Signs of the Times - November 2023 by Adventist Media

INFLUENCER?

SO, YOU WANT TO BE AN A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY

CHANGE, THE ONLY CONSTANT

IN THIS ISSUE NOVEMBER 2023 INFLUENTIAL VS INFLUENCER How do I know who to trust in this social media landscape? PAGE 32

00 38

CURRENT

04 WHAT IN THE WORLD

CULTURE

26 THE AGE OF

ENLIGHTENMENT From darkness, God brought about new light

14 THE TWO FACES OF

BEAUTY Just skin deep?

20 BAD LOVE

It's time to stand up against domestic violence

00 54

38 THE CASINO INSIDE

FAITH

YOUR PHONE How gambling companies infiltrated the gaming industry

46 JUST BREATHE: THE

52 ASK PASTOR JESSE

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

44 HEALTH NEWS FOR

EVERY BODY

60 HOW STRESS IMPACTS

YOUR LIFE

FUN

Jesse

54 PROMISES & PATIENCE How well do you wait?

PAIN HEALS It's counterintuitive but it works

62 CROSSWORD & SUDOKU

SPIRIT THAT GIVES YOU LIFE

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

WELLBEING

06 WELLNESS TRENDS: HOW

As the saying goes, "The only constant in life is change." I don't know about you, but it feels like things are changing more quickly than ever before. And it's not just the rise of AI, the constant news cycle or our economy. Another adage reads, "Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans." As humans we love feeling in control and we love making plans. If I've learned anything about life, it's that stuff just happens whether you've made plans or not. It's quite rude like that, really. A little over 12 months ago, my wife and I committed to building a house—an endeavour both of us were reticent to undertake. We had heard the horror stories of couples fighting over which shade of white to paint the walls with, where to position the electrical outlets and which stone to choose for the kitchen countertop. Add the financial pressure and you've got a fantastic cocktail for a relational catastrophe! If I've made you worried for my marriage, never fear. We got through the process and as you read this, (hopefully!) our house is being built. Let's hope the building process isn't as complicated as the pre-building process, but I'm not holding my breath. In this issue we look at many problems in this everchanging world we live in. We talk about social media influencers (p32), mobile gaming (p38) and domestic violence (p20). But we also wanted to create space for rest, which is why Karen Collum speaks to us about a Spirit that gives life (p46), Jarrod Stackelroth encourages us to trust our Creator (p54) and Zanita Fletcher presents us with a strange new way to heal (p6).

JESSE HERFORD Associate Editor

VOL 138 NO 11 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 McQuillan 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:

Oladimeji Ajegbile— Pexels

@SIGNSMAG NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

R RENT

A CLOSER LOOK AT ADDICTION

WHAT IN THE WORLD “WE WANT TO HELP!”—THE YOUTH

98 PER CENT LESS PLASTIC

AUSTRALIA

Victoria University research shows young people are eager to get involved during times of natural disasters. Yet many feel they have not been taken seriously in their attempts to help. The university recommends educational institutions, government and community organisations find ways to upskill, support and build young people’s confidence so they can be "agents of change" in their communities. One professor said, “When young people are included in disaster management, there are benefits for themselves, their peers, community and the environment.” —Science Direct

ENGLAND

A SPOTLESS GIRAFFE IS BORN UNITED STATES

Tennessee Zoo has welcomed a new giraffe that was born without any spots. Experts believe she is the only solid-coloured giraffe on the planet, with Japan having the last known spotless giraffe in the 1970s. She has been named Kipekee, which means “unique” in Swahili. The zoo is using the opportunity to focus attention on giraffe conservation. —The Guardian 4

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

RECEP-TAYYIP-ÇELIK, KEVIN MALIK, COTTONBRO-STUDIO—PEXELS, BRIGHTS ZOO, FRANCESCOCH—GETTY IMAGES

Since 2015 there has been a 98 per cent reduction in single-use plastic bags in England. This is due to the government forcing supermarkets to charge shoppers for their bags. In 2015, the price of a bag was 5p and increased to 10p in 2021. The average person in England now buys just two single-use carrier bags a year, compared with around 140 in 2014 before the charge was introduced. —gov.uk

We don’t exactly know what causes addiction. Our best guess is that it’s caused by a variety of factors, including environment, psychology and genetics. Speaking of genetics, if a family member of yours has suffered from addiction, it’s possible that you might be more susceptible to developing an addiction. We don’t just get addicted to alcohol or drugs. Many people are addicted to sex, pornography, food or even shopping. Any substance or activity that releases endorphins in our brain can become a potential source of addiction.

THE NEW RELIGIOUS PULPIT WORLDWIDE

TikTok has become the place for religious beliefs to be shared. This is not surprising considering that 84 per cent of the world’s population subscribe to a religious belief and more than a billion people are active on TikTok. Popular hashtags on the platform include #Orthodox #Diwali #Islam and #Christian. There are even subsections called Jewtok, Muslimtok and Christiantok. —abc.net

Addicts aren’t just weak. Addiction is a disease much like any other, except rather than altering your physical health, it alters the brain. Addicts often feel lonely, as if no-one else understands. Because of this, it can be difficult to offer healthy support. Many addicts suffer over their entire life. Periods of remission and relapse are common. However, with hard work and good support, addicts can live healthy, happy lives in recovery. —Northpoint Recovery

W ELL B E IN G

WELLNESS TRENDS

HOW PAIN HEALS

BY ZANITA FLETCHER

NASTCO—GETTY IMAGES

for every body

How painful trends like ice baths, saunas and silent retreats can help us fight addictions and find a balance in a dopamine-driven world.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

PEXELS

n the realm of health and wellness, few practices embody the principle of “no pain, no gain” quite like the revival of ice baths. Plunging into icy water might seem like a counterintuitive pursuit—a stark departure from the comforts of warm showers—but it’s precisely this discomfort that has drawn enthusiasts around the world. There are many practices humans are drawn to—fasting, meditation, saunas, even exercise—that are painful, uncomfortable and unenjoyable in the moment but that people partake in. The question is, why? What do these things offer that make enduring the discomfort worthwhile? If you’re reading this, you likely live in a society where pleasure is always at your fingertips. You and I

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

can access food, medication, shopping, social media, music, alcohol, pornography, gaming, movies and more whenever we want to. Yet still, we are never quite satisfied with what we have. Not only has this affected our overall mood, but it has also led many of us to have relationships with things we know aren’t good for us but that we can’t stop reaching for. Even in a time of wealth, freedom, technological progress and medical advancement, people are more depressed, anxious and addicted than they were a few decades ago. Despite increased funding allocated to medications like antidepressants across high-resourced countries, including Australia and the US, the prevalence of mood and anxiety symptoms in these regions has only increased.1 Dr Anna Lembke, Stanford psychiatrist and author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, said, “The reason we’re all so miserable may be because we’re working so hard to avoid being miserable. . . . Human beings, the ultimate seekers, have responded too well to the challenge of pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. As a result, we’ve transformed the world from a place of scarcity to one of overwhelming abundance. The net effect is that we now need more reward to feel pleasure and less injury to feel pain.”2 Lembke goes on to say that on a neurological level, we actually need to experience pleasure and pain. Before the 1900s, medical

professionals believed that a certain level of pain was healthy. Doctors in the 1800s were hesitant when it came to adopting general anaesthesia for surgical procedures, as they thought pain boosted the immune and cardiovascular response and sped up the healing process.3

a crash course on the brain

One of the most interesting findings in neuroscience is that pleasure and pain are co-located in the brain and work like a balance. When we do something pleasurable, the balance tips one way; when we do something painful, it tips the other. But there are rules around this balance.2 First, it wants to remain level, or what neuroscientists call homeostasis. It does not want to be tipped for very long to one side or another, and our brains will work hard to restore any imbalance. If I do something pleasurable, like eat a piece of chocolate or splurge on something online, the balance tips to the side of pleasure and my brain releases dopamine. When an individual chases an activity or drug that leads to a huge dopamine increase, their dopamine baseline soon after drops. What follows is the inevitable comedown, hangover or after-effect, followed by cravings of the same pleasure.2 This makes sense. We’ve experienced something good and want to experience it again. The easy solution is to keep eating, playing, watching, reading. But the problem is that the more we con-

sume, the more we need to get the same amount of pleasure. As Lembke explains, “With repeated exposure to the same or similar dopamineprovoking stimulus, not only will I not get the same peak, but the deviation to the side of pleasure gets weaker and shorter and the after-response to the side of pain gets stronger and longer.”2 Many of us have experienced the feeling of not wanting to reach for that “thing” again but struggling to resist. We may become hyperfocused on managing our cravings and experience symptoms universal of withdrawal: anxiety, irritability, insomnia and intrusive thoughts. We think if we just go there once more, we’ll get the same peak and then be able to go on with our lives. But that’s often not what happens. In many cases, our return to using it can become, as neuroscientist George Koob says, “Driven not by the search for pleasure but the desire to alleviate physical and psychological suffering of protracted withdrawal.”4 Down the track, this thing might not satisfy us at all, and eventually, our pursuit of it might even leave us feeling worse than how we started. The good news is that if we resist and allow time to pass, our dopamine levels will return to their baseline. When our baseline is level, we are much more likely to find pleasure in everyday things, such as sitting down for a nice meal, watching the sunset, seeing a friend, going for a walk or making a cup of tea.5 NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

