The Netflix satire Don’t Look Up is about an impending apocalypse caused by a massive meteor heading for earth. Inevitably, there are references to faith and two prayers are said in the film. The first is by the President's Chief of Staff, played by Jonah Hill: 'I’ve been noticing a lot of prayers recently for… Continue reading A prayer in dark times
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness and poverty for 25 years. He is a former CEO of West London Mission and is now a government adviser focusing on how faith and community groups address rough sleeping. He lives with his wife and three children in Streatham, south London. He likes football...but loves cricket.
Contradictions, errors & moral offence: how the Bible’s problems enhance its authority
Review of Inspired Imperfection: how the Bible’s problems enhance its divine authority by Gregory A Boyd …………………… I love reading the Bible. No other book comes close to consistently inspiring and challenging me. I read it every morning and, especially when reading the gospels, I often feel a tingle of excited joy about the depth… Continue reading Contradictions, errors & moral offence: how the Bible’s problems enhance its authority
The grace and truth of Desmond Tutu
This week the world said goodbye to one of its most attractive personalities. Archbishop Desmond Tutu became a globally-recognised figure in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. His faith, passion, bravery and humour inspired the world. I remember reading Tutu’s 1999 book No Future Without Forgiveness on… Continue reading The grace and truth of Desmond Tutu
‘Christmas Eve Life Evaluation films’ and what they tell us
Story #1: The Last Train to Christmas Last night, I watched the new festive film The Last Train to Christmas. It focuses on a troubled nightclub owner, Tony Towers (Michael Sheen), who takes a train from London to Nottingham on Christmas Eve with his fiancé. On route, they are joined by his brother and his… Continue reading ‘Christmas Eve Life Evaluation films’ and what they tell us
‘Looking in the rubble for the finger-prints of God’
In the final scene of The Crucible, the flawed hero, John Procter, is hanged along with two innocent women. They are executed at the order of the Church authorities because they refuse to admit guilt in the witch trials in their town of Salem, Massachusetts. As the nooses are put around their necks, the three… Continue reading ‘Looking in the rubble for the finger-prints of God’
God’s Unlikely Revolutionary
Is there any story in history as sentimentalised as the birth of Jesus? Nativity plays are fun and cute, but the biblical accounts of Jesus' birth are very different. Jesus was born into a situation of fear, hardship, shame, rumours of illegitimacy and all within a context of imperial oppression. God's revolution The word ‘revolution’… Continue reading God’s Unlikely Revolutionary
The line separating good and evil
Trevor Huddleston was an English monk and priest who lived in South Africa during the 1940s and 50s. He became famous for his opposition to apartheid and his outspoken criticism of the South African government. He would later become a Bishop and Archbishop. As a white, Oxford-educated priest, his presence and commitment to racial justice… Continue reading The line separating good and evil
Men, grief and talking the talk
On International Men’s Day last year I wrote about how the Beer Club I am in with old school mates had gone online during Covid. The main point of the article was about the need for men to talk openly about how they are. A poll on the article showed that almost a quarter of… Continue reading Men, grief and talking the talk
Crossing Jordan: Peterson & polarisation
Jordan Peterson provokes intensely strong reactions. Maybe you have just experienced one in seeing the title and image of this blog post. Peterson's talks and lectures online are incredibly popular, especially with young men. His book 12 Rules for Life and his famous interview on Channel 4 News with Cathy Newman (since watched 34 million… Continue reading Crossing Jordan: Peterson & polarisation
3 lessons for the Church from the Yorkshire Cricket racism scandal
Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) is one of the most famous sporting institutions in the world. They have won the County Championship a record 33 times and have produced cricketing legends such as Sir Len Hutton, Fred Trueman, Geoffrey Boycott and the current England captain, Joe Root. Stubborn But even within cricket’s conservative culture, YCCC… Continue reading 3 lessons for the Church from the Yorkshire Cricket racism scandal
Grace + Truth 