Ethics & Christian living

The divine circuit breaker

A few years ago I was accused by someone of serious malpractice and discriminatory behaviour. I believed the accusations were cynical and baseless and contested the claims, but it led to a legal action which involved a whole week in court. In the end, I was completely exonerated but the whole process involved a considerable… Continue reading The divine circuit breaker

Ethics & Christian living

The ironic consequences of believing we are good

The podcast, The Holy Post gives a thoughtful Christian take on current affairs which is fresh, well-informed, non-tribal and often very funny. In a recent episode they interview the New York Times journalist and Yale lecturer David Brooks. Brooks is an interesting voice because he is a moderate conservative who spend much of his time… Continue reading The ironic consequences of believing we are good

Ethics & Christian living, Homelessness

Lazarus: friendship, trust and joy coming back to life

This week I was invited to speak at an event hosted by Lazarus, a new initiative to support people affected by homelessness which is launching in London. Lazarus runs communities made up of formerly homeless people living alongside young professionals. Over 250 people live in their communities across Northern Europe and Mexico. It is yet… Continue reading Lazarus: friendship, trust and joy coming back to life

Ethics & Christian living

Herd immunity

Amid all the terrible carnage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the most chilling aspects is the vice-like grip that Putin has over the Russian media.   Hearing Russians who believe that this war is merely a defensive ‘special military operation’ to ‘de-Nazify’ and liberate Ukraine is almost as scary as anything else.… Continue reading Herd immunity

Ethics & Christian living

“Don’t just live the length of life. Live the breadth of it as well” – by Anne O’Connor

Our beloved daughter Annie died of natural causes in 2020. She was only 41. Nothing could have prepared us for her sudden death that June morning. In an instant our world fell apart. Later that day we found a small notebook on her desk with a single entry: “Don’t just live the length of life.… Continue reading “Don’t just live the length of life. Live the breadth of it as well” – by Anne O’Connor

Ethics & Christian living, Films & music

A prayer in dark times

Kate (Jennifer Lawrence), Randall (Leonardo DiCaprio) & Yule (Timothée Chalamet) 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… Continue reading A prayer in dark times

Ethics & Christian living

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

Ethics & Christian living

Beyond the echo chamber – by Andrew Drury

Even for the most broad-minded, it is easy to remain reading or listening to people who share similar views to ourselves. We can fall into the rut of following only those people who conform to our own perspective. We need to get beyond the simple critiques that can be found in the 280 characters of… Continue reading Beyond the echo chamber – by Andrew Drury

Ethics & Christian living, Films & music

‘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’