KARSTEN WINEGEART—UNSPLASH

pain to treat pain

One branch of science accepted by psychiatrists and neuroscientists suggests that some level of pain can be good for us when grappling with addictions. This principle is known as hormesis, which comes from the Greek hormáein: to set in motion, to impel, to urge on. Hormesis examines the beneficial effects of administering small to moderate doses of painful stimuli, such as cold, heat, gravitational changes, radiation, food restriction and exercise.2 Lembke is just one psychiatrist who prescribes various forms of hormesis (including cold-water immersion) to patients struggling with addictions and withdrawals. “The body responds to cold water by up-regulating feel-good molecules like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, as a way to compensate,” she said. Kenneth Kishida, another neuroscientist and dopamine researcher, likes to take rugged camping trips where he subjects himself to cold water and other hermetic stressors, as he finds he returns from these trips in higher spirits and with stronger self-control.6 The history of medicine is full of examples of intentional application of pain to treat pain. These therapies were sometimes called “heroic therapies” and included cupping, blisters and moxibustion. Such therapies began to decline in the 20th century when the medical profession discovered drug therapy. However, there has recently been a resurgence

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

of interest in using pain to treat pain.2 Modern experts suggest a few things for those experiencing drops in their dopamine levels due to addictions. The most important thing is to abstain from that thing, either cold turkey or through some sort of tapering to limit interactions. The next thing that can help is to “inhibit great pain with little pain”, as Lembke puts it.2 This doesn’t mean throwing yourself against cement, cutting or exercising excessively. Instead, it means doing things that are either physically, psychologically or emotionally challenging that have a positive result. A multitude of practices, both ancient and modern, can be a catalyst for healing and growth: cold-water immersion, exercise, fasting, meditation, silence, sauna therapy, engaging in a new social interaction, facing something you’re afraid of, prasticing truth-telling, confessing to someone or challenging mental pursuits like reading about a

topic you don’t understand. When we partake in activities that feel hard, we tell the body there has been an injury, and it starts to make more dopamine to speed up the return of homeostasis. The dopamine from these activities is often more enduring than that from the things we tend to think will bring us the most pleasure and don’t leave us in a dopamine deficit state.7 The trend of ice baths and cold-water immersion is just one example of how temporary discomfort can yield profound benefits for the body and mind. The age-old activity has persisted across cultures and centuries, from Nordic iceplunges to Japanese onsen rituals to celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Harry Styles broadcasting their backyard baths on social media. Unsurprisingly, the practice has gone viral as it unearths a trove of benefits, including improved mood, mental alertness, enhanced circulation and boosted immune function. Regarding addiction, studies report

that dunking yourself in cold water increases dopamine by 250 per cent. This is a prolonged dopamine release that remains elevated for several hours afterwards.8 Exercise is another example. Even if you’re one of the rare souls who loves exercising, I’m sure you’ve had moments where you haven’t felt like doing it, or where exhaustion, increased temperature, shortness of breath or pain has tempted you to stop. Yet the evidence is overwhelming that exercise is good for us, and the absence of it is deadly. Again, not only does it profoundly affect our mood, cognition, energy and sleep, but it also reduces the likelihood of one getting addicted to something and helps those already addicted to stop or cut back.2

daring to step out

We live in a world where we are exposed to high-dopamine stimuli all day long. Our culture encourages us to pursue it and it’s so easily accessible that we barely have to move from

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SULIMAN SALLEHI—PEXELS 12

the couch. However, in our pursuit of pleasure, we seem to have made our pain worse. If we want to live an enjoyable life where we can find pleasure in everyday moments, it might help if we peel ourselves away from a constant barrage of feel-good things from time to time. Studies show there are benefits to those cold-water immersions that make your skin prickle, those fasting challenges that test your willpower, and those moments of forced silence that demand mental discipline. It might sound counterintuitive and countercultural to the world of self-care to put yourself in a state of stress voluntarily, but we can all testify to pain giving way to pleasure in some form. Be it an improved mood after exercising, a clear head after a cold swim or re-energised after a period of being ill. So, if you’re struggling to loosen your grip on an addiction—as small or severe as it might be—seeking out pain over pleasure could help. Of course, there’s much more to addiction recovery than ice baths and hill sprints, but we can always start somewhere. As Lembke said, “Pursuing pain is harder than pursuing pleasure. It goes against our innate reflex to avoid pain and pursue pleasure. It adds to our cognitive load. We have to remember that we will feel pleasure after pain, and we’re remarkably amnestic about this sort of thing.”

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

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. If you'd like to take the next step toward holistic health, check out this course from ELIA Wellness:

SUBSCRIBE NOW and receive a free book

FREE OFFER! 1. AF Jorm, SB Pattern, TS Brugha, R Mojtabai, "Has increased provision of treatment reduced the prevalence of common mental disorders? Review of the evidence from four countries". World Psychiatry, 2017. <doi.org/10.1002/wps.20388> 2. Dr Anna Lembke, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. New York, Headline Publishing Group, 2021 3. Marcia L Meldrum, A Capsule History of Pain Management. JAMA, 2003. <doi.org/10.1001/ jama.290.18.2470> 4. GF Koob, "Hedonic Homeostatic Dysregulation as a Driver of Drug-Seeking Behavior". Drug Discovery Today: Disease Models 5, 2008. <doi.org/10.1016/j. ddmod.2009.04.002> 5. <youtube.com/watch?v=t4iGCgIB0bg> 6. <washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/03/10/ benefits-of-cold-water-immersion>. 7. <youtube.com/watch?v=n2u8Z1HeKD8>. 8. <hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-ofcold-exposure-for-health-and-performance>; <doi. org/10.1007/S004210050065>; <musclegun.co.nz/ blogs/news/do-ice-baths-increase-dopamine>.

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R RENT

THE TWO FACES OF BEAUTY Is beauty truly only skin-deep?

ALEXEI MARIDASHVILI—UNSPLASH

BY DENISA SELAGEA

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

he first prayer my mum uttered when she found out that I was a girl was that I would not be very beautiful—just average. Growing up with a devoutly religious mother, I had no doubt that God answered her specific prayer, just like many others. I felt cheated by what could have been mine and wondered what life would have been like had I been beautiful. When my primary school crush did not reciprocate my feelings, I blamed it all on mum and asked her to undo her prayer. If only I could be really, really beautiful, all my problems would disappear, I thought. I remember Mum wiping away my tears and telling me that true beauty does not catch the eyes but warms the heart. She said that more often than not, when beauty is encrusted just on the outside, it is harder to dissolve and spread on the inside. She told me that I could be really, really beautiful if I truly wanted, because being beautiful was a choice of the heart. I didn’t understand it all then but I do now, partly. And the literature does seem to back it up. The research-based specifications of external beauty refer to the narrow confines of numbers, looking at the symmetry and proportionality of the face, and even specific ratios between different facial features. Besides the rigidity of numbers, the definition of beauty is established by our social and cultural norms, on top of our personal preferences. Statistically, only a minority of people are truly beautiful. Most fit into the category of “average” with only a few considered truly ugly.1 NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

ANNA SHVETS— PEXELS

external beauty: a rubber-stamp of character?

The “beautiful-is-good” concept is a well-researched cognitive bias that attributes beautiful people good character and personality attributes. Looks constitute the basis of our first impression on which we add intelligence, creativity, honesty, etc, that in turn will shape our behaviours towards beautiful people and how we relate to them.2, 3, 4 Attractive people get away with more because we focus mainly on the positive and disregard the negative. In the justice system, beautiful defendants get off easier, suffering smaller penalties and shorter sentences while good-looking plaintiffs get bigger financial settlements and win more of the time. Better-looking students are considered more competent by their teachers and tend to have higher grades than their peers. This will result in better job opportunities, faster promotions and higher salaries.5, 6, 7 In fact, one study suggests that attractive people can make 12–14 per cent more money than their plainer colleagues.8 But for ambitious women in particular, being too attractive can be a stumbling block from getting a high-status position.9 Nancy Etcoff writes in her book Survival of the Prettiest, “There is an assumption that beautiful women are too flaky, too sexual and unable to lead the troops, and they often fail to reach the top. For women wanting to

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

climb the corporate ladder, there is evidence that they must conceal their beauty in order to get ahead.”

external beauty: a moral compass? The “beautiful is good” stereotype depends on how we define “good”. If beautiful spells out vanity, the formula crumbles. Vanity has been associated with selfishness, narcissism

behaviour based on previous experiences. Good-looking individuals feel they have greater bargaining power at their disposal and will tend to act more egotistically, using social advantage for their own benefit, often to the detriment of others.9 The story of Dorian Gray as described in the novel by Oscar Wilde teaches that an ugly soul can permeate any amount of external beauty and that in the end, will surface its hideous head for everyone to see. Morality can change the optics of aesthetics into disfigurement.

external beauty: a push towards mental disease?

and emotional coldness. These are categorised as undesirable character traits and labelled as immoral vices. Recent studies suggest that attractiveness is, to a certain degree, associated with selfish behaviours. That could probably be explained by the entitlement attitude, typical for the “pretty privilege” club members. The special treatment expectation is a learned

Media, advertising and the fashion industries have created an illusionary definition of beauty: false and unrealistic. Everyone knows that. Still, the comparison exercise cannot be helped at times. By looking at those picture-perfect models, spectators become dissatisfied with their own body image and find more and more imperfections. This is becoming a major concern for both men and women, as is evidenced in the rise of eating disorders in Australia.11 As expected, women are more affected by negative body images than men,12 due largely to the repetitive messages that conflate a girl’s worth with her looks. For the lucky few, beauty promises self-worth, happiness and success. For the less fortunate, what is left is low self esteem, anxiety, shame, depression, eating disorders, suicidal ideation or self-hatred.

On the other hand, beauty does not guarantee constant happiness. In the modelling industry, many models fear they will lose their beauty status and thus become anxious about their weight, wrinkles and cellulite, envying one another. Beauty is illusory and even the most beautiful people don’t feel that way all the time. Beautiful women are often envied and isolated from other women who fear competition, but attract unwanted attention from men who view them as sexual trophies waiting to be conquered. Model Emily Adonna confessed that she was tired of “being pretty” and she was ready to go the extra mile to make herself less desirable. She explained that her good looks led to regular harassment wherever she went, and, in her opinion, prevented people from taking her seriously.13 For some people, external beauty can be exhausting but for others, it can become a springboard into mental disorders or even, poison for the soul. But, for everyone, external beauty is transient. Aging is the biggest threat to beauty and beautiful people feel it most acutely.14 Don’t be fooled by faces, neck lines or silhouettes that look suspended in time by cosmetic and surgical wizardry. The ferment of time still corrupts the life hidden beneath the surface. Being young and beautiful has a finishing line that we will all cross one day. Instead, choose the real thing: inner beauty. It is not afraid of aging, everyone can have it and best of all, NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

it’s free. My mum, for example, is an exceptionally beautiful woman. Her beauty runs deep, measured by how much she cares for and loves those around her. Her best lipsticks are words of affirmation. Her favourite fashion is modesty because it goes well with everything and everyone. Her favourite eye shadow is seeing the good in others. Her favourite foundation is the Bible, where she reads, “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). As time goes by, she becomes more and more beautiful. It’s a beauty that takes courage to reject the superficial and the instant. It’s a beauty that cannot be seen, but felt, heard and lived. I now understand that this is the type of beauty she wanted me to have.

JONAORLE—PEXELS

Denisa Selagea writes from her family home in Melbourne, Victoria, where she cares for one dog, two children and three indoor plants. All still alive and well.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

1. <theguardian.com/world/2000/nov/27/gender.uk> 2. <psychologytoday.com/au/blog/habits-nothacks/201412/the-surprising-power-beautiful-face> 3. <psychologytoday.com/au/blog/fulfillment-any-age/202206/the-trouble-being-beautiful https://thinkinsights.net/leadership/halo-effect/#:~:text=Also%20known%20as%20the%20physical,those%20who%20are%20less%20attractive> 4. <bbc.com/future/article/20150213-the-downsides-of-being-beautiful> 5. <businessinsider.com/beautiful-people-make-moremoney-2014-11> 6. <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5558203/> 7. <businessinsider.com/halo-effect-money-beauty-bias-2014-11> 8. <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4873083/> 9. <psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/finding-a-newhome/202301/research-shows-why-attractive-people-are-more-narcissistic> 11. <extension.usu.edu/mentalhealth/articles/howbody-image-affects-mental-health> 12. <dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11577399/Psychologist-says-pretty-privilege-DOES-downsides-attractive-people-focus-values.html> 13. <dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11577399/Psychologist-says-pretty-privilege-DOES-downsides-attractive-people-focus-values.html> 14. <sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0001691821001359.

R RENT

Family violence is a silent epidemic—but only because we keep quiet. It’s time to speak up.

TIMUR WEBER—PEXELS

BY BRIANNA WATSON

BAD LO E SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

hy don’t they just leave?” If you haven’t said it out loud, chances are you’ve thought it at least once. I know I have—but that was before I truly understood what family violence was; before I appreciated the many complexities associated and the very real risks that leaving can lead to. It was before I began practising law in a court where four-out-of-five cases involve allegations of family violence.1 It takes an incredible level of courage for a victim of family violence to seek help, not to mention the very real safety risks that are often present at the end of a relationship. Even in the face of abuse, often the uncertainty of separating yourself from the life you have become accustomed to seems like the harder choice.

what is family violence?

Family violence is behaviour that is violent, threatening or coerces, seeks to control a family member or causes that person to be fearful. Examples of this behaviour include (but are not limited to): physical assault, sexual assault, abusive behaviour, stalking, repeated derogatory taunts, intentionally damaging or destroying personal property, unreasonably denying financial autonomy that the individual would otherwise have, preventing them from making or maintaining connections with their family, friends or culture, or unlawfully depriving a family member of their liberty.2

how prevalent is family violence?

COTTONBRO STUDIO— P EXELS

In Australia, an estimated 3.8 million people (around 20 per cent of the population) aged 18 years and above have experienced intimate partner or family violence since they were 15 years of age. That figure represents 2.7 million women and 1.1 million men.3 In New Zealand, the figures are equally sobering, having the

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“

It takes an incredible level of courage for a victim of family violence to seek help unfortunate title of being the highest ranked developed country in the OECD for family violence, despite the fact that only an estimated 33 per cent of family violence is actually reported to authorities. This translates to police being required to attend an average of one family violence incident every four minutes.4 This means that by the time you finish reading this article, New Zealand police will be attending their second family violence callout. If this is confronting for you, there are two important things you need to understand about family violence.

1. it almost never starts with physical abuse

You may have heard of the tale of the boiling frog. The theory is that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water it will instantly jump out of the pot and save itself whereas if you place the frog in a pot of water at a pleasant temperature and continue to increase the heat at a gradual pace,

the frog will remain in the water and will not realise the increasing danger the warming water presents. Though this behaviour in frogs isn’t actually true, it is a crude example often used to illustrate an aspect of human psychology where we tend to accept things that slowly creep up on us. Perpetrators of family violence frequently master and exploit this aspect of human psychology. They conduct themselves with patience as they gradually dial up the control. They also groom family and community members so that if their victims do come forward, they are not believed. It is important to know and recognise “red flags” that commonly occur in relationships characterised by family violence. These warning signs may include: the person wanting to keep you all to themselves, criticising you or putting you down, as well as excessive jealousy. While it is fun to spend time together at the start of a new relationship, if your partner begins insisting that you stop spending time with your family and friends, or insists that you stop participating in your hobbies, studies or employment, these are all signs that they are seeking to exert control over you by limiting your interaction with others and isolating you from your support networks.

2. physical abuse is not required for family violence to have occurred

Just because you have never been physically abused, does not NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

love is not violent

Perpetrators of family violence often profess their love for those they are abusing. They constantly paint a deceitful image that their actions originate from a place of love. They attempt to convince their “loved ones” that the end justifies the means—where the end is love and the means is guidance. In reality, the end is control and the means is abuse. No matter the circumstance, family violence is not perpetrated from a place of true love. Perpetrators of family violence practise a form of false love. It may have glimmers of happiness and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart from the real thing—but I assure you real love does exist, and it is not based on a foundation of fear. If you have attended any weddings over the years you may have heard the following biblical passage read: “Love is patient, love is kind. It 24

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does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7). This passage paints a picture of true love. A relationship where you are not constantly fearful of putting a foot wrong. A relationship where you do not feel like a hostage in your own home. A relationship where you are free to express your thoughts and opinions without fear of retribution, whether through emotional, financial or physical means. Of course, a meaningful relationship is unlikely to stand the test of time without some conflict along the way, but even through that conflict, true love is built on a foundation of mutual respect, not of fear. If you have been told that no-one else will love you, that is a lie. If you have been told you are not worthy of love, that is a lie. If you have been told no-one else will put up with you, that is a lie. You deserve to feel safe in your own home. You deserve to pursue your own interests and hobbies. You deserve to be independent. You deserve to be happy. You are worthy of true love. If family violence is not a present threat in your relationship or your home that does not mean you are immune from facing the issue. While

family violence mostly occurs behind closed doors, it is a community issue, and the community at large has a responsibility to address it. I encourage you to educate yourself further about family violence and how you can provide assistance to those in need.

resources

If you are concerned that you or someone you know is at risk or is experiencing family violence, or you are worried about your own harmful behaviour, free and confidential support is available. If you are in Australia, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service hotline which operates 24/7. If you are in New Zealand, Shine (0508 744 633) also offers 24/7 support to anyone experiencing family violence, worried about their own harmful behaviour or worried about someone else. Brianna Watson is a solicitor specialising in family law based in Adelaide, South Australia. She is married and owns two corgis. 1. <fcfcoa.gov.au/fl/fv/overview> 2. Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) s 4AB 3. <abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/ personal-safety-australia/latest-release> 4. <goodshepherd.org.nz/economic-harm/new-zealand-family-violence-and-economic-harm-statistics>. COTTONBRO STUDIO— P EXELS

mean you have not been subjected to family violence. Abuse does not have to be physical to constitute family violence. If you or someone you know is being subjected to emotional abuse, financial abuse or coercive control you do not need to wait until the perpetrator escalates to physical abuse before you ask for help. I would encourage you not to minimise your experience or to be embarrassed to look for help. No matter what you may have been told, nothing you have done is worthy of abuse.

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LT U R E

the age of

ENLIGHTENMENT

In the midst of the horrors of oppression, plague and poverty, a new way to be human emerged, changing the world forever.

MIDJOURNEY

BY SUKESHINIE GOONATILLEKE

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

hey came like locusts in the heat of summer, a vast devouring horde sweeping down from the Eurasian Steppes—the Mongols, masters of north-central Asia. During the summer of 1346 they set their sights on Caffa, an innocuous Genoese trading post nestled on the northern shores of the Black Sea (modern-day Ukraine). Caffa was a livewire of culture and commerce, founded under a special trade agreement with the Mongols. The Mongols besieged Caffa over a murky trade dispute with the Genoese, determined to bring the trading post to its knees. They quivered on the edge of victory when disaster struck. Disease ravaged the ranks, large black lumps broke out all over their bodies, followed by internal haemorrhaging, fever, vomiting and swift, painful death. As the Mongolians began to die, the survivors decided to go down swinging. They loaded the corpses of their dead comrades onto catapults and lobbed them over the walls into Caffa. Gabriele de Mussis, a mediaeval plague chronicler, described the growing panic inside the city. As bodies fell from the sky, trapped

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in a city with dwindling resources, citizens were forced to drink from contaminated water sources while inhaling clouds of germs. Soon thousands began to sicken, then die. The survivors of both the siege and the plague fled Caffa carrying the plague with them. By 1347 it

ruled by fear

had reached Constantinople and Italy. Like a sudden explosion, the plague burst across Europe. By the summer of 1348 it reached England, bringing the kingdom to its knees. Within a period of 18 months, nearly 40 per cent of the English population was dead.

of the plague escalated the existing fear into panic. The church taught people to fear God and so, the plague drove fearful parishioners to appease a vengeful god who seemed set on destroying humanity. They went on pilgrimages, muttered numerous prayers, paid for masses and engaged

Europe in the 14th century was universally Christian, hunkered beneath the umbrella of a single church. The Mediaeval Church defined every aspect of European society, feeding the masses a steady diet of superstition and fear. The arrival

in strange rituals ranging from self-flagellation to wearing charms. But, there were other responses. One obscure but significant reaction took place in Oxford, England. The plague tore through the University of Oxford in the winter of 1349, decimating the student body. Among the despairing cohort of survivors was a 25-yearold scholar named John Wycliffe. Wycliffe arrived at Oxford ready to conquer the world but the advancing plague stripped away his ambitions, leaving him questioning everything he knew. Wycliffe searched for answers in the unlikeliest place—the Bible. In mid14th century England, a Bible was a rarity, accessed infrequently by clergy and completely inaccessible to the public. Wycliffe studied the Bible to find peace and comfort in crisis. What he found was a God of love, completely unlike the angry deity he was accustomed to. This encounter changed his life. The anomaly of a loving God infused Wycliffe with hope, spurring him to share his discoveries. He is known as the “morning star of the Reformation”, the precursor to one of the most powerful spiritual revivals in history. NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

Wycliffe’s preaching discarded the false theory of a vengeful God, presenting instead a God of compassion and goodness. His work revolutionised England, reaching as far afield as Bohemia. The contrasting pictures of the God presented by Wycliffe and the church reflect two opposing ideological frameworks which originated in heaven. Revelation, the last book of the Bible, tells the story succinctly but starkly: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him (chapter 12:7–9).” We’re not told if this was a real war with lightsabers, feathered wings and physical combat, but it certainly was a war of ideologies—God’s ideological framework pitted against Satan’s. Isaiah 14:12–14 explains the ideology of Satan: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, Son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high; 30

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selves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV). Whereas Satan’s ideological framework is governed by selfishness, God’s ideological framework is built on love: the kind of love that embraces humility, self-sacrifice and service. 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” A love that pours itself out for the blessing and benefit of others. Our lives are made up of choices. We make them every moment of every day. Our choices define us as surely as they impact those around us. The Mongols chose to besiege Genoa and then wage biological warfare on them when their plans failed; the Genoese merchants chose to flee Caffa with an infectious disease; terrified Europeans cowered before an angry God. John Wycliffe dug for the truth until he found it, then shared that truth with millions. Jesus left heaven to die for the people who nailed Him to a cross. What ideological framework have you adopted? What impact are you having on the world around you?

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Whereas Satan's ideological framework is governed by selfishness, God’s ideological framework is built on love

I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Satan’s desire for self-exaltation and self-promotion led him to covet God’s power—but not His character. This ideological framework manifests itself in every aspect of human life on planet earth. It is the root principle of social injustice, racism, inequality and hatred in all its forms. God’s ideological framework is vastly different. Writing to the Philippians, the aposlte Paul describes the parameters that govern God’s kingdom. “Have this mind among your-

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

a new way

Sukeshinie Goonatilleke is a wife, mother and writer. She published her first book, Sisters in Arms, in 2020. She writes from Melbourne, Australia.

NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

R RENT

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

Seeking role models in a world where influence is marked by your social media following. BY FLAVIUS E M IOSIF

BLUE BIRD—PEXELS

INFLUENCER

INFLUENTIAL VS

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people’s lives and stories. In fact, it is nothing new. Written accounts about the celebrities of the day have existed for as long as time. In his 5th century book The Histories, Herodotus, the father of history, was explaining the goals for his recording work “that the doings of men may not be forgotten”. Newspapers, pamphlets and magazines have been common since the invention of the printing press, with periodicals such as the 18th century The World, describing to the public the adventures, conduct and fashion choices of prominent upper-class figures. Diaries like that of Anne Frank give us a better understanding of the society through the inner thoughts and subjective experiences of the writer.2 Our purchases have also always been deeply intertwined with the people we admire, especially if they are glamorous or charismatic. In the 17th century, Marie Antoinette was convincing the commoners to dress extravagantly. In the 20th century, John Wayne was convincing people that Marlboro cigarettes and jeans were cool.3 Once upon a time it was Cadillacs and top hats but now, it’s fast cars and ice baths. Influential people have always existed, but only recently has influencing become a full-time job. Now it just looks a little different and carries different expectations. With the advent of the internet and a new era of connectivity, it didn’t take long for marketers and brands alike to discover the power

prolific internet personas wielded to alter the buying behaviour of users. From the forums of the 1990s to the blogs of the 2000s, culminating with the social networks of the 2010s, companies found out that reviews and recommendations from power users tend to generate higher sales than a simple ad. As described in a 2001 Rutgers study of the internet forums, they are “relatable, funny and even moving”.4 In his book Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell identified the type of person who is able to generate influence by making people listen and adopt a message. They have a wide reach through their social networks, are information specialists and charismatic persuaders. But what happens when personalised algorithms can make persuasion a learnt technique in apps that are able to provide the right content to the right person at the right time to generate sales? Do you want to get more likes and comments? Post in the morning or the evening, but don’t do it during the weekend. People aren’t on their phones then. Engage with the post for at least the first half an hour as social media apps reward engagement. Hide the hashtags in the comments, use trendy music, manipulate your tone of voice and remember, always be relatable and positive. If you are a brand that is looking for more authenticity and personable messages, choose a nano-influencer who has less than

10,000 followers. If you want more exposure and a flashier campaign, choose a macro or mega-influencer with a personality and mood that fits the product you sell. The price? $100 per 10,000 followers plus extras for the type of post. Does the account have one million followers? The cost you can expect for a single post is $US10,000. Do you need to produce a negative review of a competitor? You can expect a cost of 25 per cent more.5 As our online world keeps growing larger, the lives of others have never been more compelling. If in the past the media environment was limited to only a few TV channels or radio stations, now the options are endless. With people spending more than 400 minutes of average internet usage per day, the experiences of travellers, artists, gamers, politicians and actors are just a click away.6 In a recent interview about the trend of video gaming as a spectator sport on streaming

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FAUXELS—PEXELS

hen you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher, an archaeologist, an athlete? Today, one of the most popular responses to this question is an influencer, with 54 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials saying they would like to become one and 86 per cent saying they would post sponsored content on social media given the chance.1 Recently I met with a childhood friend who I hadn’t seen in more than a decade. She is now an influencer. I was welcomed with a raised phone that was filming our reunion and my every reaction to her hundreds and thousands of fans. “The people want to see what’s going on in my life, they always love it when I am showing them my family and friends,” she said. Throughout our time together she posted our activities, photographed our meals, created a poll asking for suggestions of good movies and ended the day with a reel with side-by-side photos of us now versus 10 years ago. According to Google, an influencer is a content creator on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube or TikTok who uses built credibility to affect the actions and habits of an established audience. In other words, influencers are presented simply as sales agents with a drop of creativity. Yet during our meeting, it felt like something more than that. It’s not surprising that we love consuming information about other

platforms like Twitch, a young boy declared, “I like to watch people I like. They could be not playing a game. They could be watching grass grow and I’d still watch them.”7 With time this establishes a friendship-like relationship between the content creator and the viewer, even if unidirectional. The trust built is obvious. According to a recent study, a third of young Americans trust health influencers more than their doctors. This is not limited to young people—77 per cent of shoppers say they would trust the recommendations of a person they follow on social media for their purchases.8 But is that trust justified? A report of more than 7000 influencers in the UK showed that up to 24 per cent of influencers were found to have questionable and in some cases, fraudulent growth patterns, and that four-out-of-ten engagements

MADDI BAZZOCCO—UNSPLASH

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What was once viewed as aspirational . . . is now seen as meaningless. SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

are considered non-authentic. All this activity suggests manipulated likes or gaining followers through automation bots or like-for-like groups. A similar Australian consumer law study identified more than 81 per cent of influencers’ posts as potentially misleading endorsements or testimonials, observing a rise in the endorsement of highly addictive products such as betting, nicotine products and alcohol.9 The relationship with the fans can be hard for the content creator as well. Victoria Paris, a TikTok influencer with more than two million followers, shared in an interview for Women’s Health Magazine, “I would hear somebody scream my name multiple times at the top of their lungs and then they’d run across traffic and physically grab me. . . . Now, I hear somebody say my name and I flinch.” Fellow veteran social media influencer Grace Atwood continued, “We can’t take breaks or our numbers drop. . . . If I stop posting for the day, I notice a 30 per cent decline in Instagram story views.”10 To influence has become a dirty word. What was

once viewed as aspirational—to be influential—is now seen as meaningless or intrinsically linked with the 16.4 billion-dollars influencers’ industry. Pope Francis even declared recently about the Mary we read in the Bible: “The young woman of Nazareth didn’t appear in the social networks of the time, she wasn’t an influencer, but without wanting it or seeking it, she became the woman that had the biggest influence in history.”11 Think of the people who have most influenced you off the screens. Now imagine them sharing the same exact messages towards you using manufactured charisma in a well-packaged video designed to attract attention. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). In the Jewish tradition, a student to a rabbi embarked on a personal system of education that would teach the disciple both the rabbi’s interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures as well as his way of living. To follow the rabbi meant to listen, watch and emulate his example.12 In a world starved of authenticity and credibility, it is inevitable we will find some of our role models online, but in our journey to be inspired we can always ask ourselves, does the account only try to grow the number of their followers or are they trying to develop them? Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Poor is the pupil who does not surpass their master.” Working

closely with multiple apprentices in his workshop, his paintings are famous for combining brush strokes from both him and his apprentices. Honing their technique while working as a team, da Vinci didn’t just want to have followers—he focused on developing them into future masters.13 Flavius E M Iosif is an orthopaedic nurse based in Tweed Heads, NSW. Originally from Romania, he decided to move to Australia with the hope of having a pet kangaroo. 1. <cnbc.com/2019/11/08/study-young-people-wantto-be-paid-influencers.html> 2. <bbc.com/worklife/article/20210302-why-we-cantstop-peeking-into-other-peoples-lives; https://www. shondaland.com/inspire/shondaland-bridgerton-behind-the-scenes/a39576200/the-history-of-gossip-columns> 3. <thecollector.com/marie-antoinette-controversial-fashion-queen> 4. <wired.com/story/what-is-an-influencer> 5. <influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-rates> 6. <oberlo.com/statistics/how-much-time-does-theaverage-person-spend-on-the-internet> 7. <abc.net.au/news/science/2022-04-16/why-peoplelike-watch-others-play-video-games-twitch-streaming/100981634> 8. <forbes.com/sites/debgordon/2022/12/20/33-ofgen-zers-trust-tiktok-more-than-doctors-new-surveyshows> 9. <afr.com/politics/federal/four-out-of-five-influencer-posts-fail-to-disclose-advertising-ties-20230505p5d5uf>, <theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/18/ uk-social-media-influencers-warned-over-ad-rulesbreaches> 10. <womenshealthmag.com/health/a41946590/ influencer-content-creation-hurting-mental-health> 11. <cssr.news/2021/05/mary-gods-influencer> 12. <thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim> 13. Walter Isaacson, Leonardo Da Vinci. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2017 NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

LT U R E

THE CASINO inside your phone

MIDJOURNEY

Gambling is everywhere but what you may not realise is that it’s now infiltrated mobile gaming. It’s also worse than you think.

