Redeeming Disqualifying Stories…
Some people have stories that follow them around: “You do know about the time he…” or “You may not realise it, but though she looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, there was the time that…” At a church I once pastored a woman had found faith in Jesus whist in prison and now attended the church. She came up to me hesitantly one Sunday. I had given the church announcements and they had included the all too often pitch on the need for more helpers – this time for the tea and coffee roster. The task was straightforward enough –...
Read MoreBecause Honesty is the Highest Form of Loyalty
It was a throw away comment in an Adam Grant podcast I was listening to at the gym. Remember, he said, “honesty is the highest form of loyalty.” Of course, just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true, but in this instance I thought it worth thinking about – and I guess this blog is part of that thinking process. I put the comment alongside another discussion I heard on The Rest is Politics podcast, where the ever interesting Alastair Campbell was speaking about the Shimon Peres solution. “What’s that” you ask? In 1985 US President...
Read MoreThe Different Faces of Ambition
Ambition is one of those things it’s easy to be ambivalent about. In it’s naked form, it sees some catapult over others, with neither regard nor care for the impact their scramble to the top has on those further back in the line. Ruthlessness is not an attractive quality, but it is the price some are willing to pay to get their dreams to materialise. But ambition does not need to wear this face. It can be a commitment to ensure a worthy dream comes true. It can be about using our gifts responsibly. A clearly articulated ambition can help us know what to say yes to, and what no....
Read MoreYet I Still Dare to Hope: When Hope is a Virtue.
So what virtues do you aspire towards? If you want a conversation to take a turn to the serious, it’s a good question to ask. Some people will answer promptly – perhaps citing some of the more commonly listed virtues – courage, justice and integrity. Others might be more exotic in their choice. Perhaps they will leave you perplexed because they selected procrastination, doubt and detachment. Yet others will be rendered speechless. That’s not to say they don’t have any virtues, but it probably means they haven’t spent much time thinking about them. In a recent podcast on Stirrers...
Read MorePraying for the Peace and Prosperity of our City of Exile: Jeremiah 29:7 and the Political Landscape
It’s been a big week in politics – and I don’t even live in the US! As is usual with elections, there are winners and losers – those who are ecstatic and those who are devastated. In the middle are those who are essentially disinterested, but this is probably a smaller group than is usually the case. I could pontificate at great length about what the US Presidential election says to us and about the role that Christian faith plays in elections – but I don’t have an appetite for that right now. Instead I’d like to take a journey back to some...
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