What kind of person sets a dog on fire?
Bruce is a dog; a bull-lurcher from Little Orton near Carlisle. He has been badly beaten with a stick with nails sticking out of it, his skull fractured, his jaw…
Sacrifice
The Supper at Emmaus
Today’s Gospel reading gives me the opportunity to share with you one of my favourite paintings, that of The Supper at Emmaus, by the Italian Renaissance genius Caravaggio. It hangs in London’s National Gallery and the full power of its…
Don’t slam the Royal Wedding sermon: Bishop Michael Curry reached two billion souls with the love of Christ
Bishop Michael Curry's wedding address – or the US preacher's Royal Wedding sermon (as he and it shall henceforth be known) in the marriage service of Prince Harry to Meghan…
Red Wednesday: Houses of Parliament turn to blood in honour of those who suffer for their faith
The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral will be all be lit up red this evening to remember those who are persecuted or killed for their beliefs. The…
Christian missionaries in Aleppo crucified and beheaded
"At several steps on their path to death by beheading and crucifixion last month, 11 indigenous Christian workers near Aleppo, Syria had the option to leave the area and live.…
Vicky Beeching, vocation, and the church that exists to serve our selfish ends
There was a piece in the Guardian (where else) this week by Vicky Beeching, entitled: 'The first openly gay bishop is a huge step forward – but it’s not enough'.…
Centenary of the Battle of the Somme: yesterday's youth died so that today's youth might be free
They didn't really stand a chance. They were sons, husbands, fathers, friends and boys – some as young as 18 – ordered over the top into the direct line of…
Good Friday: love so amazing, so divine
Good Friday The Collects Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up…
Kenyan Muslims say "I'm Spartacus" to protect Christians
Peace on earth won't magically descend from the clouds: it has to be aimed at and worked for. And it starts in the hearts of each and every one…
Peacemaking needs peacemakers
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." And that includes Muslim peacemakers, because Jesus didn't say 'Blessed only are the Christian…
We will remember them, won't we?
We will remember them. We intone it ritually every year. We even make a chronological covenant: 'At the going down of the sun and in the morning..' There have…
"Thatcher Rest In Hell" – Durham Miners' Gala rejoice over Thatcher effigy in coffin
"The Durham Miners' Association has been shocked and saddened at the news last week of the death of three stalwarts of the socialist and labour movement," wrote the Friends…
Married at First Sight? Channel 4 make marriage a throwaway commodity
Over Channel 4’s 33-year history there has been a whole range of programmes which have found their way into the nation’s hearts. Where would many of the older generation…
Welby: £3 billion worth of church social action is proof of God's power
Christians are good at telling stories but rubbish with numbers. This was one of the key observations at last night’s Cinnamon Faith Action Audit Report launch which presented the…
A Christian vision for a restored economy
Is it just me or has anyone else got to the point where they just want to get to May 7th and move on to the next step of…
The martyrdom of Thomas Becket
On this day in 1170 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by the knights of King Henry II in Canterbury Cathedral. It was muddled politics and religion -…
The Queen of peace and reconciliation
"For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of…
Remembrance Sunday: Sacrifice, Freedom and Peace
Who would have thought a hundred years on that we would still be arguing over the shady causes of World War One; debating whether the lions were led by…