Praying in a war zone
In July 2021 Vladimir Putin published a 5000-word essay “On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians”. In March 2022 the essay was enacted, and Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its sovereign neighbour attacking the Ukrainian people and threatening the...
The only thing that counts…
Amazing Grace: Galatians 5: 1 – 12 This week I want to start the blog with a bit of a personal reflection. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. Traditionally it is a day of fasting, confession and repentance. I grew up in a Christian household. We did pancake Tuesday,...
Rejoicing & Weeping, Growing and Shrinking.
In Lewis Carroll’s rather bizarre tale of Alice and her adventures in wonderland, the young Alice on several occasions either eats or drinks something which causes her to grow or to shrink. I wonder if over the past couple of years our view of the world has grown or...
Freedom and fatherhood
Let me begin with a story. It comes from a favourite film, the Shawshank Redemption. It’s the story of an old jailbird called Brooks Hatlen, Shawshank’s librarian. After 40 years of incarceration old-man, Brooks is released into a bright new world of freedom. But his...Living differently
As an Australian in Glasgow, I’m conscious every now and again of the feeling of being a foreigner. It doesn’t happen very often, and it’s easier for me than others as I am a somewhat ‘invisible’ foreigner in the UK; also white, Western, and English-speaking....
Who do you think you are?
Our New Identity in Christ. The news in Scotland this week has been full of pictures of trees in the Northeast blown down by Storm Malik on Saturday then Storm Corrie. A photo in a recent BBC News article showing a picture of thousands of trees toppled like toothpicks...
Blinded by grace
June 2019 saw a historic event occur on the pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival. The rapper Stormzy became the first black solo British headliner at the iconic festival. Central to his performance was his hit song “Blinded by your Grace” The excited crowd of...