Refresh: When You Can’t Unfriend
Most of us walk away from difficult people and complex situations, but sometimes the greatest joy and satisfaction is found when we persevere with difficulties and refuse to unfriend difficult people. This Refresh post from Nov 2022 reminds us that sometimes it’s best not to give up. Refresh: When You Can’t Unfriend I don’t know what your relationship with Facebook is like, but on the whole, mine is pretty good. It’s introduced me to over 2000 friends, the majority of whom I didn’t know before, and they often like or share my posts, introduce me to new concepts...
Read MoreFollowing the Words, Works and Way of Jesus…
He had expressed his Christian faith simply: “I am trying to follow the words, the works and the way of Jesus.” I thought it a helpful summary of what it means to be a Christian, or as the term was originally understood – one who follows the Christ. While it is disarmingly simple (and great for those in favour of alliteration) there is more to it than first meets the eye. While it might not sound very radical to say that the Christian faith revolves around Jesus, in practice, it is very radical – especially when its the words and the works and the way of Jesus that we...
Read MoreRefresh: The Case for Mercy
I’ve usually thought that a merciful person is someone who doesn’t stick the knife in when they could. While that is a part of being merciful, this Refresh post from March 2023 reminds us that there is a lot more to this challenging practice – and it is a practice, because being merciful is not a theory, but something you do in the real world of complexity and muddle… Refresh: The Case for Mercy I have been working my way through the Beatitudes and surprised myself by pausing for longer than usual at the 5th: “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy”...
Read MoreWhen Faith is Strong Enough to Doubt…
I’m always interested in what people remember from the books I have written. In When Faith Turns Ugly it’s the little line: “The opposite of faith is not doubt but certainty.” Though a little counter intuitive, at another level it is self evident. If you are certain of something, faith is surplus to requirements. You know because you know because you know. Who knows where that certainty came from, (and some people have amazing stories of the intervention of God in their life) but if it is there, it is not faith that keeps you keeping on, but a sure and certain...
Read MoreRefresh: The Arrogance of Procrastination
Some words just sound judgmental. Procrastination is one of them. It’s not usually cited on the list of virtues, and realistically it is usually unwise. This Refresh post from Aug 23 looks at both sides of procrastination – times when it is best not to rush in, and times when procrastination is a form of arrogance or entitlement. I thought it worth a repost. Refresh: The Arrogance of Procrastination It was a perspective I hadn’t thought of before, and it struck me as insightful. She said it with some emotion. “People always think that procrastination is about being lazy, or...
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