With the death of Ronald Sider we say ‘adieu’ to one of the most significant Christian voices of the last 60 years. Born in in Erie, Ontario, Canada in 1939, he became known for his rejection of any dichotomy between evangelism and social action and his claim that the gospel encompassed the whole of life.… Continue reading Ronald Sider 1939-2022: an obituary by Elaine Storkey
Category: Ethics & Christian living
Why I am not celebrating this jubilee – by Neil Charlton
Dear Elizabeth II, I genuinely wish you and your family well, but I will not be participating in your Platinum Jubilee celebration. I and many others see no reason to celebrate 70 years of your ascension to the British throne because your leadership, and that of your predecessors, have presided over one of the greatest… Continue reading Why I am not celebrating this jubilee – by Neil Charlton
The freedom of commitment
I have lived in Streatham, south London for almost 20 years. Over this time, I have spent many hundreds of hours on Streatham Common: playing with my kids, running a football club, volunteering on Love Streatham fun days, walking my dog and talking with friends. I even held my 40th birthday there which included a… Continue reading The freedom of commitment
Jesus and guns: faith, politics & polarisation
It would be hard to find a more succinct summary of the polarisation of religion and politics than the campaign bus of Kandiss Taylor who is running for Governor in Georgia. Three starred bullet-points tells you all you need to know about her core commitments: Jesus. Guns. Babies. When I first saw this picture, I… Continue reading Jesus and guns: faith, politics & polarisation
‘A ship in harbour is safe. But that is not what ships are for’
The church services over Easter are my favourite of the year. The contemplation of Maundy Thursday, the grit of Good Friday, the waiting on Saturday and the joyful hope of Easter Sunday. But for me, the best thing about church this Easter weekend was deep conversations and prayers that I shared with three local people… Continue reading ‘A ship in harbour is safe. But that is not what ships are for’
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
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
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
The 7 Deadly Sins of Managing People Badly…
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
Grace + Truth 