs> 7. <betterup.com/blog/human-connection>

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ZACK MAJOR—UNSPLASH.COM

about your doubts. If you can’t pray for an hour, let it all out for a minute and then go on with your day. If you’re lost for words, pick a Psalm or a pre-written prayer that you resonate with, write it out or repeat it to God.

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ELL B EING

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BRAIN The brain is an amazing tool but if we don’t treat it well, it won’t treat us well. How can we take care of it the best way possible?

FREEPIK.COM

BY BRUCE MANNERS

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Why? “Because the primary purpose of every organ system of the body is to serve the brain: the lungs breathe and the heart beats in order to provide oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The legs move the brain from place to place while the arms allow the brain to interact with the world. The primary function of our eyes and ears is to provide input data to the brain.”2 The brain is central and while the body may serve the brain, the brain

process the act of imitation better than those who cannot sing. All of who we are comes from the unique way our individual brains have developed.”

He talks about neuroplasticity, brain plasticity and the ability of neural networks in the brain to change “in response to the stimuli it encounters. You can imagine this to be the cornerstone of learning, memory, self-discipline, habits and even motivation.

our brains is to get serious about creating the healthiest brain we can.

When I interviewed Victor Adekola Ojo, a psychogeriatrician (a person who deals with mental illness in older people), he went back to basics and said, “We already do a lot of the things that can keep our brains healthy. What’s often missing is intentionality and regularly taking the time to do what helps.”4 That’s a warning.

Gupta says, “When people ask me what’s the single most important thing they can do to enhance their brain’s function and resiliency to disease, I answer with one word: exercise—as in a healthy brain move more and keep a regular requires a healthy physical fitness body routine. . . . Fitness could well be the most important ingredient to living “With neuroplasticity, you set as long as possible, despite all the your own potential. Without it, you other risk factors you bear—age and are destined to have a brain set in genetics included.”5 stone. The ability of our brain to And for himself, he always has change and adapt is truly what makes running shoes, swimsuit and goggles us unique as a species.”3 handy wherever he is, along with We can learn new skills. We can resistance bands. And he follows the make decisions. We can change our advice of his chair of neurosurgery minds. and does 100 push-ups a day. One of the secrets he says is to make doing what we know exercise accessible—he keeps weights Perhaps the place to begin to help in his bedroom, he has a door-frame

“

also controls the body. There’s a link between the two with each impacting on the other.

“Everything we do—what we think, what we say, how we behave, and what habits we develop—springs from the complex biological processes of the brain,” says human behaviour researcher Peter Hollins.

For instance, “People with better memories tend to have larger hippocampi, and singers tend to

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he first time he saw a living human brain, neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta says it became “a powerful and life-changing experience”.

The brain is not “grey matter”.

Gupta describes it as “pinkish with whitish yellow patches and large blood vessels coursing on and through it. It has deep crevasses, known as sulci and mountainous peaks, known as gyri. Deep fissures separate the brain into the various lobes in a surprisingly consistent way”.

And, in case you were wondering, “During an operation, the brain pulsates gently out of the skull’s borders and looks very much alive.

Consistency wise, it is not so much rubbery as squishy, more like gelatin. It has always amazed me how fragile the brain is despite its function and versatility. Once you see the brain, you very much want to protect and take care of it.”1 So, how do we take care of our brain? How do we go about building a better brain? Author of The Aging Brain, Dr Timothy Jennings, keeps it simple: “A healthy brain requires a healthy body.”

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use your brain

There really is a sense of use it or lose it about your brain. Simply put, using your brain helps it grow.

Research by University College in London checked out the brains of trainee taxi drivers who passed what is known as the “Knowledge” test.

The test is to learn routes across the city’s 25,000 streets and to thousands of places of interest. What they discovered was that “they had a greater volume of grey matter in their posterior hippocampus—the nerve cells in the brain where processing takes place—than when they started”.

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10 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR BRAIN “It’s never too late or too early to incorporate healthy habits.”

That’s the message from the Alzheimer’s Association as they list 10 ways individuals can reduce the risk of cognitive decline by adopting and combining certain lifestyle habits:

1. BREAK A SWEAT

Engage in regular cardiovascular exercise that elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain and body. Several studies have found an association between physical activity and reduced risk of cognitive decline.

2. HIT THE BOOKS

Formal education in any stage of life will help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

You could take a class at a local college, community centre or online.

3. BUTT OUT

Evidence shows that smoking increases risk of cognitive

decline. Quitting can reduce that risk to levels comparable to those who have not smoked.

conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea may result in problems with memory and thinking.

4. FOLLOW YOUR HEART

8. TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Evidence shows that risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke—obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes—negatively impact your cognitive health. Take care of your heart and your brain might just follow.

5. HEADS UP!

Brain injury can raise your risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Wear a seat belt, use a helmet when playing contact sports or riding a bike, and take steps to prevent falls.

6. FUEL UP RIGHT

Eat a healthy and balanced diet lower in fat and higher in vegetables and fruit to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Research on diet and cognitive function is limited but certain diets, including Mediterranean and Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), may contribute to risk reduction.

7. CATCH SOME ZS

Not getting enough sleep due to

Some studies link a history of depression with increased risk of cognitive decline, so seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns. Also, try to manage stress.

9. BUDDY UP

Staying socially engaged may support brain health. Pursue social activities that are meaningful to you.

Find ways to be part of your local community—if you love animals, consider volunteering at a local shelter. If you enjoy singing, join a local choir or help at an after-school program. Or, just share activities with friends and family.

10. CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Challenge and activate your mind.

Build a piece of furniture. Complete a jigsaw puzzle. Do something artistic. Play games, such as bridge, that make you think strategically.

Challenging your mind may have short and long-term benefits for your brain.9

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ANTONIO VISALLI—UNSPLASH.COM

pull-up bar at home and in his office (“pull-ups are a great way to build your back muscles and strengthen your core”).6 I suspect you and I both know the importance of exercise, but why do so few of us exercise—let alone exercise regularly?

Arianna Huffington emphasises the importance of sleep in her book The Sleep Revolution, saying that “sleep deprivation is linked with increased risks of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease. . . . Sleep is so important for our health and wellbeing that we can’t afford not to make it a priority.”7 Adequate, good sleep helps our brain.

See “10 ways to love your brain”, to the right, for a list of things we can do to help our brains.

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“The brain had made room for a mental representation of London in their heads.” In commenting on the study, Professor Eleanor Maguire said, “The human brain remains ‘plastic’ even in adult life, allowing it to adapt when we learn new tasks”.

And if you want to really give your brain some exercise, learn a new language—or two. One study found that speaking more than one language better prepares the brain to take on other challenging tasks.8 A healthy brain is mostly found in a healthy body, is often stretched, regularly used and challenged.

positively different From family LIFE to physical HEALTH, sacred MUSIC to vibrant SPIRITUALITY, Faith FM programs will brighten your day and guide you on the way.

Bruce Manners is an author, retired pastor and former editor of the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times, based in Lilydale, Victoria.

1. Sanjay Gupta, Keep Sharp (London, Headline Publishing Group, 2021).

2. Timothy R Jennings, The Aging Brain (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 2018).

3. Peter Hollins, Build a Better Brain, Using Neuroplasticity to Train Your Brain for Motivation, Discipline, Courage, and Mental Sharpness (Independently published, January 19, 2019).

4. Bruce Manners, Retirement’s Gift (Warburton, Victoria, Signs Publishing).

tune in

TODAY!

5. Sanjay Gupta, ibid.

6. Sanjay Gupta, ibid.

7. Arianna Huffington, The Sleep Revolution (London, W H Allen, 2017).

8. <ft.com/content/50b6eb46-576c-11e8-806a808d194ffb75>

Z—UNSPLASH.COM

9. <alz.org/help-support/brain_health/10_ways_to_ love_your_brain>

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Find your nearest station or listen online at WWW.FAITHFM.COM.AU

CU

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Porn is as prevalent in our society as air. Here are four lies we tell ourselves about porn and why they’re so damaging.

BY JARROD STACKELROTH 26

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JAKOB OWENS—UNSPLASH

BUSTING FOUR PORN MYTHS

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1. nobody gets hurt

While there have been pushes to create “ethical” porn and producers claim that everyone involved in the industry is there by consent, there is just no way to test this. Chances are high that some people are there against their will. Victor Malarek warns in his book, The Johns: Sex for Sale and the Men Who Buy It, that the preponderance of Eastern European and Asian women—typical targets of traffickers—should set off alarms.

Then, there are the children. The statistics tell us that younger and younger children are getting their first exposure to porn. This is before their brains are developed and they know what the images mean. It almost amounts to child abuse and it will be interesting to see what impact early porn exposure has when this generation reaches adulthood.

Many teachers are already seeing

“

More than a third [of teachers] believe that a majority of their pupils regularly see hardcore pornography Also, the content itself often depicts violence. US researchers analysed 304 top-ranking scenes and found 88 per cent of them contain physical aggression (gagging, slapping, spanking) and 48 per cent contain verbal aggression (name calling), usually directed toward (in 94 per cent of cases) women.1 Like most addicts, those who become addicted to porn need more and more extreme scenarios to achieve the same result.

the impact. The Times Educational Supplement survey asked 500 teachers about the impact of porn in their classrooms.2 More than a third believed a majority of their pupils regularly saw hardcore pornography and three-quarters believed it was having damaging consequences.

One teacher told the survey that children as young as 11 were becoming over-sexualised and feeling lots of pressure to perform sexual acts.

Others said that pupils were using

derogatory sexual language and that watching porn had led to “awful” behaviour of their male students towards young women.

2. it empowers women

The expansion of social media has seen an increase in body image issues in society. According to the American Psychological Association, reducing social media use can significantly improve body image in young people.3 Porn can exacerbate this problem. News.com.au reports an increase in eating disorders among men who have “problematic” levels of porn use. For both men and women, porn’s perfect-looking bodies and exotic depictions of sexual acts lead to unrealistic expectations when it comes to real-life sex with a partner.

Young people interviewed for a documentary called Love and Sex in an Age of Pornography spoke of comparing their bodies and sexual performance unfavourably to what they see in porn. The young men mentioned wanting to engage in the sort of sex they had seen and said they tried to initiate that with their partners.

On the flip side, the young women reported the difficulty they had responding to those initiations, which were often acts that they did not want to take part in.4 As we’ve already mentioned, a majority of violent acts are directed at women and in the TES study, more than half (55.8 per cent) of teachers surveyed said they’d come across AUGUST 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

ENGIN AKYURT—UNSPLASH

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t’s been said that porn and the internet rose together. As technology develops, the pornography industry finds new and even more instant ways to entangle consumers.

I saw a video on social media where a young woman was talking about her subscription account (where people subscribe to access exclusive content of her) making $350k a month.

This is not your grandfather’s porn. No-one is hiding a magazine under their bed anymore, nor is it only available in the dark section of a corner shop. It is interactive, highly visual and frighteningly accessible.

Instead of an embarrassing walk to the back of the newsagent, you can now access 4K video content in the palm of your hand.

Where things will go, we can only speculate, but with artificial intelligence (AI) video faking technology and virtual reality, you can bet that the industry is already working on more ways to separate punters from their money and addict them to new products.

Porn has also become more widely acceptable in society. Where it used to be a dirty secret, it is now the subject of prime-time specials and industry stars are now “influencers” with a certain name recognition and celebrity. Yet those who want the industry to find legitimacy and make more money from punters have peddled a number of lies that are commonly believed.

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a pupil who wanted to surgically change their image.5 Women in society already face violence from intimate partners, however, sexual violence from an intimate partner is less likely to be reported.6

3. it will enhance your sex life

In fact, it often has the opposite impact. From setting up unrealistic expectations, to creating performance anxiety, from reduced response to realistic stimuli to increased cheating and relationship breakdown, there are a host of reasons that porn is bad for your sex life.

Abraham Morgentaler, a clinical professor of urology at Harvard Medical School, coined the term “porn-induced erectile dysfunction” to describe the rise in younger patients suffering in that area. They can no longer be stimulated by real-life scenarios. Porn consumption lowers sex drive rather than increase it and porn is designed to be hyper-stimulating to the brain, meaning that more natural stimuli can’t compete.7

RANDY KINNE—UNSPLASH

4. it’s not cheating

Maybe you’ve seen a couple in a movie or TV show, having been advised by a well-meaning friend or counsellor try to spice up their sex life by watching porn together.

“Long lasting, satisfying relationships do not align with the effects we see pornography have,” said licensed marital and family therapist Dr Jill Manning, who specialises in

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“betrayal trauma”. “The majority of people that I meet who are struggling with compulsive sexual behaviour have also dealt with trauma. The compulsive sexual behaviour is often a symptom of unresolved trauma.”8 So for those who have the use of porn as an open part of their relationship, the reality can often be complicated. One user might start to rely on it more than the other partner and feelings of comparison can grow. As Manning mentions, there are also complex trauma (being exposed to repeated traumatic events) narratives involved.

