World's Piazza - Gianluca Bruno

my recent trip to Israel microblogged

Gianluca — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:09:57 +0000

I microblogged through my recent trip to Israel, see the posts below:

it’s been a long 48-hr day.. drove to the region of galilee. we’r spending the night in a kibbutz. 2morrow: nazareth and other cool places. 1:03 PM Jan 20th from PockeTwit
walking to the hotel cafeteria this AM and saw a random guy hanging out in front of the hotel.. holding a k47. now driving to Nazareth 10:25 PM Jan 20th from PockeTwit
http://twitpic.com/z1u5r – Tipical talapia fish straight from the see of galilee 3:33 AM Jan 21st from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/z1xyt – At Capernaum – Sea of Galilee in the background 4:18 AM Jan 21st from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/z2osu – Boat ride on the sea of galilee – city of tiberias in the background 8:08 AM Jan 21st from TwitPic
just ended a tour of the kibbutz we stayed at the past couple of days. very interesting way of living. next: jordan river, then jerusalem 10:25 PM Jan 21st from PockeTwit
http://twitpic.com/z6irg – Jordan river valley. used to be swamp. Today nice green livable area 12:18 AM Jan 22nd from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/z6jup – Mount Tabor. Remember judge Deborah? Also center point of 4tribes:asher naftali zebulon issacar 12:32 AM Jan 22nd from TwitPic
at Mt. Carmel, where the prophet Elijah ministered. next stop: cesarea 4:20 AM Jan 22nd from PockeTwit
http://twitpic.com/z7gm8 – Caesarea – Roman city on the mediterranean coast where Paul asked to appeal to Cesar (acts 25:11,12,23) 6:32 AM Jan 22nd from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/zcq3w – On Mt. Of Olives – Jerusalem in the background 3:48 AM Jan 23rd from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/zjt2x – spent AM in Bethlehem. our tour guide wasnt allowed to come w/us in the palestinian area. PM in Jerusalem 6:25 AM Jan 24th from TwitPic
driving to dead sea. a rainbow peaks thru the clouds over the hills of israeli n palestinian territories. most appropriate reminder of peace 11:23 PM Jan 24th from PockeTwit
http://twitpic.com/zozy2 – Having a walk in downtown Jerusalem 4:39 AM Jan 25th from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/zp01l – Spent the day visiting along the dead sea. Looking forward to dive in it! Masada was a high point of this trip 4:40 AM Jan 25th from TwitPic
Masada: check. floting in the dead sea: check. Qumran: check. that was last stop of our israel tour. can’t believe its over already 7:51 AM Jan 25th from PockeTwit
http://twitpic.com/zq59h – our group has the “last supper” with a representative of israel’s ministry of turism 9:55 AM Jan 25th from TwitPic

it’s been a long 48-hr day.. drove to the region of galilee. we’r spending the night in a kibbutz. 2morrow: nazareth and other cool places. 1:03 PM Jan 20th from PockeTwit

moblog test

Gianluca — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:07:45 +0000

testing freeware moblog

David Plotz’ new book “Good Book”

Gianluca — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:06:30 +0000

You may have seen David Plotz interviewed on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart promoting his new book. I haven’t read the book but it seems to me that it would be an interesting read for critical thinkers. I have a shelf full of books that I am trying to read before this one, if any of you gets to read it before me, feel free to post a comment.

A friend sent me an interview with the author that I posted below.

My center

Gianluca — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:33:55 +0000

[Some thoughts I jot down while in the car on my last day in Italy]

Here we are. Last day of our trip. We are driving back from my cousin’s restaurant where we had lunch with relatives. The rainy, gray Milan is conducive to thinking. It makes me realize how therapeutic and essential it is for me, to remain in touch with my origins.

I am becoming aware of my center.

I call my center “the place” from which I draw energy, which gives me balance and reminds me who I am. “The place” is not just a physical space, it is an ensemble of elements such as my grandfather’s wisdom, humor, and the history he represents. It is the love of dear ones who is shown in such a simple and eternal manner. “The place” is made of friendships that are so rooted into my life that reach farther than my memory. It is made of sweet memories, as well as bitter ones. It is made of caring parents and a little brother who have exemplified Love in my life. It is made of familiar places that have remained the same and some that have changed over time.

It is so powerful to come back to my birth place because all these elements happen to be or gravitate around this physical place. I realize that I am very fortunate. I gave it for granted. It is true that often we do not realize how essential something is, until it is not at hand’s reach anymore.

I need “the place” more than I’ve ever thought, it is my personal sanctuary. It is a spiritual place to me, it is my Bethel. I need it to keep centered, balanced, and to know who I am, who I have been, and who I have become. I’m just enjoying this epiphany.

11/04/08 The Historical Election of President Obama

Gianluca — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:54:02 +0000

I am still in awe. It’s real. America has elected its first black president.

Only a few decades ago Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared a dream. A vision for a world where the color of someone’s skin would not be a basis for discrimination. Doctor King’s vision is a compelling picture that inspired many. A vision big enough to potentially inspire us forever, because discrimination could be part of our social DNA, indefinitely.

