This piece was originally posted on August 01st for Black Country Urban Industrial Mission (www.bcuim.co.uk) discussing how the pandemic is likely to result in workplace chaplains such as myself, having to re-learn the art of listening so important to our ministry. I would advocate this is something any of us whose work involves interacting with […]
The Latin text used in the title was taken from a biography of Pope Francis by Austen Ivereigh called, The Great Reformer: Francis The Making of a Radical Pope[1], in which Francis describes the differences between a Bishop who watches over his people (vigilia) as opposed to one who keeps watch for them (vela). In […]
Since the current pandemic began the use of poetry both new and old, has provided an outlet for people to express their fears and hopes or to vent their anger and frustrations at the seemingly ever-upward spiral in Covid-19 deaths and the wastefulness of it all. I myself was fortunate to have had a Covid-related […]
As part of my Methodist Local Preacher training, we are called upon to examine and analyse various theologically-related themes and to write a reflection on how and why it shapes not only our core belief but also to our calling to preach the Gospel. Poetry, music and art have traditionally been used to depict faith […]
The opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities describing the upheaval of the French revolution, is in many ways a fitting place with which to try and reflect on the state of our nation (and a world) almost a 1/5th of the way into the twenty-first century. Three months on from when the literary […]
As the Office of National Statistics (ONS) confirms that the United Kingdom entered into the sharpest recession since records began in 1955, it is clear that Covid-19 has wrought untold damage with very few economic sectors left untouched by the pandemic. Over 113,000 jobs lost since the March lockdown began with the aviation, retail and […]
The Authorised Biography of the Celebrated Cricketer and Bishop by Andrew Bradstock, SPCK, 348pp, £19.99 In this first authorised biography we meet the man who exchanged a life of privilege and potential sporting greatness, to a life serving the needs of the poor and marginalised in the inner cities, becoming as famous for his achievements […]
As we approach the 04th July weekend when pubs and restaurants along with campsites and holiday parks can reopen and if as seems likely, quarantine restrictions will be eased to allow sun worshippers to fly off to Spain, Greece, Italy and France, we can say with some degree of optimism that a sense of normality […]
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