BY JESSE HERFORD SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • NOVEMBER 2023

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new pack, bundle or limited-time deal was purchased with the promise of making my play experience richer, deeper and more enjoyable, but after that initial rush of excitement, I was usually left feeling empty. Inevitably, I wouldn’t get all the cards I was hoping for, which propelled me to spend more money in a hobby that was slowly transforming from being a game to becoming almost a second job. I told myself that to get the most out of my experience, I needed to grind every quest, unlock every piece of bonus content and acquire every card. Ironically, I was having far less fun with a collection in the thousands than I had when I was a newbie with only a few dozen cards.

collectible card games (CCGs) like Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon, Blizzard released 2014’s Hearthstone. A digital CCG, it was the perfect confluence for fans of Warcraft and card game enthusiasts. I jumped on the bandwagon in alpha testing. I had played the Warcraft games as a child and though I never dipped my toes into WoW, I had significant enthusiasm for the Warcraft universe. I had also grown up playing card games like Prince and Pauper, Uno and Cheat. I was hooked from the get-go.

untap, upkeep, draw

The economy of Hearthstone is much like other CCGs. The player purchases a pack of cards for a set price without knowing what cards are inside. You may unbox that sought-after legendary card or just a few “trash commons” (to use card game lingo). As you can tell, it’s much like gambling. To this day I’m embarrassed to admit how much I spent in Hearthstone over the years I played it. I don’t have an exact figure but suffice to say the numbers are probably in the thousands. Every

gacha! WTFAST, JOEL JASMIN FORESTBIRD, MAIK JONIETZ—UNSPLASH

n the February 2023 issue of Signs of the Times, I wrote an article titled “Gambling’s Dark Underbelly”. Here in Australia, gambling is a multi-billion-dollar industry with a few very rich winners and millions of losers. In the article I concluded that “Gambling in any form is designed to bleed you for as long as you’re willing to bleed, with no regard for the lives that are destroyed along the way.” I’ll admit, it feels good to be morally outraged at something which is so transparently bad for almost everyone. However, the prevailing response most people have is apathy. We’re apathetic because we know the gambling industry is evil but we feel powerless to do anything about it. Apart from a few commendable lobby groups doing their part to put pressure on government bodies, most of us are content to sit by and do nothing. Worst of all, some of us—myself included—are actually hypocrites. Here’s why. If you’re not familiar with the Warcraft universe, it began as a series of real-time strategy games developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, culminating with World of Warcraft (WoW) in 2004. This massively multiplayer online role-playing game would go on to dominate its genre, owning more than 60 per cent of the market by 2008 and grossing almost $10 billion in revenue. And yes, you can still play it even today. Riding off the wave of the success of WoW and the popularity of

Of course, Hearthstone is but one example of the new gaming landscape. Loot boxes (a mystery box containing a set of unknown items of varying quality/value) are everywhere and just about every successful game uses them. Some are innocuous, such as Blizzard’s team-based shooter Overwatch that used loot boxes to reward players with cosmetic items.

Others are more insidious, such as the popular “gacha game” Raid: Shadow Legends, which has become notorious for the predatory way it bombards users with numerous currencies, time-gated events and an ever-rotating series of bundles that obscure their true value. The “gacha” mechanic encourages players to spend currency to receive in-game items in the same way a poker machine entices its player to continue inserting chips or money. Games like Raid: Shadow Legends, AFK Arena, Genshin Impact, Epic Seven and more dress up their game mechanics to obscure what they truly are. These games are designed not for people who may spend a few dollars—they’re specifically created to suck in a certain type of person. Often referred to as “whales”, these are the long-term customers whose addiction results in thousands of dollars spent over their gaming lifetime. It should then come as no surprise that Plarium, the development team behind Raid: Shadow Legends, was, in 2017, acquired by Australian company Aristocrat for $US500 million, a NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

corporation whose business is in making gaming experiences for casinos. This is just one example of game development companies shifting away from creating singular, self-contained experiences in favour of “live service” games that generate revenue on an ongoing basis. If you thought my having spent hundreds of dollars in Hearthstone was shameful (and I do), imagine the reality of the millions of gamers worldwide who fall for the underhanded tricks these companies pull

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gaming who have dedicated their professional life to making engaging and enjoyable experiences for their players.

three questions for your kid

SOLIMAN CIFUENTES—UNSPLASH.TIF

What we need to do is not dismiss gaming altogether, but become wiser when evaluating game mechanics

in order to entice them. Most don’t see that they’re being manipulated— and for good reason—the most successful games obfuscate their true nature behind clever systems and addictive gameplay loops. To make matters worse, games like these are not regulated like casinos and clubs are, which means that players are exposed to these predatory practices at a much younger age than ever before. You may need to be 18 to go to the slot machine section of your local club, but there’s nothing stopping your nine-year-old from downloading a gacha game, thinking it’s simply a cool fantasy game about heroes and dragons. There’s a lot that needs to be done to ensure not only the safety of our youngest gamers but also those with addictive personalities. Please let it not be said I’m asserting that every modern game is predatory—far from it! There are thousands of excellent titles on the market today made by people with a genuine passion for

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What we need to do is not dismiss gaming altogether, but become wiser when evaluating game mechanics. If you’re a parent, here are three questions you can ask your child about the games they’re playing: 1. Does the game push multiple in-game currencies? Games that are honest about their business model have no issue in transparently advertising the value you’ll receive if you choose to spend real-world money. Games that hide the value proposition behind multiple currencies make it difficult for players to get a sense of how much they’re getting for their buck, thus making it far more likely that they will spend more than they should. 2. Does the game gate power behind purchases? Many games offer cosmetic upgrades for real-world money. Marvel Snap and Legends of Runeterra, for example, only offer cosmetic items for real-world money. Games that gate power behind a paywall—either to incentivise players to skip content they’d otherwise have to spend time grinding out or giving a straight-up advantage to players who spend real money over players who don’t—should be questioned. 3. Does the game make you constantly feel underpowered? A key motivator for player engagement is

the feeling of progress. Feeling like you’re getting stronger as a result of continued play keeps players engaged longer. Diablo Immortal recently nerfed (reduced the power level) of multiple character classes in-game seemingly to either force players to spend more time in-game or purchase upgrades to skip ahead. Predatory games limit progression so that when the player is presented with the means to circumvent it, they’re in a much more vulnerable state and thus more easily manipulated. Thankfully, governments around the world are starting to crack down harder on companies who use these predatory business practices, but it is up to us to spot the signs of addiction in the people in our circles of influence. It’s important when dealing with any kind of addiction to treat the person with kindness, not judgement. These aren’t just our kids—they’re our spouse, our aunty, our dad, our friend. No-one is exempt from addiction and anyone can be fooled, no matter how intelligent or well-informed they are. The reality is these games are designed to manipulate our basest human emotions. Standing up to predatory practices not only means a better quality of life for those susceptible to addiction, but also for the millions of people around the world who enjoy gaming as a hobby. 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. NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

ELL B EING

HEALTH NEWS FOR

EVERYBODY DIET: IT’S SIMPLER THAN WE THINK

When it comes to nutrition research, it turns out there is way more consensus than controversy. While a lot of information can contradict and overwhelm, Christopher Gardner, Stanford professor of nutrition studies, says many diets agree on the same thing. That is, more vegetables, more whole foods, less added sugar and less refined grains. If you do those four things, you are well on your way to longevity and disease prevention. —American Heart Association

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MIRIAM ALONSO—PEXELS, JOEL JASMIN FORESTBIRD, AARON BLANCO TEJEDOR—UNSPLASH, KLAUS NIELSEN—PEXELS

DO YOU NEED A GREEN PRESCRIPTION?

“Nature prescriptions” are proving to be an effective way to improve physical and mental health, according to a meta-analysis of 28 studies by researchers from the University of New South Wales. People who received nature prescriptions—where a doctor instructs you to go out in nature for a specific time—showed reduced blood pressure, lower depression and anxiety, and increased daily step count. The studies were mainly from South Korea, the United States and Japan.—myDr Australia

HEALTH HACK: CUT THE MEDS

HEAT TRIGGERS ANXIETY

You can blame the heat this summer if you experience more vivid dreams. Heat can have powerful effects on our bodies, affecting sleep quality. Sudden hot temperatures can cause the body to think you’re anxious, putting your body in a naturally anxious state. So, if you’re experiencing anxiety dreams, some tips to cool down include: using lightweight bedsheets, eating light before bed, getting a cooling mattress pad or sleeping with the windows open. —Healthline

Recent research from the University of Sydney shows that more than 50 per cent of older Australians take five or more medications. Yet many of these medications are often no longer needed or the harms outweigh the benefits. The process of de-prescribing is where a doctor and a pharmacist carefully review which medications are still required. When done safely, this can lead to a longer, better quality of life and more money in your pocket.—University of Sydney

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C UF

RA RI TEHN T

just breathe:

THE SPIRIT THAT GIVES YOU LIFE

АНАСТАСИЯ БЕККЕР—PEXELS

Breathing teaches us how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. BY KAREN COLLUM