For those who discover their partner’s secret porn use, they often feel hurt and betrayed. They may feel resentment, anger, like they’re not good enough. From a biblical perspective, sex is a mutually beneficial gift from God, where two individuals come together to become one. When one engages in selfish gratification, they are breaking the bonds of trust and transparency that strengthen a relationship and inviting other people to come between that sacred relationship.

a better alternative

What’s more, there is hope for people trapped by porn. Like any addiction it is hard to escape but not impossible. Many try accountability partners or going cold turkey. However, they often get trapped in the binge/purge cycle of relapse. Author and counsellor Jay Stringer in his book, Unwanted: How sexual brokenness reveals our way to healing talks about how the best way to engage sexual addiction is to understand what need in ourselves that “hit” is trying to fill and then addressing the underlying need. Porn or other forms of addiction are often the symptom not the underlying cause.

If you’ve been caught in the trap of porn, I’ll leave you with this reminder from the introduction to Stringer’s Unwanted.

“There is no depth of shame that the love of God cannot reach. There is no story he cannot redeem. The paradox of the gospel is that our failures do not condemn us; they connect us.”

1. <theconversation.com/aggressive-and-debasingthe-real-issues-in-porn-debates-17169> 2. <independent.co.uk/news/education/ education-news/pupils-damaged-by-hardcoreporn-8228181.html> 3. <apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/social-media-body-image> 4. <theconversation.com/aggressive-and-debasingthe-real-issues-in-porn-debates-17169> 5. <independent.co.uk/news/education/ education-news/pupils-damaged-by-hardcoreporn-8228181.html> 6. <theconversation.com/facing-up-to-the-difficulttruth-about-how-porn-harms-women-11079 https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-harmconsumers-sex-lives/> 7. <fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-harm-consumers-sex-lives/> 8. Fight the New Drug Instagram post, June 8, 2023.

Jarrod Stackelroth is the editor of the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times and Adventist Record.

Sex was designed to be good.

One of God’s first commands to humanity in the first chapter of the Bible was to “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Rather than a hyper-stimulating, addictive and destructive habit like porn, sex in a marriage relationship can build connection, intimacy and security.

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MY POINT OF NO RETURN A brush with the supernatural set me on a path I never thought I’d walk: from parties to prophecy.

RON LACH—PEXELS.COM

BY ROBBIE BERGHAN

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hey say that as an aircraft sits at the end of a runway and begins to increase its thrust, there is an imminent stage of the take-off that every plane reaches—the point of no return. This was me in 2001. My life was the plane hurtling down a runway, not knowing I was about to reach my point of no return.

I worked for some of the largest companies in Australia, designing IT systems, solving problems, writing code and getting paid extremely well.

I loved the challenge of being given problems and coming up with solutions. By the end of the ’90s, I was driving brand-new cars and travelling all over Asia and Europe; by the end of the millennium, I was building the passenger my first house and was engaged.

I grew up in a typical middle-class Friends and family would say I was Australian home. We lived in the born with “the lucky gene”. By the suburbs, Dad time I reached worked in sales my early 20s, I and loved his considered myself Landcruiser, an atheist and Mum was a saw religion as nurse, we camped a control mechon Stradbroke anism for the Island (Qld) for weak-minded.

I saw religion as holidays. We had Little did I know, BBQs on the the life I had a control beach for Christbeen building, mechanism for the mas and Australia crafting, schemDay, watched ing and planning weak-minded the cricket on was about to be summer weekshaken to its very ends, followed core. the V8 Supercars, and supported the Brisbane Broncos in the winter. I had the mirror a younger sister and brother—just a It was Friday night. I was out with regular Australian family. Although my mates in a nightclub in Brisbane. both of my parents had been born We had been there for a few hours into Christian homes, by the time I and it was hot. I headed to the was two they had, like many, left the bathroom to splash some cold water faith and sought a life without God. on my face to cool down.

I finished high school in the I got to the sink and it was dark, ’90s and started studying computer with purple lights. There was the science at university right as the faint sound of a thumping bass dot-com bubble began. It was great. line in the background. I bent

“

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over to splash water into my face and instantly there was a relief to the heat. But as I slowly stood up and looked into the mirror, I saw, standing behind me, a dark, shadowy figure looking over my shoulder with piercing eyes. I turned around to face off with this stranger but there was nothing and nobody there. I swung back around to look in the mirror and there it was again. Turning back around and again, it was gone. I don’t remember hearing words, but more like a sensation, an impression, something like, “You’re a slave to me!” It’s hard to put into words, but something like—“You can run, you can hide, but you are mine!”.

Whatever it was, I was out of that bathroom and out of the club as fast as I could. You see, as a non-religious person, as a believer in “facts only”, I did not believe in metaphysical things like this. The encounter troubled me so profoundly that I decided to stop drinking, as I thought for sure that had to be the explanation.

the storm

A few months went by and a few mates invited me out agaim. I told them I’d come, but I’m not drinking.

And so, we hit the town. We went through the routine of clubs and bars, and at about 3am, we were sitting in front of a fast-food store having our early morning munchy session. By about 4am, everyone was in the car passed out and I was driving them south along the Pacific Motorway. Then out of nowhere, a

lightning and thunderstorm hit, but there was no rain, just an incredible display of lightning. Starting on the western horizon, the lighting would work its way across the sky’s dome, splintering eastward towards Moreton Bay. It was the most incredible lightning show I’ve ever seen to this day. I pulled the car over and parked in a field. I got out, and I stood, eyes fixed upward, just taking in the scene. The smell of negative ions and the feel of the static electricity in the air caused the hair on my arms to stand on end. It was an incredible moment.

And then it happened. I was paralysed as I stood there looking up.

I couldn’t move a muscle. And out of nowhere, the thought came to me that if there is an end to this world, this is how it would start. I remember being shocked. But before I could process what I was thinking, the next thought came, if the world ends and there is a God, then you’re lost. As if that was not shocking enough! Still, while standing there gazing up at the sky, someone or something triggered a scene-by-scene playback of my life, starting with me as a child and then passing through the years until that very moment. Each scene that passed before me was of me committing wrongdoings of various descriptions.

