Category: Everyday Life
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79. Rest
January 2020 I recently read a book entitled ‘The Art of Rest’ by Claudia Hammond in which she writes about a global survey, ‘The Rest Test’, completed by 18,000 people across 135 countries in which they were asked to name the three activities they find most restful. They were accessed through two BBC Radio shows,…
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62. The Scapegoat
November 2018 Some Conservative MPs want to assassinate the Prime Minister. Not literally of course, they don’t wish her dead. But they do wish her gone. ‘If only we can get rid of her, then our problems will be resolved. It is all her fault.’ That is their view. No matter that most people point out…
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57. Everyday Miracles
May 2018 When I get up in the morning I like to make myself a cup of tea, and a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon for my wife, and then spend time in prayer. Usually that means walking down to my shed in the garden, but earlier this year the weather didn’t…
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47. Beauty
September 2017 Some years ago, in 2011, I read an article in the summer edition of the National Trust Magazine, by the philosopher A. C. Grayling, on Beauty. He was writing primarily about natural beauty, but went on to say that: “There is beauty in ideas, in the effects of sound (think of music, laughter, falling…
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39. Words for the turning of the year: Christian Bobin
December 2016 My friend Keith recently introduced me to a french writer, Christian Bobin, and I have been stimulated by reading an anthology of his writings, translated into English, and entitled ‘The Eighth Day of Creation.’ Somewhere in it he writes: “ I should like to know how to pray. I should like to know how…
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36. God’s candles
November 2016 I have four daughters, mature women, three of whom are dotty about small furry animals. One of them will cross a crowded street in order to fix an innocent passer-by with a winning smile and ask ‘Please may I say Hallo to your dog?’ Another, who lives alone, adopted a house cat called ‘Ash’…
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20. The Reality of Death
November 2015 I’ve been thinking about the terrible events that have taken place in Paris and have found myself wondering why we are so stirred up about them. Don’t get me wrong, it has been a terrible tragedy, but why are we so shocked? Innocent people were killed and that’s awful, but it’s not uncommon. Only…
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14. Fatherhood
April 2015 A little over a year ago my wife and I were blessed with twins. Now we have four daughters, and I am surprised at the depth of emotion each of them evokes in me. Whereas once I scarcely felt I had enough love for just me, I now have love for five. I…
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13. Meeting Eve
April 2015 Last week my step son, his wife and their two children came to stay with us. Their eldest child is a little boy of rising three who talks incessantly and bustles about with great energy and curiosity. His sister is only a couple of months old, so she sleeps a lot, waking to…
A CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUALITY 