thinking honestly about life and faith
I’ve just finished Douglas Stuart’s fabulous novel, Shuggie Bain, winner of the 2020 Booker Prize. It’s the story of a deeply unhappy woman and her son Shuggie, set in desperately poor housing in suburban Glasgow, over the years 1982 – 1992. … Read More »
I am heartily fed up with our lock-down situation, as so many people are—though I know we must do it. I believe we are doing the right thing. Except that some people aren’t, so very few—and their selfish actions threaten … 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 »
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 »
Advent is the season of expectation and anticipation. It is about ‘the coming of the Lord’? Actually, it is about trying to understand what we mean by ‘the coming of the Lord’. In short, it is far more than the … Read More »
At this time of year, we are reminded constantly of how many days till Christmas—and soon the waiting will be over. Waiting is a theme here: but I find myself wondering whether in fact we are waiting for anything. We … Read More »
It’s important to consider that the new year is not just another year. At least that’s how I hope it will be. I’m writing this on what is officially the final day of my employment contract as Principal of Whitley … Read More »
This week I am noting 5 years since my surgery for cancer. I am so grateful to be alive and for the wonderful gift of health I enjoy. Health is not just a physical state. More than anything, it’s a … Read More »