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Showing posts from March, 2017

Getting Angry with Jesus

Last week I shouted at Jesus... It wasn't some sort of pious lament or in a dramatic "Two Cathedrals" way (if you don't understand I can't explain)... I simply, in a moment of exasperation, blew my top at Jesus in one of his "distressing disguises" to use one of Mother Teresa's phrases... I have all sorts of excuses... I was beyond busy... I was tired... My blood sugars were all over the place... I was concerned about the "big things" in society, and was trying to organise a meeting to play a small part in addressing them... On the way into work I had taken a phone call about a serious pastoral issue concerning a member of the congregation. I had just come out of speaking at a meeting after dealing with a difficult staff issue that had been building up for months... And I still had to prepare for another potentially problematic meeting that night... And then someone whom I and others have been trying to help for some time, came to me

An Epistle To Our Elected Leaders

Dear DUP and Sinn Fein,  My fri end Stocki has already sent you, and our other political leaders, an open letter , and social media suggests that many agree with what he says (including myself), but I was already writing this when I saw his, and whilst it covers similar ground, and fewer may read this, I want to add my tuppence (especially since it takes a lot to get me writing these days!) And at the heart of it is this, I recognise that you both have a legitimate electoral mandate. The big question is what you do with it. Both of you have made great play of the fact that people voted for you on the basis of your statements before the election. Now I have no desire to get into the legitimacy of those positions. You campaigned on them and you each were elected on those platforms. Both of you grew your vote in a highly polarised election, and whilst the DUP lost a significant number of seats they are still the largest party. So you both have a mandate. And so far in the nego