Photo by Simeon Maryska on Pexels.com In the late 1990s, I was the manager of a hostel for young people in central London. One of the residents, I’ll call him Will, had serious mental health problems. These manifested in paranoia and bizarre delusions about religious conspiracies and plots. Sadly, his health declined and the extremity… Continue reading We rarely know the impact of what we do (for good and bad)
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness for over 30 years. He is a former government adviser on how faith groups address rough sleeping and is now CEO of Hope into Action. He lives with his wife in Streatham, south London and they have 3 children. He likes football....but loves cricket.
‘The Cross and Shame: speaking of atonement to a shame-filled society’ by Rebecca Winfrey [review]
Photo by Serje Lahoud on Pexels.com A continual challenge in Christian community work and social action is the connection between the practical work being done to the actual message itself. People can pour into church buildings for toddler groups, foodbanks, lunch clubs, youth clubs and night shelters. But often these social action programmes become detached… Continue reading ‘The Cross and Shame: speaking of atonement to a shame-filled society’ by Rebecca Winfrey [review]
Shaftesbury’s social action legacy
Lord Shaftesbury 'the Poor Man's Earl' (1801-1885) Shaftesbury is a Christian organisation which is now focused on providing services and support to people affected by disability. But the organisation also has a rich history of community action and urban mission which should never be forgotten. The organisation changed name to Livability in 2007 when the… Continue reading Shaftesbury’s social action legacy
The petrol station Samaritan: how ‘Namaste Man’ saved my birthday
Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com It is my birthday this week, so with lockdown easing, our family all got in the car to visit my parents yesterday. It was our first trip together for months. My three children were especially looking forward to a slap-up (if socially-distanced) Sunday lunch cooked by their Granny. As… Continue reading The petrol station Samaritan: how ‘Namaste Man’ saved my birthday
‘Hopelessness is the enemy of justice’: personal belief & social change
Bryan Stevenson graduated in law from Harvard University and went to work for men on death row in Alabama. He established the Equal Justice Initiative to provide legal support for those who had not received fair representation and whose convictions were based on weak evidence. Just Mercy is a great film about the story of… Continue reading ‘Hopelessness is the enemy of justice’: personal belief & social change
How I learnt about structural advantage
Marquess Christian Centre (1998), Essex Rd, Islington, London In my summer holidays between the ages of 19 to 23, I volunteered on a holiday club for kids run with local churches in Islington in London. Growing up in more suburban areas, going into the ‘inner city’ was like venturing into another world. I helped run… Continue reading How I learnt about structural advantage
Grace helps people engage with the truth
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com I am part of a Facebook group for cricket fans. (For US readers, this is the sport Robin Williams described as ‘baseball on valium’.) What strikes me is that comments and opinions on quite minor subjects (yesterday it was a radio commentator's retirement) often produce incredibly heated arguments. And… Continue reading Grace helps people engage with the truth
‘A House Built on Love’ by Ed Walker [Review]
Ed Walker worked in Darfur, Sudan with the Christian relief and development charity, Tearfund, before returning home to the UK with his wife, Rachel. They moved to Peterborough where Walker started working for a homelessness charity. The death of one of the residents provoked him to question the inadequacies of the system he is working… Continue reading ‘A House Built on Love’ by Ed Walker [Review]
Nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be…
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com ‘Never ask, "Why were things so much better in the old days?" It's not an intelligent question.’ (Ecclesiastes 7:10) There is often no shortage of people in churches who look back fondly on the past. In times gone by there always seems to be more vision, more energy and more… Continue reading Nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be…
Good Friday? Coronavirus, conspiracies and the cross
Photo by David Dibert on Pexels.com In recent weeks I have been sent a number of videos which share conspiracy theories about the ‘real cause’ of Coronavirus. Often they blend an pretty incoherent mix of pseudo-science (e.g. about the 5G mobile network), along with some character assassination (e.g. Bill Gates or Barack Obama) and a… Continue reading Good Friday? Coronavirus, conspiracies and the cross
Grace + Truth 