thinking honestly about life and faith
I’ve just received a copy of the more recent version of Dag Hammarskjöld’s personal journal, Markings. Though I have read and returned to it many times, it is so good to hold it in one’s hands at this time. After … Read More »
We hear so much about ‘when we return to normal’ or ‘the new normal’. Actually we have returned to what is and has been normal for most humans. In so many ways the way of living we have lost through … Read More »
I’m off to Warsaw, Poland for a week of dialogue conversations between the Catholic Church and the Baptist World Alliance, on the theme of ‘The dynamic of the Gospel: towards a common witness’. It is my privilege to co-chair this … Read More »
Here is the text of a sermon I preached today at Collins Street Baptist Church, Melbourne. The Gospel text is Luke 18. 9 – 15: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous … Read More »
Today is the 95th Birthday of President Jimmy Carter. He has to be one of the greatest ‘losers’ of our time. He was President of the United States of America for one term, from 1977 to 1980, and led his … Read More »
I write this post as I approach the 10th anniversary of the trauma we experienced in the earthquake and tsunami in Samoa. It was in itself a story of death and life. For many people, death came so suddenly and … Read More »
Paul Tillich’s wonderful book The Courage to Be, which has been one of the guiding lights of my entire adult life, sets out the basic idea of the courage or faith necessary to engage with the ambiguities and anxieties of life. … Read More »
Mindfulness is a big thing just now. It is a welcome shift in focus, from the continuous stress on performance and outcomes. In fact the words I have just written all carry a lot of significance. A shift in focus: … Read More »
We are yet again embroiled in debates about freedom of religion. As so often has been the case, there is no serious attention being given by those making claims for protection of their freedoms to what they really mean, other … Read More »
Every now and again, I come across profound wisdom in the novels I read just for pleasure. Here is one such example, from Michael Robotham, Watching You: Joe O’Loughlin Book 7: Zoe had never been very interested in football. Daniel … Read More »