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ow often do you think about a large muscle under your lungs (that breathing? It’s something that you usually only know is there when happens, on average, 12–18 you have the hiccups), relaxes and times per minute from the very softens down into the abdomen. This beginning to the end of our lives. In causes the lungs to enlarge, which fact, ceasing to breathe is often the in turn causes air to be sucked in mechanism that ends a life. When through your nose and mouth. The was the last time you consciously air travels down the trachea and then thought, I need to breathe? Chances separates into two separate tubes are, it was only when you were called bronchi, which lead to each stressed or having trouble breathing. lung. From here, a veritable maze For something of small tubes that happens (bronchioles) so often—and carries the something that oxygenated air is very much to tiny air sacs keeping us called alveoli. alive—we seem Alveoli have to take it for extremely thin granted. walls, allowing We breathe more than The the oxygen 700 times an hour, numbers are to enter your startling. We bloodstream 17,000 times a day and breathe more while carbon more than 6 million than 700 dioxide moves times an hour, into the lungs times a year 17,000 times a to be expelled. day and more The extraorthan 6 million dinary comtimes a year. Across an average plexity and sheer size of the system lifespan of 75 years, that’s more than is astonishing. The lungs are made a whopping 465 million breaths! up of more than 2000 kilometres of Given the magnitude of breathing, tubing! maybe it’s something we should pay a little more attention to. who is the Holy Spirit? So, how does it work? Breathing The Bible has a lot to say about doesn’t start in the lungs so much as breath. In fact, the Hebrew (ruach) in the brain. According to scientists, and Greek (pneuma) words for the two centres in the brain are responHoly Spirit both carry the meaning sible for and regulate the automatic of “breath”. So what—or more process of breathing. The diaphragm, precisely, who—is the Holy Spirit?

And what exactly does He do? The Holy Spirit is mentioned throughout the Old Testament (ancient writings before the birth of Jesus) and the New Testament (the story of Jesus and beyond) more than 100 times. In the very first book of the Bible, the Spirit of God is present at Creation with God the Father and God the Son: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1,2, NKJV). As we move further through history, a number of significant biblical figures such as Daniel (Daniel 4:8), Isaiah (Isaiah 63:10) and David (Psalm 51:11) reference the Holy Spirit in their writings. From these accounts, we see the divine nature of the Holy Spirit and begin to get a picture of Him as a being. According to David and Isaiah, we can either rebel against the Holy Spirit or be filled with Him. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit takes on a more obvious role. The accounts of Jesus are filled with accounts of the work of the Holy Spirit, from the conception of Jesus (Matthew 1:20) to Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22), as well as the public proclamation of faith in the early church (Acts 4:31).

“

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MIDJOURNEY

three-in-one

Jesus’ baptism is particularly important because, just like at Creation, NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

the Trinity yet affirms that they are one God. We see this best explained through the work of Jesus. God the Father sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16), meaning Jesus is a separate person from God. Jesus then tells His followers that the Father is sending someone to be a comforter to them after He returns to heaven (John 14:26)—none other than the Holy Spirit! That means the Holy Spirit is a separate person from the Father (God) and the Son (Jesus). We also know this is true because Jesus said that people should be baptised “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

breath to the soul

Now that we have established that the Holy Spirit is part of this threein-one God, what does He actually do? Many attributes are ascribed to His work. He is a gift (Acts 2:38), He helps us be bold in our faith

(Acts 4:31), He brings us comfort (Acts 9:31) and He sometimes instructs people (Acts 13:2). The Holy Spirit might also stop us from doing something wrong or unwise (Acts 16:6). He pours God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5), gives us joy and hope (Romans 15:13), teaches us (1 Corinthians 2:13) and lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit was a special gift from God the Father to be a helper when Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection (John 14:25–27). He lives in us, works through us and convicts our hearts when we have done something wrong (John 16:8). He is always with us—always— which brings us back to breath and breathing. At the end of His ministry, Jesus breathed—actually breathed—the Holy Spirit on His beloved disciples (John 20:21–23). He breathed goodness and mercy and love and power and guidance and comfort over them and into them through

the power of the Holy Spirit. The metaphor of breathing, of inhaling that which brings life and exhaling that which brings death, is rich with spiritual significance. Just like breathing keeps us alive, the work of the Holy Spirit keeps us spiritually alive. Through Him, we breathe in the goodness, beauty and power of God. Through Him, we can let go of those things that hold us back, distract us or draw us away from our God-given purpose. We need to breathe to live, and we need the Holy Spirit working in us to keep our faith vibrant and vital. He is our Advocate, our Comforter, our Guide and our Helper. He is God living in us, so go ahead and be filled with the expansive mercy, love and grace of God. Just like your breath, the Holy Spirit continually dwells within you. Just breathe! Karen Collum is an Australian children’s author, chaplain and theology student. She lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

TIMA MIROSHNICHENKO—PEXELS

it once again brings God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit together in the same place (Luke 3:21,22). Jesus is in the water being baptised by John the Baptist. God the Father speaks words of affirmation from heaven and the Holy Spirit descends as something like a dove and lands on Jesus in full view of the crowd. The interaction between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has been studied by theologians for centuries and has resulted in a teaching referred to as the “Trinity”. Trinity is simply a word that describes the three-in-one God that Christians worship. God is One but is made up of three distinct divine Beings, each of whom is also fully God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. (Don’t worry if it sounds confusing—theologians have been wrestling with how to explain this for centuries!) The doctrine of the Trinity explains the separate and distinct work of each individual making up

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NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

FA IT H

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! How do you view contraception and family planning?—Emily, Whakatane NZ Birth control has a long and storied history that I'm certainly not qualified to discuss with any degree of authority, but I would be remiss not to highlight one of the primary reasons why it was originally conceived (pun intended). Prior to the advent of condoms and “the pill”, unexpected pregnancy was often a terribly stressful event for a woman. For women who fell pregnant out of wedlock or as a result of sexual assault, their options were limited. Either they raised the child and suffer the associated shame or they had an often-unsafe abortion that carried with it a multitude of health dangers. I should also note that any discussion I have about contraception will always be in the context of a marriage relationship.

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All sorts of people use contraception for all sorts of reasons and while I recognise the net societal benefit in lessening the spread of STIs, I always advocate that the safest (and best) sex you'll ever have is within a committed marriage union. The idea of having children is a daunting one for most couples. Far be it for me to prescribe a blanket rule for everyone but I will say, it’s a topic you really do need to be on the same page with, with your partner. Some couples choose to use birth control for a while when starting a new job, moving to a new place or undertaking a long-term project. I will say that there is no “good time” to have children—they will disrupt your life no matter when you choose to have them! It’s such a blessing to be able to have options when it comes to birth control. In our world where living expenses are growing higher every year, bringing a child into the world is a scary decision—but one that I personally think is well worth the disruption! On a more serious note, contraception is a must for some people due to HIV or AIDS. Though thankfully this terrible disease is not as prevalent as it once was, one sad reality is that it can be passed from a mother to her child, which means some inherit it through no fault of their own. If such a person wishes to marry, the use of contraception becomes not just a means to prevent the disease from spreading to their potential future offspring, but also keeping the partner safe. In such a situation, the only posture I'd recommend is compassion.

What would you advise someone who identifies as a “none” but wants to still practise spirituality?—Mathieu, Greymouth NZ Even if you don’t identify with a religious organisation, it doesn’t mean you no longer have a need for spirituality—in fact, I’d argue the opposite is true. There are a few things I’d suggest. 1. Ground yourself in community. Much of modern spirituality is selfcentred. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with improving yourself spiritually, but it can also be potentially isolating. Finding a partner or group to grow with can be incredibly rewarding, especially if you get along well together. 2. Find value in tradition. We all like to think we’re unique and original, but as Solomon once said, “There’s nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). In other words, there’s incredible wisdom to be gained in ancient traditions. “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” said Solomon (Proverbs 16:16). 3. Serve those who need it. As I already mentioned, spirituality is often self-serving and focused on the individual. Serving is another amazing avenue for spiritual formation. Whether it’s at your local soup kitchen or somewhere else in your community, I’d highly recommend serving. It’s really what impacted me as a young person. I'll always advocate for belonging to a spiritual community—even if you're a none, agnostic or an atheist! Spirituality is for everyone, not just religious people. You might just enjoy it.

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E LF LABI TEHI N G

The wait grew uncomfortable, but I knew my bride would not disappoint me.

