Ever since I was at University, I have witnessed the anger and hatred that surrounds and underpins the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Nowhere in the world is there a deeper well of polarised bitterness and recriminatory violence.From Jewish friends I have learnt more about the reality of Anti-Semitism, its very recent impact on their… Continue reading Darkness cannot drive out darkness
Category: Ethics & Christian living
The key to preventing leadership scandals
There is no shortage of articles, blogs and podcasts to dissect, analyse and rake over the entrails of Christian leadership scandals. The podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill was a compelling account of Mark Driscoll's rise to fame and influence, and how his narcissism and arrogance led to a dramatic fall. It challenged… Continue reading The key to preventing leadership scandals
‘Do not impose today’s worry upon tomorrow’
Odette Prévost was a French nun who had joined the Little Sisters of the Sacred Heart at age 21, in 1953. She spent her lifetime working in Morocco and Algeria, living and serving among acutely poor communities. She studied Arabic and helped educate women and provided free tutoring for children to help them with their school work.… Continue reading ‘Do not impose today’s worry upon tomorrow’
Leadership is for other people – by Tobias Mayer
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com ‘And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ Exodus 3:11 Leadership is for other people. We hear this refrain, or some version of it, perhaps aloud but more often as a… Continue reading Leadership is for other people – by Tobias Mayer
Public leadership, private insecurity
One of the common assumptions people make is that those in positions of leadership or responsibility are confident and secure. Actually, feelings of insecurity are rampant among those who lead. What is externally projected and seen is not the same as how people feel inside. Performative This is especially relevant in church and charity leadership.… Continue reading Public leadership, private insecurity
Faith to confront human trafficking – by Paula Cornell
My third night in South Asia I crawled into bed in my hotel with a heavy heart. It’s hard to describe the pervasive sense of darkness and despair I felt. Since arriving there, my coworkers and I had heard story after story of total disregard for the value of human life. Men forced to work… Continue reading Faith to confront human trafficking – by Paula Cornell
Cheap grace & the lie of love without cost
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com Why does an ordinary glass crack when boiling water is poured into it? Its because of the pressure caused by the difference in temperature between the inside and the outside. The structural integrity of the object cannot bear this scale of difference. It’s a good metaphor for the human… Continue reading Cheap grace & the lie of love without cost
The opposite of toxic masculinity
Carl Beech is the founder of Christian Vision for Men and Edge Ministries which builds Christian communities in areas of deprivation. I have been deeply struck by how Carl has shared news of his recent diagnosis of Early Onset Parkinson's disease. I have found his insights an inspirational example of how God's power is often… Continue reading The opposite of toxic masculinity
Inspiration v integrity
Photo by Suvan Chowdhury on Pexels.com The emerging allegations relating to the behaviour of Mike Pilavachi, church leader and founder of the Soul Survivor festival, have sent seismic shocks through the church. The accusations of coerced massages of young interns, along with bullying and an intense favouring-then-freezing-out of colleagues, sound similar to the behaviour of… Continue reading Inspiration v integrity
A crowning ambivalence
‘VIVAT REX EDUARDUS! They crowned a king this day, and there has been great rejoicing and elaborate tomfoolery, and I am perplexed and saddened… Thus wrote the American author Jack London who came to England in 1902 to write about poverty and homelessness. His visit coincided with the coronation of King Edward VII. The 1902… Continue reading A crowning ambivalence
Grace + Truth 