Category: Reflections
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Isn’t it all about rule-keeping?
This is a question I’ve been asked a number of times recently when it comes to my Christian faith. It is a common perception that Christianity is about trying to be good by following a set of rules so that you will earn a reward and avoid a punishment. Many people see Christianity as a…
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The kindness instinct
When something annoying happens, what response comes instinctively to you? I often find that I start the day with the right intentions to be godly in everything I do and then someone cuts me up in the car, or I get stuck behind a slow pedestrian or behind a pensioner trying to pay by cheque…
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The joy of giving
This morning I was interviewed as part of some research on charitable giving at Northumbria University. I was asked about which charities I give to, how I give and my motivations, which was a great opportunity to reflect. I haven’t always given to charity and for me it’s been a process of growing in my…
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What’s your favourite smell?
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about smells and more specifically about the power of smell to recall long-forgotten people and places from the distant past. We’ve probably all had the experience when we’ve been going about our daily lives when suddenly a scent will stop us in our tracks and we feel that we…
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A furry lesson in love
Five weeks ago we got a cat. For a couple of nights before we collected him, I didn’t sleep very well as various thoughts were going through my mind. What if he’s aggressive? What if he shreds all our furniture? What if he’s sick everywhere? What if he doesn’t like us? What if he stinks?…
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Rest
This post is based on a talk I did at the Student Life Hub on the subject of rest. What is rest? How do you like to rest? Maybe you like to sleep, watch Netflix, do crafts, sport, music, get out in nature, meditate, read, or do some gardening… I’ve been trying over the last…
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Loving God
“Jesus replied, ‘“Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt 22: 37 – 38) What does it mean to love God? Maybe some of us would struggle to answer that question. When I was younger I…
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Screens, screens everywhere
One of the things I’m finding hardest about lockdown is the increased reliance on screens, not just to do my job, but in order to be able to keep in touch with family and friends. I’d almost rather have no contact than the frustratingly inadequate two-dimensional experience of staring at my pixelated friends (and my…
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He must become greater; I must become less
Lockdown is hard and many of us are struggling to feel good about ourselves. As we are all cut off from community and being driven online we need to guard against getting our value from Facebook likes, emojis, and cheap uplifting sentiment shared online. Instead we need to look to God for our worth and…
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