I saw myself in primary school stealing money from my mother’s purse to spend at the shops. I saw myself lying to people. I saw myself fighting, misleading and lusting. It was like someone had filmed me every day of AUGUST 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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my life and decided to rewind it and press play. I was stunned. I had always seen myself as a good person, someone who was a good community citizen, someone who paid their taxes, voted and obeyed the civil laws. And yet, here I was, confronted with my own memories condemning me. And just as quickly as it all had started, it was over.

IMAGE SUPPLIED, Z—UNSPLASH.COM

the prophecy

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September 11, 2001, began as any other typical day. But no-one could predict what lay ahead for America, or for that matter the world: four planes, three buildings and about 3000 deaths. Whatever your views are on 9/11, we can all agree that it changed the world forever.

When I first saw the news, that incredible footage of planes flying into the World Trade Centre in New York, I thought to myself: these are some fantastic special effects. I wondered what the movie was. You see, there was an obsession with Hollywood around the year 2000 to create films depicting the end of the world.

However, as I changed channels, the story was the same, the pictures the same and the captions the same: “America under attack”. This was really happening!

I had a flashback to that night just a few months earlier, in the field, SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • AUGUST 2023

with the thought, if there is an end to the world, I’m lost and then that sense of overwhelming guilt from my personal movie highlights reel that I saw in my mind’s eye. And then next, it was like I was being dragged back to that nightclub and placed back into the presence of that dark, shadowy figure with piercing eyes and again reliving that feeling of oppression and captivity. Was this the beginning of the end of the world? I didn’t know it then, but it would be the beginning of the end of my world—as I knew it.

Arriving at work that morning, it was the only topic anyone was talking about. Suddenly, a co-worker (a fellow atheist) abruptly informed me that “this was all predicted”. I asked what do you mean? He then shared with me a prophecy written

by Nostradamus. I was surprised as we didn’t buy into this “whole predicting the future” stuff.

After he saw my confusion, he burst into laughter, as he didn’t believe for a moment that Nostradamus’ prophecy was accurate—it was a joke. But little did he know that this thought that “predictions might exist” or that they might “help to make sense of this moment” set me up for a series of events that were about

to shake the very foundation of my world.

the quest

I began searching and exploring predictions, prophecies—anything that might make sense of the new world we were all now living in. My quest took me to ancient texts and supposed sacred manuscripts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and various other tribal religions around the world. And ultimately, what I discovered brought the realisation that I had reached my own point of no return.

my point of no return

I found in the pages of ancient manuscripts from the Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah a claim like no other.

The supposed author, “God”, claims that “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:9). This was remarkable, as no other religion, no other sacred text makes such a bold claim. But what came next in the passage grabbed my problem-solving mind. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times

things that are not yet done” (Isaiah 46:10). This scroll claimed to be authored by not just a god, but the only God. How can you verify His claim? Through prophecy. Prophecy is God’s signature, the evidence that He is who He says He is.

After studying biblical prophecy, I was faced with my point of no return. The evidence was overwhelming. The predictions of the biblical manuscripts are both historically and prophetically accurate. And so, I was faced with two options. Either these documents were a hoax or they were supernatural. With the weight of the evidence, I decided to start a “faith experiment” to test the claims and the teachings of the biblical manuscripts. Jesus taught that He had come to give us a life that was more superior in both quantity and quality. He taught that if you seek Him first—everything else falls into place. But it seemed to me that the only way to know for sure would be to experiment with faith. And so, this year, I celebrate the 21st year of my faith experiment. I had reached a point of no return. And so, I chose to let God be the captain of my flight and I can say with confidence—that faith works.

Robbie Berghan hosts The Faith Experiment Podcast on Faith FM Radio <faithfm.com.au>. You can listen to the full story of how Robbie’s faith experiment began at <faithexperiment.com>.

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As a pastor, there are questions I’ve encountered more than once, sometimes about the Bible but usually about everyday life. If you’ve never had the opportunity to ask a pastor tough questions this is the right place. I’ll do my best to respond authentically and biblically!

When is Jesus coming back again?

—Nicholas, TikTok I believe Jesus is coming soon.

Our understanding of the Bible and its prophecies lead me to believe that Jesus’ second coming is a future event that will happen at a time appointed by God. While we do not have a specific date or time, we are encouraged by Jesus and the apostles to remain watchful and be prepared.

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus Himself stated, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” The exact timing of Jesus’ return is known only to God. It is not for us to speculate or make predictions about specific dates or times, though of course many have and will continue to try!

Instead, I try to focus on living faithfully, following Jesus’ teachings

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and sharing the message of His love with others. My faith is anchored in the hope that one day, Jesus will come again to make a new heaven and new earth.

Until that day, I remain committed to making my world a better place through whatever means I can.

It is important to remember that every generation since Jesus’ first disciples has longed for His return. Paul encouraged believers in the first century not to get married (1 Corinthians 7:1–7), precisely because he believed that Jesus was going to return in his lifetime. As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe we are living in the last days, but we do not claim to have exclusive knowledge of the precise time. I remain committed in my belief that Jesus will come again, fulfilling His promise to bring an end to evil, suffering and injustice.

The best thing you can do is study the Bible for yourself, pray for guidance and seek a personal relationship with Jesus.

Let us eagerly anticipate His return while actively making a positive impact in our communities, living out the values of compassion, justice and love that Jesus taught us.

Are Christians concerned about the cost-of-living crisis?—Amber, Kaikoura NZ CEOs claim that inflation, the cost of living crisis and skyrocketing house prices are all the fault of greedy workers demanding higher wages. This is despite the fact that on average, CEOs are paid 1460 per cent more than they were today in 1978, according to the Economic Policy

Institute. Couple this with the fact that in 2022 and 2023, wages in most Western countries actually fell. According to the Australia Institute, Australian wages declined 4.5 per cent in 2022.

But that’s OK, because thankfully corporate profits have never been higher.

Riding on the coat-tails of inflation, stuff now costs more because . . . reasons!

“But Jesse,” you may be asking, “You’re a pastor. What in the world does any of this stuff have to do with you?”

In 1 Timothy 6:10 the apostle Paul says: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Even if you’re not a Christian, you may have heard this passage before. Money isn’t evil in and of itself. However, the elevation of material wealth above every other pursuit is a pathway to great evil.

This is why as a Christian, I cannot accept that corporations get away with ripping off everyday people. It goes against everything Paul and Jesus taught about money. Not only that, this dehumanising behaviour causes incredible stress on the most vulnerable people in our society. Because they’re the ones most affected by this cost-of-living crisis, I believe that no Christian, whether they are rich, poor or middle class, can afford to stay silent on this issue. So yes, I am concerned about the cost-of-living crisis. Now more than ever, it’s incumbent on us to write to our local MPs to petition for justice, serve our community however we can and help those who need us more than ever.

