Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com I have been a member of the Labour party since 1994 when I was in the final year of my Social Work degree. I almost joined when John Smith was leader but it was Tony Blair's ascent to the top job which inspired me to take the step. For the first time I felt genuine… Continue reading Help needed: I am a Labour member and I haven’t a clue who to vote for as leader
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 homeless? Aren’t they the people you step over when you come out of the opera?” – politics and rough sleeping
Photo by Jiarong Deng on Pexels.com I left school in 1990 and got a job as a cleaner in central London. This involved being on the Strand, by Charing Cross Station, at 7.00am. The extent of the rough sleeping at that time was truly incredible. There were 3-4 people sleeping under almost every doorway. Walking… Continue reading “The homeless? Aren’t they the people you step over when you come out of the opera?” – politics and rough sleeping
Greenbelt needs to rediscover it’s spiritual confidence
For some people the annual Greenbelt festival, with its blend of music, arts, justice and spirituality, is an article of their faith. It provokes a fierce devotion in those who would never dream of being anywhere else on the August Bank Holiday weekend. But as the trustees of the festival have made clear, Greenbelt faces serious challenges.… Continue reading Greenbelt needs to rediscover it’s spiritual confidence
‘Homelessness and the three faces of poverty’: HPH lecture on 9th June, central London
Hugh Price Hughes was an energetic and enterprising Methodist Minister who founded the West London Mission in 1887. He was a proponent of what he called ‘Social Christianity’ which was in contrast to the Christianity he saw around him, which in his words has ‘been too speculative, too sentimental, too individualistic.’ His founding of the… Continue reading ‘Homelessness and the three faces of poverty’: HPH lecture on 9th June, central London
All right-thinking people should now boycott The Daily Mail
Last year, I wrote a post arguing that Christians should lead the way in a boycott The Daily Mail due to its campaign against overseas aid. Today, The Mail has descended further into the pit of the worst type of journalism with this incredible election headline: It is simply incredible that any newspaper could use the… Continue reading All right-thinking people should now boycott The Daily Mail
‘Understanding theology is to understand God, who is Love’
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Across the broad spectrum of Christian culture, one characteristic is shared by almost all traditions: the church uses a lot of words. Hymns, Bible readings, sermons, liturgy and prayers are saturated in words. And the internet is crammed full of blogs (like the one you are reading). And so often, it is those… Continue reading ‘Understanding theology is to understand God, who is Love’
Beach-body ready or not, the real winners are the advertising industry
Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com Protein World’s ‘Are you Beach Body Ready?’ adverts have created a massive row. In among the countless adverts that commuters are pummeled by, these posters immediately struck me as unusually crass and objectionable. So I was not that surprised to see the furore that has developed this week in response.… Continue reading Beach-body ready or not, the real winners are the advertising industry
Making the world a better place, one commuter at a time
Anyone who commutes into central London can bear testimony to the daily struggle it brings. Packed trains, late cancellations and staff specially trained to make announcements as confusing as possible all contribute to the challenges. My no.1 gripe is passengers who can't be bothered to move further up into the train which means that others can't even get on. Grrrr... This daily… Continue reading Making the world a better place, one commuter at a time
Pushy parents & competitive dads: when children behave better than adults
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com Every Saturday, my 10 year old son plays in a football team in a south London league. He is part of a great club, with dedicated coaches and he loves it. It is a very competitive league but over the course of the season, I have seen hardly any aggressive behaviour, bad… Continue reading Pushy parents & competitive dads: when children behave better than adults
‘He was so nearly a good man’: Tony Blair on Pontius Pilate
Tony Blair's Christian faith is most commonly associated with a comment which was not even made by him. It was Blair's press secretary, Alistair Campbell, who famously said 'We don't do God' due to his concerns about how the language of faith is so easily misconstrued. But, in contrast to the banal nonsense that David… Continue reading ‘He was so nearly a good man’: Tony Blair on Pontius Pilate
Grace + Truth 