It is undeniable that our society reached achievements in many scientific areas that were once considered unthinkable. Although we are going through some rough times at the moment, America’s economy is innovative, free, and flexible enough to accommodate a vast array of businesses and enterprises. Our government is not perfect, however it is proven to be stable and fair, to a large degree.

Still, the social baggage we are dragging since the slavery years is heavy. That baggage has not made it easy for our nation to move forward in terms of social equality and racial reconciliation.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008 Dr. King’s vision became more real, achievable, at hand’s reach… America voted and elected its first “non-white” president. Racial reconciliation does not happen overnight. There is a lot more to do, more fighting for justice, and more healing. But Obama’s election is without a doubt a major step forward in the battle against discrimination.

Obama’s theme throughout his presidential campaign was “change.” On November 4, Obama’s political and partisan message translated into a message of social significance. We, as a people, made history. We are changing our social DNA. We are allowing that change to happen in our community in the way we think about each other.

I have been thinking about that election day on and off in the past few days. The unfolding of the results, the blue and red colors on the screen of my TV, the analysis… then in my mind, politics take place in the background, together with the economy and the many achievements of our society.

In the foreground, history unfolding and hope for a better society.

Death penalty and morals

Gianluca — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:01:26 +0000

Monte Sahlin has recently posted an entry on his blog on death penalty titled: Why Capital Punishment is a Moral Mistake

Here is my comment to his blog entry:

Monte thank you for your post. It seems to me that death penalty is one of those brutal, immoral, and primitive provisions that is refraining our society to advance.FOR GOODNESS SAKE IT IS THE YEAR 2009!!! This is the future, death penalty is such a drag back to the dark ages. How can the United States, which in so many ways is symbol of innovation, progress, and human achievement be one of the few “developed” countries that still associates with such a practice!

I think there should be more talk about this topic.

I posted an entry on my blog on this topic, some time last year. Here is the link:

http://gianlucabruno.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/death-penalty-time-to-end-it/

i4Conference

Gianluca — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:07:37 +0000

I have recently attended the 4th annual conference on innovation. I loved it!

As usual after this kind of gatherings I feel inspired, re-energized, and hopeful. The speakers were very insightful, the infromation they shared was valuable, and their thoughts were challenging. However, what makes these conferences worthwhile is getting together with people that share the same passion, the conversations after the presentations, the energy that comes from those conversations.

The purpose of the Innovation Conference is to provide a forum in which creative and stimulating ideas can be discussed. To me, this conference is about intentionally dream of the possibilities for the church of the near and remote future. It may sound idealistic in a way, but it is not if you think that the future is happening as we speak…

It is so important that we have an arena where one can ask questions without fear. It is so healthy to meet with a group of like-minded seekers and realize that there are difficult questions that no one has an answer for.

RESOURCES:

My friend Mike Fortune has published a summary of i4 on his blog
Partners on Innovation website
Join the facebook group Adventists4Innovation

Joel Osteen on eating scripturally

Gianluca — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:54:29 +0000

Joel Osteen is the pastor of Houston’s Lakewood Church. In the video below he addresses the issue of eating scripturally.

The man with leprosy

Gianluca — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:43:16 +0000

Leprosy is a wicked illness. Fortunately enough we are making the right steps to eradicate it worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that the global registered prevalence of leprosy at the beginning of 2007 stood at 224,717 cases (http://www.who.int/lep/en). That is still many people, bu the cases are decreasing every year and if we compare it to the 6.5 billion inhabitants of the Earth, we get a better perspective on the size of the problem. However. at one point leprosy was a lot more of a threat. Every community had a “leprosy slum” – a part of town where people with leprosy were confined, people in good health avoided any contact with these people and did not even get close to these neighborhoods.

Leprosy had an even more awful stigma in the Jewish community, two thousand years ago. It was common belief that physical illness was God’s punishment for a person’s sin. The ulcers that leprosy people carried, not only were a sign of physical struggle with an incurable illness, they were the marks of a sinful past.

Biblical theology does not allow for that understanding. Punishment for wrong doings will happen at the end of time. However, our world is corrupted by sin, which causes illnesses and bad things to happen in our lives. Jesus knew that, but he uses the common belief to teach an important lesson.

A very powerful message comes from the episode in Luke 5:12-14, “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

A miracle is an exceptional episode. When Jesus performed a miracle he opened a parenthesis in the normal course of things to show the Kingdom of God.

When the man with leprosy approached Jesus he was asking for physical healing from a horrible disease, but not just that. The man with leprosy also wanted atonement for the sin that in his understanding, was causing that horrible disease. He asked to be clean!

The purpose of the miracle in this episode is to show the power Jesus has to make us clean. Jesus was showing in a very concrete way how He is the one who can eliminate sin from our life. By healing the man with leprosy Jesus preached the good news: freedom from sin.

Our life may be affected by spiritual leprosy. It is relevant to me to know that when we ask Jesus to touch our lives, He can make us clean. My prayer is that we may recognize that Jesus has the power to bleach away our stains and restore our soul. That is the Good News!
Like the man with leprosy, we can be witnesses of the miracle Jesus performs in our life every time we are cleansed.

Easter Program

Gianluca — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:48:08 +0000

We recently had an Easter play at church. I Just wanted to share some of the fun we experienced by posting a video with some clips and pictures.