A Meditation on Power, Presence, and the Limits of Human Effort “Who has seen the wind?Neither I nor you:But when the leaves hang trembling,The wind is passing through.”— Christina Rossetti Psalm 103:15–16 (KJV)15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.16 For the wind passeth over …
Christianity is a monotheistic religion rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians hold that he is the Son of God and the Saviour of humanity, and that through his death and resurrection he brings reconciliation with God and the promise of eternal life. The Bible, especially the New Testament, is its …
A critique of comfortable American middle class life and latter day hippy communities Introduction Captain Fantastic, written and directed by Matt Ross (1970 -), is a film that grew directly out of the director’s own life and values. Ross has described it as “the most personal story I’ve ever written,” inspired by his experience of …
From the Arab Spring to Today Introduction Europe’s difficulties with immigration are deeply rooted in a legal framework created more than seventy years ago. The 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees, drafted in the aftermath of the Second World War, guaranteed protection to anyone fleeing persecution. Crucially, the system was designed so that an asylum seeker …
Why Responsibility Still Matters — From Garden Jobs to Life Expectancy I needed some garden work done, but couldn’t manage it myself. The job would have taken me hours, and with arthritis I would have been in constant pain attempting it. So when three Traveller lads came to the door offering their services, I took …
Introduction – The Lost Simplicity Jesus of Nazareth left no book, no creed, no legal code. What he offered was a way of living: love God, love your neighbour, forgive without keeping score, serve the poor, the sick, and the outsider, and live as though God’s kingdom had already arrived. It was a moral vision, …
The Message We Lost “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”— Matthew 11:28 “Take up your cross and follow me.”— Mark 8:34 There is a tension at the heart of Christianity: Jesus called people into an inner life of peace, simplicity, and love but the faith that emerged …
The Yoke and the Cross These two sayings of Jesus are often quoted, but rarely together. At first glance, they seem to offer contrasting visions—one light and gentle, the other demanding and harsh. But when read in the spirit of Jesus’ broader message, they speak with a shared voice. When Jesus says, “My yoke is easy,” he …
And the Invention of the Church It seems to be a fact of human nature: as soon as someone has a good idea, others want to turn it into a movement. Something simple and personal becomes complex and collective. This tendency runs contrary to the teachings of Jesus. His message was not designed for an …
Jesus Without the Church Looking at the mess the world is in, Jesus’ message is vitally important today. In fact, can’t we say that we are living in truly apocalyptic times? We do not have the threat of Roman armies, but we do have environmental threats and the threat of nuclear war. The question is: …