I love sport and have always enjoyed the Olympics but I have never watched an Opening Ceremony until last night. I guess I have never understood what the point of it all is. But last night, I was blown away by the power and pride generated by Danny Boyle's crazy cocktail of comedy, history, dance… Continue reading Neither sycophancy nor cynicism: Danny Boyle & the right kind of patriotism
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.
Learning from those who never got there: what Bonhoeffer and King teach me about reaching 40
Last month, I was 40. It's a time to stand back, to reflect and take stock...and invest in moisturiser. Especially when one of my son's friends thought I was 60! In recent years, two of the biggest influences on me have been the writings and example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King. In some ways,… Continue reading Learning from those who never got there: what Bonhoeffer and King teach me about reaching 40
‘Everyone can be great, because anyone can serve’
Photo by Hugo Magalhaes on Pexels.com ‘Long before and after Jesus, prophets and philosophers have been trying to reconcile the fullest individuality with the most just community. Greatness of servanthood may have been as good an answer as any ever found. The best woman or man was the one who did the most for the… Continue reading ‘Everyone can be great, because anyone can serve’
Which is more important: what is done on the pavement or what is said on the platform?
Photo by Steve Johnson on Pexels.com When I worked for Shaftesbury - now Livability - helping churches engage in social action, I had a boss who would often challenge our team with this question: was our work making a difference on the pavement or was it more about the platforms of church meetings and conferences? In other words,… Continue reading Which is more important: what is done on the pavement or what is said on the platform?
Drowning in the Shallow – Andy Flannagan [Review]
I must admit that I am not a big fan of a lot of contemporary Christian music. Too often, I find the lyrics can be trite and too detached from the difficulties and complexity of real life. Often laments for our broken world tend to be both more poetic and more moving from those outside the Church rather than… Continue reading Drowning in the Shallow – Andy Flannagan [Review]
Should Christians send their children to private schools?
Photo by Patrick Case on Pexels.com The Education Secretary Michael Gove, today gave a speech where he said that the segregation between rich and poor children was ‘morally indefensible’. The Evening Standard tonight quotes his comments at length: "It is remarkable how many of the positions of wealth, influence, celebrity and power in our society… Continue reading Should Christians send their children to private schools?
John Bunyan’s warning to bloggers
Recently I read John Bunyan's classic tale Pilgrim's Progress, published in 1678. Like some of the most powerful Christian writings, for example Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Letters from Prison and Paul's Letter to the Philippians, it is a book written from a prison cell. What makes it such a brilliant book… Continue reading John Bunyan’s warning to bloggers
Sex, chocolates and a lie in for Easter…or is Christianity worth getting out of bed for?
The vicar of All Saints Church in Hove, Father Phil Ritchie, hit the headlines The Daily Mail and The Sun this weekend when he made these comments to his local paper: ‘The problem with the church is that we stay inside our building and occasionally come out and say “Why don’t you come to our church,… Continue reading Sex, chocolates and a lie in for Easter…or is Christianity worth getting out of bed for?
Seven months on: what were the reasons behind the August riots?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com One of the key investigations into the causes of the Summer riots is due to publish it's findings tomorrow. The report of The Riots, Communities and Victims Panel is important as its remit was to give a voice to the communities and victims directly affected by the August riots. As ever, those closest to the… Continue reading Seven months on: what were the reasons behind the August riots?
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Faithfulness Matters campaign update
This article was also published on the Faithfulness Matters website The Good The good news is that due to the pressure that the Faithfulness Matters campaign put on them, we can confirm that Global Personals have changed their policy towards the public advertising of the affairs websites they run. In direct response to our campaigning,… Continue reading The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Faithfulness Matters campaign update