PROMISES &

patience

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POIKE—GETTY IMAGES, IMAGES SUPPLIED BY AUTHOR

BY JARROD STACKELROTH

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“

our courtship

My wife and I met at Avondale College (now University) in the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales, Australia. I studied communication with an English minor while she studied at Newcastle University. We met because her dad was studying theology at Avondale and she would often visit her friends on campus. We played netball together for the two years I was studying there. After Avondale, I got a job in another state. We talked every day in spite of the long-distance relationship but it was difficult. She soon relocated so she could be closer— about 40 minutes away—and we saw each other often. However, my company moved me again and we were back to square one. Once again, she left behind good friends and a job she loved. In our new location, we eventually found a good church community and began premarital counselling. After much prayer and a few years of courtship, I asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes!

Where was she? Had she taken ill? Did she change her mind and get cold feet?

my wedding day

On our wedding day, the white marquee protected us from the piercing gaze of the tropical Samoan sun but not from the humidity. The recent rain had made the atmosphere sticky, but the floral arrangements looked amazing. A friend from Australia had arranged some local flowers provided by the Seventh-day Adventist church at Fasito’otai. Along with

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et me take you to the beautiful island of Upolu, Samoa. As the plane settles in for a landing, you will notice the patchwork of colourful houses, green palm trees and bright blue water, all illuminated by the friendly morning sun. As you step out of the plane, the island welcomes you with a hot, humid embrace. It’s inviting you to leave your cares behind because you won’t need them in this tropical paradise. The rat race is far away and, sipping on fresh coconut juice, you look forward to life at a much slower pace. Churches crown every village. From humble A-frame structures to ostentatious temples, these edifices stand watch over the landscape and its people. The main road hugs the coast as you make your way toward the capital, Apia. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island here and it is indeed a land where you will discover a beautiful treasure—the people, the scenery and the laughter is abundant. Samoa is a proud land, and her culture, like her people, is strong. Now that you’re acquainted with your new environment, let’s walk through the backstreets of the capital to the Orator Resort. It sparkles with a newness that is uncommon in the tropics, where the salty-sweet air quickly does its work of decay. It is here, in the presence of family and friends from Australia, New Zealand and around the world, that I plan to marry my fiancée and make her my wife. Welcome to my wedding!

the pastor, the groomsmen and I stood in a line, sweat trickling down our backs, ready and awaiting the entrance of the bride. An hour passed. The guests began fidgeting uncomfortably in their seats. The young boys, dressed up to play their part in the ceremony, were sitting down. Where was the bride? Some of her family were becoming visibly impatient. At the front, I chatted with the groomsmen and the pastor while my family, sitting in the front row, managed to keep smiling through the heat. We were all hoping nothing was wrong. The bride had stayed at the resort, so no travel was required. Where was she? Had she taken ill? Did she change her mind and get cold feet? This was not the first time I had waited for her, but after an hour-and-a-half, the guests were visibly restless.

Finally, the bridesmaids appeared. The procession began with them walking down the aisle, resplendent in their purple satin gowns. The bride soon appeared. She was beautiful. A feeling of relief swept over me. The wait was forgotten. Deep down, I had never really doubted she would come—because I knew her. I knew her character. I knew our shared experiences and the depth of our commitment. I knew she would not cancel or leave me at the altar. However, I cannot deny that the whole experience tested my patience.

how well do you wait?

We have all dealt with delays at one time or another so this reality of life deserves a closer look. How well NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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Furthermore, the Bible tells us that He will come in the clouds (Revelation 1:7); “with a loud command . . . and with the trumpet call of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16); not secretly or quietly but seen from the east to the west like lightning (Matthew 24:27). But when will He come? Many have speculated about the timing of Christ’s return, but the Bible only offers one answer. “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). In other words, we cannot know exactly when Jesus will return. However, He did leave clues as to when His coming would be near. His coming will be preceded by signs of the times (Matthew 24; Luke 21:25–28).

“

the reward

I waited for my wife with hope and anticipation because I knew her character and expected a glorious future together. In much the same way, you can get acquainted with Jesus. Without fear, you can look forward to the future. You can wait for Him with joy, knowing that He always keeps His promises. While the world may look bad right now, we do not need to be afraid of approaching trials. After all, Jesus promised that His return would do away with death, pain and suffering. “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things

But when will [Jesus] come? Many have speculated about the timing of Christ’s return, but the Bible only offers one answer.

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do you wait? Traffic jams are irritating. Delayed parcels are annoying. Tardy friends or family are frustrating. But all of these scenarios can be teachable moments. They teach us something about our character. My wedding day was made worse by those who could not wait patiently. Some of the guests harassed the resort staff as they waited at the reception, none of which improved our experience that day. The truth is, waiting is an unavoidable part of life. And it is the same in the spiritual realm. We are all waiting for Jesus to come. He told His followers He would return, but that was nearly 2000 years ago! In the Old Testament, there are more than 300 prophecies that foretell the coming of the Messiah. They contain details pointing to Jesus: His life, death and resurrection. The record of the New Testament is that He came as promised, fulfilled those promises and assured us that He would return to take us home. Of course, such a promise is only as good as the person making it. But that is what makes His assurance so wonderful. He is the God of the universe and He has never let down His people in the past. Because of His track record, I know He will return—just as He said He would. So, we know Jesus is going to return. And we know how: at His ascension, the angels told the awestruck disciples that Jesus would appear “in the same way you have seen him go” (Acts 1:11).

has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if

I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me . . .” (John 14:1–3). Jesus promised. He is coming back! Jarrod Stackelroth is the editor for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times and Adventist Record. He writes from Sydney, Australia. NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

ELL B EING

HOW STRESS IMPACTS YOUR LIFE

long. Stress can also damage your body’s own cells and even trigger responses from your immune system, including elevating inflammation, which can make you more susceptible to viruses and infections.

So, how do you know if you’re stressed?

Stress appears when things feel unpredictable or out of control. Do you find yourself constantly sleepy? Or irritable in some way? These are signs of stress. Other common signs to watch for include acne, frequent headaches, lack of energy and digestive issues. Stress also shows up in the form of increased heart rate and tense muscles.

Four ways to keep stress in check 2. Exercise

1. Eat a healthy diet

STRESS IS AN INEVITABLE PART OF LIFE, AND WHILE THERE’S NO MAGIC BULLET, THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP KEEP IT IN CHECK.

Good and bad stress

Some stress can actually be good for us. Stress can help your body conserve energy when it’s hungry, instigates the body’s natural fight-or-flight 60

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response when faced with danger and can help the immune system fight injury or infection. However, chronic or prolonged stress can negatively impact the body’s immune response.

How stress affects your immune system?

Stress makes you more vulnerable to catching illnesses by raising your cortisol levels, which can weaken your immune system if they stay high for too

DOUCEFLEUR—GETTY IMAGES

One of the ways stress impacts our body is preventing our immune system from functioning at its best. So, it’s good to recognise when you’re feeling stressed and know how to manage it when it does arise.

A varied, healthy diet full of micronutrients is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Research has shown that better-nourished people are better equipped to have healthy immune systems. Eat foods rich in nutrients like vitamins C and D, and zinc which have been singled out as important for immunity. There’s also plenty of plant foods that help mood, anxiety and even depression.

Getting active can help protect your immune system. Exercise doesn’t need to be intense to help manage stress— moderate intensity exercise will do the trick (think a walk, jog or spin on the bike).

3. Touch

Emotions have a big impact on our bodies, so it makes sense that the more connected and supported we feel, the less stressed we are. This is because physical touch stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin, also known as the “happy chemical”, a natural mood stabiliser.

4. Sleep

Quality sleep and keeping our internal body clocks ticking well, are essential for maintaining peak physical function. During sleep, the immune system releases proteins which are important for fighting infections and inflammation and also help with our stress response.

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. NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

FUN

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORD CLUES

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 A type of Japanese game that simulates a slot machine 2 Associated with narcissism 3 There has been a 98 per cent reduction of the use of these in the UK 7 Made up of more than 2000 metres of tubing 10 Sometimes called "the father of lies" 11 Fantasy series that includes RTS games, an MMORPG and a card game 13 May cause you to have vivid dreams this summer

HANS RENIERS—UNSPLASH

Hint: 13 Down Hint: 4 Across

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ACROSS 4 A Jewish teacher 5 OECD country with the highest rank in domestic violence 6 Not just for religious people 8 A beautiful Samoan island 9 The "Morning Star of the Reformation" 12 1800s doctors hesitated to give this to their patients 14 Where the black plague broke into Europe

SUDOKU EASY

2 7 4

6 3

2 8

2 6

5 7

6 1

1 8

HARD

6 5

1 6

5 8 6

8 6

8 3

SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU NOVEMBER 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU