I play cricket each week on a ground where the game has been played since 1743. A couple of weeks ago, a group of local children came past the ground. We are used to hearing comments shouted out, but on this occasion something particularly struck me. One teenage girl turned to her friends and said… Continue reading ‘What game even is that?’: Two factors to save cricket’s future
Homelessness is more than house-lessness: re-thinking kindness #3
Photo by Timur Weber on Pexels.com Last year, I got to know a young man who was begging close to where I worked. He was a real character, never short on stories or quips for passers-by. He told people that he needed money for accommodation. I used to regularly make him cups of tea and… Continue reading Homelessness is more than house-lessness: re-thinking kindness #3
Competition, duplication and saviour myths: re-thinking kindness #2
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I was at a conference this week where the CEO of a homelessness charity said: ‘I was a corporate banker for a couple of years before I started working in homelessness. In my twenty years in this work, I think there is more competitiveness in the charity world than in… Continue reading Competition, duplication and saviour myths: re-thinking kindness #2
‘If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you’: re-thinking kindness #1
I saw these words on a wall of a centre for homeless people I visited recently. I think they display a realism and wisdom which is helpful for everyone seeking to help people in need. The centre helps people with some of the most complex issues imaginable. But I was struck by the perseverance and… Continue reading ‘If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you’: re-thinking kindness #1
Purpose and hope: how faith has changed me – by Andrew Ryland
Photo by Valentin Antonucci on Pexels.com About 2 years ago I wrote a blog post about how I became a Christian. My intention was mainly to be transparent about why I chose this path with family, friends, colleagues and those in my social networks. I hoped to inspire a few people along the way. I… Continue reading Purpose and hope: how faith has changed me – by Andrew Ryland
Young people are dying for hope – Easter is more relevant than ever
Unforgiveness, pain, hatred, anxiety, gang violence... These were some of the issues that young people in our youth group wrote down as examples of things which spoil and scar our world. Perhaps most precious were the things written down which were too personal to share publicly. These were folded over. Each one was nailed to… Continue reading Young people are dying for hope – Easter is more relevant than ever
A great gift to the Church: ‘Paradoxology’ by Krish Kandiah [Review]
The Bible is central to the Christian faith. But it’s also long, complex and parts of it are offensive to many people. And that includes a lot of Christians… I have always found much of the Old Testament difficult, especially books like Joshua which contain so much God-instructed genocide. What are we to make of… Continue reading A great gift to the Church: ‘Paradoxology’ by Krish Kandiah [Review]
‘If the grain of wheat dies, it bears much fruit’ – Remembering Oscar Romero
Today is the anniversary of the assassination of the Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador. He was murdered by government agents while presiding over mass on the 24th March 1980. He was shot dead at the altar in the chapel of the hospital in which he lived. Romero had used his position to speak up about the… Continue reading ‘If the grain of wheat dies, it bears much fruit’ – Remembering Oscar Romero
Hope into Action and the new wave of Christian social action
Yesterday I was at the annual conference of the homelessness charity, Hope into Action. It was held at the vast Kingsgate Church in Peterborough and over 320 people attended. I had been invited to lead a seminar on how to ensure work with homeless people is both kind and effective. I’ll share some of that… Continue reading Hope into Action and the new wave of Christian social action
The Cross: the ultimate place of grace and truth
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com This week I went to see a Salvation Army Officer who runs a church centre in London. As I walked in, he and a colleague were speaking with three women. As I waited, it became obvious that the women had problems with homelessness and drug addiction and that he knew… Continue reading The Cross: the ultimate place of grace and truth
Grace + Truth 