thinking honestly about life and faith
This post is written against the background of a dreadful political malaise. I use the word dreadful because there is indeed much to fear. Millions of people are feeling profound angst because of the election of Donald Trump again to … Read More »
There is a belief amongst many people of faith, deriving particularly from Celtic spirituality, that some places on earth are ‘thin places’, in the sense that the ‘veil’ between things normally perceived and a deeper or more ‘ultimate’ reality is … Read More »
Waiting to cross an intersection, I noticed the loud blaring of a car horn, from the third car back from the lights. I realised that the front car had not progressed and then I noticed that the driver was a … Read More »
We finished our studies in Britain and chose to travel through Asia for several months on the way home. It was a deeply confronting time: so much beauty and drama, trauma and discovery of what really matters. Our first stop … Read More »
We left Australia in February 1981 to undertake postgraduate study in Britain. We flew on a version of what was called the Qantas ‘kangaroo route’: hopping from Australia to Singapore, then Bahrain to London. Singapore was hot and steamy, but … Read More »
It is a common tactic of bullies to pick on those they consider weak or inferior. In institutions, this sometimes happens when groups or critics can’t get at the boss or the person in charge, so they attack the next … Read More »
It’s at least 20 years now since the idea was put forward that those who receive support from the community through ‘welfare’ payments have an obligation to society—more or less to show that they deserve that support. The policy was … Read More »
I returned to theological college after the summer vacation to learn that it had been decided it was time for me to try my wings as a pastor. The Principal told me there was a little church in need of … Read More »
I was sixteen years old and the question of what I would do with my life (as we used to put it) was becoming urgent. Again, the story begins with the church youth group: At that time it was the … Read More »
I’m responding to encouragement to share more of my story. I begin with a traumatic event in my teens. I reflect on how this eventually led me to become a theologian and always, as a theologian, a pastor. I grew … Read More »