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John Newton is best known the author of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’. After his dramatic conversion he abandoned his life as a slave trader and became an Anglican clergyman and outspoken advocate for the abolition of slavery. A few weeks ago, I was delighted to discover another of Newton’s poems – that has also beenContinue reading “The Good Physician”

Yesterday… …We watched the latest episode of Celebrity Traitors. There was the usual team challenge – this one in a haunted hut. There were whispered discussions as they tried to work out the identities of the traitors. There were clues and theories; at the round table there were accusations and defensive assurances of being ‘aContinue reading “Despite Their Best Efforts”

Last night we went to Norwich to watch ‘Operation Mincemeat’ – a stage show that tells the true story of a complicated but successful second world war operation that disguised the 1943 allied invasion of Sicily. It started with a plan being devised by MI5 in London… Sometimes the isolated stories or writings in theContinue reading “The Tale of Two Operations”

Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina. The 39-year-old, who many think is the greatest football player in history, brought his 21-year international career to an end, scoring his 126th international goal in front of a crowd of 85,000 in Buenos Aires. Students from Belfairs Academy, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, have been visiting a localContinue reading “Lessons in Endurance”

Three things from yesterday: …Reading Pamela Brown-Peterside’s ‘African Pearl’: In 2004 Pamela leaves New York to work with an HIV prevention programme in rural Uganda. When she arrives in Bundibugyo she can only speak through a translator; it’s important that she’s understood when teaching hospital staff and advising local women. Yesterday I read about herContinue reading “Language, Translation and Understanding”

Yesterday I played a game… listening to and writing down random snippets of conversations… This morning I’ve read some chapters of Matthew’s gospel containing snippets of conversations with Jesus… ‘I know what you’re like. You’d just buy her one!’ ‘We had this discussion about Curley Wurleys for about five minutes.’ ‘I don’t want to beContinue reading “Snippets of Conversations”

We’re enjoying a few days in North Norfolk… …At church in Dersingham, Rev Mark told of the widow in debt who’s threatened by her creditors; her two sons could be sold as slaves. Elisha asks what she has; she says, ‘Nothing, except a little oil.’ She collects jars, pours oil into them, and the oilContinue reading “How Do You See Things?”

Last week I was talking to my friend Norman whom I’ve known for many years. Norman has a strong Christian faith and clear views and opinions. We were chatting about families, mutual friends, church, God. Looking back over some difficult times he’s been through he said that there’s a lot he doesn’t understand. ‘There areContinue reading “There Are More Questions Than Answers”

Yesterday morning we visited a garden centre. Predictably there were Halloween pumpkins on display – together with spiders, bats, skeletons… and witches’ hats. There was also a Christmas display – with Christmas carols playing! There were lights, nutcracker soldiers, sparkly trees, prancing reindeer… and Father Christmas hats. Later we visited Titchwell Nature Reserve. Folks wereContinue reading “It’s All About the Hat”

Malcolm Guite writes that, central to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s moral thinking, was ‘what he called the sacred distinction between a person and a thing.’ He quotes an 1811 Coleridge essay: ‘The Contra-distinction of PERSON and THING being the Condition and Ground of all Morality… A slave is a person perverted into a thing: Slavery, therefore,Continue reading “Persons and Things”