asadmin What is the opposite of faith? Most of us would instinctively say ‘doubt’ – but that’s not the biblical answer. In the bible, the opposite of faith is fear. It’s why Jesus prefaces his post-resurrection encounters repeatedly with the words, ‘Do not be afraid.’ It’s why St John tells us that there is no fear … Read more
Followers of Jesus have often been treated as threats to the ‘established order.’ In many ways this is strange: a group committed to living peaceful, holy, servant-hearted lives ought to be the very last people to be considered subversive. On the other hand, we worship a different Lord, one to whom all the Powers That … Read more
Every year our city of Milton Keynes hosts a marathon. One of my good friends was running in it this year, his first marathon at the age of 56. Thankfully he made it, and he popped in afterwards for a cup of tea – I had offered a celebratory protein shake, but he went for … Read more
We take a brief break from Nehemiah to enjoy a couple of Psalms (today and tomorrow) which connect with some of the themes of Nehemiah: As a family we used to love the game Jenga. You may be familiar with it: a stack of wooden blocks is created and, little by little, blocks are removed … Read more
‘I can’t change the world; but I can change the world in me.’ This is a line from an early U2 song, and it’s always stayed with me. As we concluded yesterday, what Nehemiah tackled 2,500 years ago is still just as prevalent today, only on a much bigger scale. The possibility of change feels … Read more
The title for today’s reflection comes from is a famous slogan popularised by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa in the 1990s. The point is that, unless fundamental issues of justice are addressed within a society, even great changes which appear to improve peace are superficial. It’s no use giving people the vote … Read more
It is a sad fact of human nature that, in the end, the will of ‘the flesh’ tends to resort to brute force to achieve its ends. ‘Might is right’ has caused untold suffering over the centuries, but nothing much changes under the sun. Our ‘civilised’ world today has more wars currently than for eighty … Read more
In 1787 the young MP William Wilberforce first proposed the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in the UK parliament. Over the next twenty years he would submit this same bill fourteen times. On each of the first thirteen times the bill was rejected and Wilberforce was subjected to vitriolic opposition, both to his character … Read more
OK, I admit it – this was probably quite a turgid read today! A long list of who built what along the length of the wall. There are some fascinating titbits along the way, though: the fact that some of the upper classes felt that the work was beneath them (v5); on the other hand, … Read more
‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to build and … Read more