This year marks 130 years since the founding of the West London Mission. It was in October 1887 that WLM began its work to bring spiritual and practical hope to people affected by poverty. Back then in Victorian London we ran food depots, clothing stores, soup kitchens and even a job service for unemployed servants.… Continue reading Doing To or Being With? Re-thinking Christian social engagement
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.
‘This is for Allah’: overcoming denial about the deadly power of religion
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Last night I was with a group of volunteers who have been running a night shelter for homeless people over the last eight months. They come from 13 different churches and a local synagogue in central London. As well as Christians and Jews, a significant number of volunteers are also… Continue reading ‘This is for Allah’: overcoming denial about the deadly power of religion
Re-discovering Narnia and rinsing out stale thinking about Christianity
I grew up in a Christian home as the son of a vicar. In retrospect it gave me loads of things that I am grateful for, but in many ways I disliked being the ‘vicar’s son’ in a large church. People treated you differently: Sunday school teachers really did say things like ‘I would have expected… Continue reading Re-discovering Narnia and rinsing out stale thinking about Christianity
Inspirational but OTT: review of ‘Dirty Glory’ by Pete Greig
The ambition to 'form a movement' is one I have heard expressed by many leaders over the years. Movements are perceived as exciting, purposeful expressions of collective will and spiritual energy. They often stand in contrast to the more mundane task of managing an organisation. Pete Greig is one of the few contemporary Christian leaders who can legitimately… Continue reading Inspirational but OTT: review of ‘Dirty Glory’ by Pete Greig
‘I am neither an optimist or a pessimist’ – the hope of Easter
"Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the… Continue reading ‘I am neither an optimist or a pessimist’ – the hope of Easter
A soft-touch? Why Christians need to stop being doormats
My recent article on Why Pope Francis is wrong about begging was re-posted on the popular Christian blog Psephizo and a number of church leaders commented on the challenge that this issue poses for them. It again reminded me of how churches, vicarages and manses are at the front line of this issue because of… Continue reading A soft-touch? Why Christians need to stop being doormats
Why Pope Francis is wrong about begging
This week I was at a church in central London, talking with the minister when a man came to the door asking for help. He explained that he was not from London but his wife had just been discharged from UCH (a London hospital) following an emergency operation. He said they had nowhere to stay… Continue reading Why Pope Francis is wrong about begging
I Believe in a Thing called Sin
A few years ago, I was on the south bank in London, near Waterloo station, and I got talking with a homeless man called Richard. He had approached me asking for money. He was in a bad state. He showed me the most terribly infected open wounds on both his arms and legs caused by… Continue reading I Believe in a Thing called Sin
Elitism dressed as charity: the injustice of tax breaks for private schools
Tory leaders have a habit of declaring social justice as their key aim when they come to power. Remember Margaret Thatcher quoting St Francis of Assisi 'where there is discord, may we bring harmony' on the steps of Number 10? Or John Major speaking of his vision of 'the classless society'? In her first speech as… Continue reading Elitism dressed as charity: the injustice of tax breaks for private schools
Shannon Matthews and the three faces of poverty
Everyone who cares about poverty and community life in the UK should make sure they watch the BBC drama The Moorside. It is a thoroughly researched and brilliantly acted film about the tragic case of Shannon Matthews, a young girl from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. In 2008, Shannon was reported as missing by her mum, Karen Matthews.… Continue reading Shannon Matthews and the three faces of poverty
Grace + Truth 