I don’t believe in coincidence. This morning I watched as a Red-knobbed Coot ate lily pads on the pond. Yesterday, beautiful yellow and purple flowers decorated her breakfast table, but today, all that remained were the tasty green leaves. Later, as I continued my walk, I beheld the wonder of a mother springbok standing guard […]
Mark Harris
I have a passion to journey with leaders who long to be who God has made them to be and to do what God has created them to do. That passion flows from my own experience as a leader and from over 25 years of experience working with leaders in Africa. I am married and have 2 teenage boys. I serve as the Director of Community Life and Formation at East Mountain Capetown, South Africa. I hold a BS in Industrial Engineering, an M.Div in Christian Education, an M.A. in Spiritual Formation and a certificate in Spiritual Direction.
The Opening
Writing has always held great significance for me. I found in it an expression of my true self, even when I had no other expression. I struggled to speak of deep thoughts and emotions. Often, I had no awareness of them locked away deep inside, far from the eyes and ears of the world. Instead, […]
If We Really Knew Him
Growing up, I had a terrible fear of the dark. Back then, we lived in a very safe area. People often left their doors unlocked, even when they went out. In those days, you could leave a package on the seat of your friends unlocked car parked on main street. I don’t know what I […]
Digging Into Community III
Have you ever found your self singing a song that really resonates with you. Deep within your soul, it echoes a silent, reminder, “Someone else has been here. Someone understands.” Growing up, I made my anthem the old Simon and Garfunkel song, “I am a Rock”. I’ve built wallsA fortress deep and mightyThat none may […]
Digging Into Community II
We all long for a space to belong, a place to be known and to know others, a place that feels like home should feel. I remember from my teen years, wishing for someone to see me and know me as I was, not the masks that I projected. Even in a group, I […]
Breaking Into Community
I often think and read about community. I believe God made it part of His plan from the very beginning. He Himself is perfect community, Father, Son and Spirit living in authentic, loving relationship. United in purpose, each one contributed in creation.(Ge 1:1-3; Jn 1:1-2). God made people in His image (which includes making us […]
The Question of Priorities
I awoke at 11:30pm after having gone to bed less than 2 hour earlier and struggled to get back to sleep. A thousands thoughts raced in my mind: the sermon I need to finish, the gift I need to buy, what words of encouragement I will speak at a 21st birthday party, what I will […]
A Call to Pray
In a recent conversation with a friend, we both agreed. This has been a challenging and difficult year, an unexpected journey into unknown and uncomfortable spaces. For must of us, this kind of uncertainty causes great stress. Our vision clouds over forming a lens that projects most clearly the worse possibilities. In this season, I […]
Engaging the World
(Disclaimer: This is a new discipline for me, and I do not want to get bogged down by worrying about my grammar mistakes and poor spelling. Please bear with me, and eventually, I’ll get the editing straightened out. ) Not long ago I received some disturbing news from a friend. The kind of news that […]
Turning the Page / Stepping in
Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken. — Oscar Wilde. I feel great excitement as I sit here crafting and creating. For several years, I have felt an invitation to this, God’s invitation to write. If I am honest, fear has kept me from responding. But today is the day I step […]