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W

ELL B EING

Learning to embrace the Silence ADAM JANG—UNSPLASH

With an overwhelming amount of noise in the world around us, seeking out silence and stillness may be one of the most important things we can do.

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the quiet and started to use this time to reflect and bring my cares to God. God became the friend in my passenger seat when there wasn’t one, the ear to listen to my rambles, thoughts and ponderings. I began to look forward to my drives so filled with prayer and time alone with God. I learned to hear His gentle whispers. A kind thought of truth would settle my anxiety, or a Bible verse would come to mind to answer a question I was asking. I started to be more intentional with silence, often going for forest walks or beach strolls, bringing things to God in those moments that I wouldn’t share with anyone else. There were moments I would bring a certain matter unknown to all but He and I, and then I’d return home to an exact answer to that exact prayer. I realised God was listening to me and my words and that brought peace to parts of my heart I didn’t even know needed it . . . a kind of peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Today in our western world, our days are filled with all sorts of noise.

Have you ever paused to notice the backing track of your moments?

For example, as I write this, I sit at a café. There is a constant barrage of bustle from baristas, banter and benchtops. The group next to me is talking loudly about the festival they attended on the weekend. The family on the other side has kids running circles around my table. A ringing phone demands attention but is soon

drowned out by the loud competition between a passing motorbike and a garbage truck on the street.

The chef ’s bell dings for the waitress to deliver the ready meals . . . and I’m here trying to remember what I was writing about.

It turns out, this exhausting, constant purr of noise pollution has research teaching us its direct ties to physical and psychological wellbeing.

Exposure to constant or excessive noise causes a whole lot of health problems ranging from increased stress, anxiety, poor concentration, poor sleep, cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment.1 And just the noise of traffic alone ranks second among environmental threats to humans.2 All of a sudden, the lessons my dear four-wheeled Rocky tried to teach me hold much more value for my life than I thought. Even though silence can be challenging to find, it might be an important commodity to seek out.

waltzes and waterfalls

A wise songwriter from the ’90s once sung, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls.” But I bring a proposition that you do just that. Chase the waterfalls. As well as “the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to”. Immersing ourselves in nature brings silence to our ears and a sense of stillness and calm to our mind and inner self.

When we step out of the rat race, things become a meaningful, slow pace, and our eyes are often opened

to notice the beautiful, peace-speaking things happening all around us.

Many masterpieces surround us daily and would awe us if we stopped to notice. Sometimes we just lack a moment, the peace and quiet, to see. An intricate snowflake falls without demanding attention. Bees dance a choreographed waltz midair, landing on flowers where they fill their pockets with golden drops of pollen. A rainforest stream sets a low murmur of white noise that would settle any Gen Alpha bub. The wind washes over treetops and through leaves as a powerful, invisible tide.

Stillness and silence can be challenging to step into when our minds are filled with so much clutter. This is no longer limited to audible sound but the mental noise that continuously blares at us from our frantic distraction-ridden, perpetual busyness. Being still doesn’t come naturally in our day and age when “day of rest” is translated to “the day for washing”. But a simple truth from me to you: an unpaid task does not mean it isn’t work.

Our days are filled with jobs, tasks, tasks within tasks, to-do lists and keeping up with what seems to AUGUST 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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t’s night-time. A diamond-sprinkled sky is my ceiling. A valley stretches west with tree branches soaring high, reaching tall toward the precious stars above. If I had my own personal temple where I prayed, conversed and cried to God, this might be it. A mini valley with wind singing in the leaves and a choir of insects accompanying it. I stop and greet this place, only to see a shooting star slowly wave across the sky from left to right. I smile as my Creator, our Creator, the Creator, says “hello”. Immediately, I am humbled, at rest and in awe.

It’s moments like these when I momentarily shirk my surrounding demands to pause, be still, be silent and cast my eyes to the heavens. It’s moments like these that draw me closer to my Creator, top up my heart and fill my tank.

My first car, a 1992 Asia Rocsta, was voiceless for the first 12 months I owned it. The absence of a working stereo deprived me of that classic teenie-bopping tune-time with friends . . . and boy, did this seem like a big deal at the time. However, slowly I started to learn to appreciate the silence. Like most teenagers on the brink of independence, I loved long road trips with music blasting and friends filling my passenger seats.

These times provided opportunities to talk, ponder and delve into topics together. But when my seats were empty, I found myself music-less, in silence. At first it was uncomfortable but soon I found myself embracing

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be Mary Poppins’ bottomless bag of never-ending emails, text messages and DMs from an endless array of social media platforms. Our thumbs tire from the scroll and our minds are without rest from the meaningless and unnecessary information.

And we eat, sleep and do it over and over again.

I sigh, long and wearily. I tire from merely describing it all.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

(Psalm 23:1–3) The mere sight of those words and the picture of stillness brings me peace. I don’t know about you, but I find myself thinking, I could really do with a green pasture and some still waters about now.

come back to the garden

When God first made humans, He placed them in a garden. A place that displays beauty, creativity and

harmony, with the trees and all that grows declaring life in the purest of ways. The more I think about this, the more necessary it seems to prioritise and embrace the still, the slow, the calm and the silent. To stop and notice the beautiful intricacies surrounding us and allow them to speak into our daily lives; to quieten our minds and hear from God. The reality is that the noises in our world aren’t going to fall silent anytime soon. And so, an essential ingredient in this life-altering practice is the discipline to stop and the patience to wait and listen even when there’s so much happening all around us.

Let us find ways to step away from the noise. Let us be inspired by God’s creativity and restored by the works of His hand. Let us “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10).

Ellice Cook is an occupational therapist. She enjoys pottery, photography and long walks in her free time.

She writes from the Gold Coast, Queensland.

1. <medicalnewstoday.com/articles/noise-pollution-health-effects> 2. <science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/ health-effects-environmental-noise-pollution>

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THE COURAGE TO ASK FOR HELP

Perri’s Story

“We went into hardship on our mortgage. My sick pay ran out, my annual leave ran out, everything ran out and we were living off nothing.”

Perri and her husband were living the Australian dream: they had a mortgage and Perri was anticipating a work promotion. Things seemed great, but an injury turned her world upside-down.

“Life changes very, very quickly,” Perri says. “I had a fall at home and fractured my right leg very, very badly. It took 18 months for me to recover.”

Perri used all her leave from work before dipping into her savings. Her husband was working casually but his work was unreliable. When their savings ran out, the pair didn’t know where their next meal was going to come from.

“It got to the point where we just could not live anymore,” Perri says. “One of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life was to ask for help.”

By looking at her local council’s list of food services, Perri found herself on the doorstep of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

“I got bags and bags and bags of groceries that I wouldn’t have been able to buy,” she says. “I came in here in tears and left with food, a smile on my face and a full belly. It made all the difference.”

When Perri recovered, she applied 46

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for a new job. But before her new career could get off the ground, her husband’s health took a turn for the worse.

“He’s had two strokes,” says Perri. “So I’m his full-time carer now.”

Perri now receives a carer’s allowance and her husband receives the age pension. But when compared to the cost of living, they were still considered food insecure. ADRA’s support is helping to relieve that pressure.

“I can spend the extra money we’re not spending on food on electricity and gas,” she says. “We can’t go out to a restaurant or get takeaway, but we do have a roof over our heads.”

Over time, Perri was so touched by the support she received from ADRA that she felt moved to give back any way she could. So, she decided to join the team of ADRA volunteers.

“I love being a volunteer,” Perri says.

“I go home on a Monday absolutely exhausted but my heart is full.”

As a client and a volunteer, Perri is in a unique position. Her experience allows her to connect with the clients who walk through the door every Monday in a personal way.

“I’ve been there—that’s the bottom line,” Perri says. “I’ve felt like a failure, asking ‘What do I do tomorrow? Am I going to lose everything?’ That’s how a

lot of them come here. Yesterday they were fine, but today they’re not. To ask for help is embarrassing.”

Over the past couple of years, the number of people seeking ADRA’s support has increased vastly. The impact of Covid-19 compounded by the cost-of-living crisis has new people coming through ADRA’s doors every week.

“Our clientele has doubled, if not tripled with the cost of living going up,” says Perri.

For so many like Perri who are staring down empty shelves, ADRA provides essential food support. But equally important to clients is the love and support they feel every time they step through ADRA’s doors.

“ADRA is food support. But more than that, it’s emotional support,” Perri says. “It’s seeing friendly faces every Monday, whether they be clients or other volunteers. It makes me whole again after a long week and it just makes me happy and fulfilled when we close the doors knowing people have full tummies. I want to thank you for your support of people like me and for those who walk through our doors. It means so, so much to us.”

Ashley Stanton lives in Sydney, where she works in ADRA Australia’s communication and marketing team. ADRA Australia runs over 100 Australian community projects, run in collaboration with local Seventh-day Adventist churches. To learn more, visit <adra.org.au>.

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COTTONBRO STUDIO—PEXELS.COM

FA IT H

OUR PREOCCUPATION WITH DEATH The entertainment industry is preoccupied with death and the afterlife. But what actually awaits us beyond the grave?

BY JUSTIN BONE 48

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1980s, there was a flood of zombie-themed movies. Over time, the zombies themselves changed. They got faster and more aggressive. Shaking their somewhat-racist origins, they were also no longer under the control of a voodoo practitioner but had an inner compulsion to devour the living. The method of zombification has also evolved from being the result of a spell to being caused by a biological infection, and now, in The Last of Us, a fungal infestation.

In 2010, the zombie genre made a move to regular TV episodes of The Walking Dead and took the world by storm. Based on the comic book series of the same name, there have now been 11 seasons of this immensely popular show. It has also spawned several television and movie spinoffs and furthered the careers of dozens of actors. The Last of Us seems to be following suit in its popularity.

This all begs the question: why are zombies so popular? What is it about them that has made them so appealing? Is it just that some people enjoy being frightened? Is it a reflection of our mindless overworked culture that often turns us into zombies staring into space in exhaustion? Or is there something deeper about death that scares us?

This strange half-alive, half-dead creature seems to embody all we fear about death and life thereafter. The heroes in these stories struggle to overcome the zombies, whose sole purpose is to make them into new zombies. The struggle seems to be

against death itself, and those who fight and survive are rewarded with the one thing everyone wants—another day of life.

her and provide the special equipment required to heal her. Doctors and nurses who had given years of their lives to medical training helped my daughter recover so she how bad is death? would have the best chance at life.

In these stories, death is more than Preserving life is among the highest just the end of life. It’s a hellish halfof callings, and in our hearts, we all life that is often worse than death know how important it is. itself. It is something that is always One of the most common metrics coming for you, chasing you, that we use to evaluate a person’s life is meant to be feared and run from. once they have passed away is how In Western culture at least, death long they lived. We tend to view a is something longer life as a to be feared better one. Life and shunned.2 is everything, We don’t like and death is the talking about enemy. death—it However, makes us I’ve noticed We tend to view a uncomfortable. that’s not But maybe we always true, longer life as a better should ask the either. When one. Life is everything, question, is my appendix death somedecided to quit, and death is the thing to be I was admitted enemy feared? to the hospital It sounds and soon found like a strange myself recovquestion. We spend so much of our ering in a hospital ward. Due to the lives avoiding death. We care for our number of patients at the hospital, health to extend our lives, we take they had to put me in an oncology safety precautions in every aspect of ward for the day. My own medical life and we instinctively recognise emergency paled in comparison with that life is unimaginably precious. the others in the room. Surprisingly, What is not to fear about death? I as I listened to their stories, I was suppose it depends on what happens astonished at what I heard. I didn’t afterward. hear about fear of death, but acceptWhen my daughter was born ance. There wasn’t anger. There was and had jaundice, an entire medical peace and gratitude for what life system swung into action to care for remained, but no fear of death.

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was scrolling through my phone’s app store one day when I saw something that left me bemused. It was an exercise monitor for runners to track their progress, but this one had a gimmick. You put your headphones on and as you run, you hear the sound of zombies chasing you! How’s that for a little extra motivation?

As I write this, the number-one streaming show in the world is The Last of Us.1 It tells the story of Joel and Ellie, an odd couple forced to traverse the United States in a post-apocalyptic landscape littered with zombies.

Zombies (that is, the fictional idea of them) have been around for a while in pop culture, with their first recorded mention being all the way back in 1819. The term originates from West Africa, where zombies were supposedly created through mysterious voodoo magic. These slow-moving, ghoulish creatures materialised from the recently deceased, or perhaps even the living, to be servants of whoever summoned them.

The term gradually became more popular, and then, following the popularity of films such as George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and others in the 1970s and

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For those who have incredibly painful illnesses or who are born unable to sustain life on their own— those whose every day on earth is agony—death is often anticipated as a release from the pain. In those cases, we see death as something more compassionate, as a process that can ease suffering and not be feared.

what is death really like?

Jesus overcame death

The good news is that when someone sleeps, it also means they will wake up. The Bible records a few cases of prophets or Jesus raising people from the dead. Most of the risen ones would eventually “fall asleep” again. But something different happened when Jesus died.

He was in the tomb from Friday till Sunday and then was raised from the dead through the power of God. Jesus overcame death completely. The Bible puts it this way: “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him” (Romans 6:9).

When Jesus rose from the dead, He took away death’s power over us.

That means we don’t have to fear anymore that when we go to sleep,

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The Bible equates death to an experience we are already familiar with—sleep. The book of Daniel describes people who have died as sleeping “in the dust of the earth” (Daniel 12:2), and the apostle Paul says the dead who await Jesus’ return “have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Even the Greek origin of the word cemetery means “sleeping place”.3 When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died, He told His disciples He was going to go and wake up Lazarus (John 11:11–14). When you’re in the sleep of death, just as with daily sleep, you don’t have any idea what is going on (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Love, hate, jealousy, everything is on hold

while you are sleeping. This still may not sound that desirable. When those whom we love enter the sleep of death, they are still gone from our lives, and the pain for us is still real. How is realising that death is sleeping any consolation?

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we will stay in the dust of the earth forever. It means now that Jesus has been resurrected, He is in charge of death. In fact, the power that was on full display at His resurrection was so remarkable that many people who were asleep in their tombs woke up, left their graves and went into Jerusalem! (Matthew 27:50–54). Can you imagine the happy reactions of their friends and families?

The good news is that because Jesus has done this, we don’t have to fear death. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). That means if we accept the death of Jesus on our behalf, He will gladly share His resurrection life with us.

eternal life. God has promised that eventually, death will be completely destroyed. God Himself will wipe every tear from our eyes, ushering us into a place with no more crying, pain or death (Revelation 21:4). The last enemy destroyed will be death itself and we will never fear losing our loved ones again.

When we die, we will sleep until the day we are awakened by Jesus, after which death will no longer exist. So, should we fear death? One answer is offered by the 17th-century English poet John Donne in one of his famous poems: “One short sleep past, we wake eternally and death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.”4 I can’t wait to see you there when that happens.

wake-up call

Justin Bone supports and trains pastors and congregations around Victoria, Australia. He is passionate about helping people understand the Bible better.

The reality of Jesus’ resurrection hit home for the disciples when they saw the resurrected Jesus. He appeared to them and told them to go to the whole world, and the disciples who had been frightened because Jesus had died now grew bold. They had no more fear of death—they had seen the resurrected Jesus and knew for certain that one day Jesus would return from heaven and wake up everyone with a trumpet blast loud enough to wake the dead! So, as they spread the good news about Jesus around the world, they were completely unafraid of death. They knew what it really was—just a short sleep before the resurrection and

1. Eric Griffith and Chandra Steele, “Must-Watch: The Most-Streamed TV Shows and Movies This Week,” PC, updated March 17, 2023, <pcmag.com/news/ must-watch-the-most-streamed-tv-shows-and-movies-this-week> 2. R David San Filippo, “Historical Perspectives on Attitudes Concerning Death and Dying,” Faculty Publications 29 (January 2006), <digitalcommons. nl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=faculty_publications> 3. “A Brief History of the Cemetery in America,” Woodvale Cemetery, accessed March 23, 2023, <woodvalecemetery.com/a-brief-history-of-the-cemetery-in-america> 4. John Donne, “Holy Sonnets: Death, Be Not Proud,” Poetry Foundation, accessed March 23, 2023, <poetryfoundation.org/poems/44107/holy-sonnetsdeath-be-not-proud>

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ELL B EING

WE ALL KNOW PROTEIN IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF A HEALTHY DIET. BUT HOW IMPORTANT IS IT REALLY?

1. Eat more protein at breakfast Generally, we don’t get enough protein at breakfast so try to focus on adding extra protein to start the day. Here are two quick and easy plant-powered protein breakfasts that easily tip over 25g of protein:

Top wholegrain cereal with yoghurt and a sprinkle of nuts. Alternatively, try baked beans and avocado on wholegrain toast, with a soy latte on the side.

2. Swap to healthier protein Adults generally get enough protein, but it’s not always from the right foods.

In fact, we get around 40 per cent of our protein from discretionary foods, or foods such as processed meats, fast foods, pastries, biscuits and cakes. It’s not that these foods are always high in protein, it just means people eat a lot of them.

Discretionary foods provide little nutritional value, so while they may contain some protein, they’ll often come with a lot of added sugars, salt and saturated fats. Stick to mostly wholefoods and plant food sources including legumes, peas, nuts, seeds, soy products such as tofu, soy milk and soy yoghurt, and wholegrains. Also, that way you’re getting your protein with a whole lot of vitamins, minerals and protective plant phytochemicals!

3. Too much of a good thing Too much of any food or food group, even protein, can provide more kilojoules than your body requires. This can sabotage your weight loss or even cause weight gain. So don’t overdo it.

Regular overconsumption may also put a strain on kidneys.

Article courtesy of Sanitarium Health Food Company. Visit sanitarium.com.au or sanitarium.co.nz and subscribe to Recipe of the Week for a delicious plant-powered recipe in your inbox each week.

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GABY YERDEN—UNSPLASH

CAN PROTEIN HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS?

Protein is an essential nutrient in your diet. It helps you maintain lean muscles, regulates appetite and keeps you full, so you can manage those distracting food cravings. How much protein do you really need each day, especially if you are looking to lose weight? Women need just 46 grams of protein a day, more if you are pregnant (60g a day) or over 70 (57g a day). For men, it’s 64g a day, increasing to 81g when they are over 70. However, for weight loss, when to eat protein is just as important as how much to eat. Our bodies can’t store protein and excess will generally be converted and stored as fat. The best approach is to spread your protein intake over the day. To trim down, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) recommends aiming for at least 25g per meal and an extra 10g for snacks.

Balancing out your protein intake across the day can help you lose weight by keeping your appetite in check, boosting your metabolism and energy intake, and reducing food cravings.

Here are three top tips for nailing a healthy protein balance:

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ELL B EING

IT’S TIME TO BUST THE “CALORIES IN, CALORIES OUT” WEIGHT-LOSS MYTH There’s more than one way to shed the kilos. It turns out that not everything comes down to calories.

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f you’ve ever tried to lose weight, there’s a good chance you’ve been told it all comes down to a simple “calories in, calories out” formula: burn more calories than you consume, and the kilos will disappear. And it’s easy to see the appeal of breaking weight loss down into simple maths—just follow the formula and you’ll achieve success.

It’s also believable because many people do lose weight when they first adopt this approach.

Indeed, the diet industry’s reliance on the “calories in, calories out” concept is why society blames people for being overweight. Anyone who can’t follow this simple energy formula is only overweight because they lack the willpower to eat less and exercise more.

But the only simple truth here is that it’s time to bust the “calories in, calories out” myth as the only way to lose weight. Here’s why.

it’s nearly impossible to calculate accurately

The many calorie-counting apps and online calculators available make it seem effortless. Simply enter your sex, age, height, weight, body composition and activity levels and they’ll tell you exactly how many calories you should eat daily to lose weight.

Unfortunately, no matter how accurate these calculators claim to be, they rely on averages and can’t determine the calorie intake appropriate for you with 100 per cent accuracy.

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They can only estimate.

Similarly, our metabolic rate— how much energy we burn at rest— also varies from person to person based on many factors, including body composition or how much muscle and fat we have. Complicating things further, our metabolic rate also alters when we change our diet and lose weight.

Calculating the calories in food— the other part of managing “calories in”—is also far from accurate.

While Australian food standards require foodstuffs to display nutrition information panels showing energy in kilojoules, there are no requirements for information accuracy other than it must not be misleading.

A worrying plus-or-minus 20 per cent discrepancy is generally accepted for the values shown on labels.

In practice, the variation can be much more than this. One Australian study found food contained anywhere between 13 per cent less and 61 per cent more energy or nutrient components than its packaging stated.

not all calories are created, or consumed, equally

Another reason the simple “calories in, calories out” formula is not so simple is our bodies don’t consume every calorie the same way.

What’s shown in your calorie counter is not what’s actually absorbed in your body.

Different calorie sources also have different effects on our hormones,

brain response and energy expenditure, changing how we respond to and manage our food intake.

For example, while eating 180 calories worth of nuts is the same as eating 180 calories of pizza in terms of energy intake, the way these foods are absorbed and how they affect the body is very different.

While we absorb most of the calories in a slice of pizza, we don’t absorb about 20 per cent of the calories in nuts because their fat is stored in the nut’s fibrous cell walls, which don’t break down during digestion. Nuts are also packed with fibre, filling us up for longer, while a slice of pizza has us immediately reaching for another due to its low fibre content.

our bodies disrupt the formula

The biggest failing of the “calories in, calories out” formula is it ignores that the body adjusts its control systems when calorie intake is reduced.

So, while the formula can support people achieving weight loss initially, the reduction in energy intake is counteracted by mechanisms that ensure lost weight is regained.

Namely, when your body registers a sustained

decrease in the calories you consume, it believes its survival is threatened.

So it automatically triggers a series of physiological responses to protect against the threat, reducing our metabolic rate and burning less energy.

This stems from our ancient ancestors, whose bodies developed this response to adapt to periods of deprivation when food was scarce to protect against starvation.

Research also suggests our bodies have a “set point weight”: a genetically predetermined weight our bodies try to maintain regardless of what we eat or how much we exercise. Our bodies protect our set point as we lose weight, managing biological signals from the brain and hormones to hold onto fat stores in preparation for future reductions in our calorie intake.

The

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body achieves this in several ways, functions. Our adrenal gland manall of which directly influence the ages the hormone cortisol, which it “calories in, calories out” equation, releases when something that stresses including: the body—like calorie restriction—is Slowing our metabolism. When imposed. Excess cortisol production we reduce our calorie intake to lose and its presence in our blood changes weight, we lose muscle and fat. This how our bodies process, store and decrease in body mass results in burn fat. an expected decrease in metabolic Our bodies also cleverly trigger rate, but there is a further 15 per responses aimed at increasing our cent decrease calorie intake in metaboto regain lost lism beyond weight, includwhat can be ing: accounted for, Adjusting our further disruptappetite horing the “calories mones. When Calorie counting can in, calories out” we reduce our equation. Even calorie intake do more harm than after we regain and deprive our good, taking the lost weight our bodies of food, metabolism our hormones pleasure out of eating doesn’t recover. work differand contributing Our thyroid ently, suppressgland also ing feelings of to developing an misfires when fullness and we restrict our telling us to eat unhealthy relationship food intake and more. with food fewer hormones Changing are secreted, how our brain also changing functions. When the equation by reducing the energy our calorie intake reduces, activity in we burn at rest our hypothalamus—the part of the Adapting how our energy sources brain that regulates emotions and are used. When we reduce our energy food intake­­—also reduces, decreasing intake and start losing weight, our our control and judgement over our body switches from using fat as its food choices. energy source to carbohydrates and holds onto its fat, resulting in less the bottom line energy being burned at rest.

The “calories in, calories out” Managing how our adrenal gland formula for weight loss success is

“

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a myth because it oversimplifies the complex process of calculating energy intake and expenditure. More importantly, it fails to consider the mechanisms our bodies trigger to counteract a reduction in energy intake.

So while you may achieve shortterm weight loss following the formula, you’ll likely regain it.

What’s more, calorie counting can do more harm than good, taking the pleasure out of eating and contributing to developing an unhealthy relationship with food. That can make it even harder to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

For long term weight loss, it’s important to follow evidence-based programs from health-care professionals and make gradual changes to your lifestyle to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.

Dr Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.

This article was originally published in The Conversation. To find this article and more, visit <theconversation.com/au>

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FUN

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD CLUES

Crossword Puzzle

How closely have you been reading? Each keyword in this puzzle is also contained within this edition of Signs of the Times.

Happy digging!

DOWN 1 11 seasons of this show have been released 3 A mushroom network 6 The Kabi Kabi people were the traditional custodians of this place 10 What Americans call "coriander" 11 One of the founders of Cynicism 13 Means “sleeping place”

Hint: 13 Down

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2

3

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ACROSS 2 Trained Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone 4 Robbie supported this NRL team 5 55 per cent of all people worldwide do this daily 7 A Vulgar cookery book 8 A brain mountain 9 God designed this to be good 12 A type of cancer soon to be eliminated in Australia 14 You need to chase this

5 6 7

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13 14

SUDOKU EASY

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