Pink and pinker
It was a “one dram below par” moment, a time when the worldview of Dr McClaren seemed apt. It was Dr McClaren who declared, “It is a well known medical fact that some men are born at least one dram below par,” speaking of the schoolmaster George Campbell in the 1949 comedy film “Whisky Galore!” The schoolmaster is a man who has … [continue reading …]
Only politics remains unchanged
Ten years ago, there was a delight in having a Nokia phone that had a camera, there was a delight in having a computer with a 1 GB drive, there was a delight in the arrival of voice over internet telephony. Ten years, later the technological scene has changed beyond recognition, as have many other scenes. Only politics seems to … [continue reading …]
Lazy faith
An evening of conversation with a friend of three decades and a bemoaning of the lazy faith that now besets the church. Hard thinking has now been replaced by a frothy package of experiences; middle aged men in blue shirts and chinos pretend their expanding waistlines and receding hairlines do not betray them as people who are closer to forty … [continue reading …]
Daps
Ringing the doorbell, I stood back to await an answer. Wellington boots and outdoor shoes stood lined up in the porch, and then a pair of shoes that recalled chilling fears from childhood: daps, plimsolls, gym shoes, or gutties, in the parlance of my Belfast-born wife. There were people who had lace-up versions of such shoes, but for most of us … [continue reading …]
TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER NOTICE ,
This was spammed by Google. It is very amateurish. Zenith Bank (UK) Ltd 39 Cornhill London EC3V 3ND United Kingdom tel: +44 70 8646 8527 Fax:+447043071539 Dear Esteemed Customer, TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER NOTICE. We are hereby officially notify you concerning your fund Telegraphic Transfer through our bank, Zenith Bank (UK) Ltd United Kingdom, to your bank account, which has been officially … [continue reading …]
This land is my land
A fine June evening and the mist had begun to gather across the moorland. Glastonbury Tor is no more than a blur in the darkness. Shades of green fill the landscape, a multiplicity of smaller farms absorbed into a handful of large holdings. It is easy to forget how warm southern England has become, the balmy atmosphere makes it pleasant … [continue reading …]
Rector’s Letter – Summer 2017
The closing days of June were a difficult time in the North. Tensions within communities built up. Vulnerable people were intimidated by youths building bonfires. Policing, difficult at the best of times, became all but impossible. By the beginning of July, many people had left the Province, heading for Britain or the Continent, or crossing the border to Donegal or … [continue reading …]
Sermon for Sunday, 25th June 2017 (Second Sunday after Trinity)
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34 How seriously do we take our faith? How much does what we believe matter to us? What things are there that would make us say, “This is where I stand and I am not moving?” What … [continue reading …]
Heavy weather
It being the longest day seems unlikely; a deep, dark cloud hangs across the sky and brings a premature darkness. A clamminess fills the air, a stickiness, a stifling warmth. “Heavy weather.” Wasn’t it the title of a P.G. Wodehouse book featuring Lord Emsworth and the Marquess of Blandings? The earl’s stately home is filled with an array of irascible, … [continue reading …]
Flowers, trees and gods
“Those purple flowers are orchids.” Orchids? Perhaps they were, not having the knowledge to confirm or deny the observation, there was no comment to be made. Once, in schoolboy days, a walk through a neighbouring wood had brought the discovery of a clump of white orchids, delicate flowers that might have been crushed by the footsteps of a careless youth. … [continue reading …]
Being affective
1999 was one of those times when there was a feeling that change was in the air. Of course, everything would be similar the following year, but there was a sense that people expected a change. Embracing the fin de siècle that pervaded much thinking, I bought a book on a spirituality for the Twenty-First Century; I probably still have … [continue reading …]
Schadenfreude does you no good
Adele’s “Someone Like You” is on my Spotify playlist: her soulful voice expresses the angst of the jumbled emotions of the lyrics. ‘Never mind, I’ll find someone like you I wish nothing but the best for you’. I always think Adele is a better Christian than I am; I’m more into a bit of schadenfreude, taking a certain delight in the … [continue reading …]
First Love
Looking out at the night sky, he caught sight of his reflection in the glass. Tightening his stomach muscles and pushing his chin out, he tried to convince himself not so many years had passed. The reflection flattered; wrinkles were ironed, lines disappeared. The reflection came from the window of the bus that carried the inbound passengers the short distance to … [continue reading …]