Thought for the week

Easter reminds us of the climactic events of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. When the Gospel writers wrote their biographies of Jesus all of them mainly focused on the last week of his life. That week began with his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem when the crowds proclaimed him as their Messiah King.…

The days are longer, and the signs of new life are appearing in nature around us. How encouraging it was to see first the delicate snowdrops, then followed by the crocuses, daffodils, magnolias, and early blossoms. They tell us that winter is passing and create the anticipation of Spring and Summer. Winter can be a…

Last Sunday my wife and I spent a very pleasant day with some of our family as we celebrated Mother’s Day. It was good to remember and give thanks for the role of our mothers in our lives. The bond between a mother and her child is very close. Mothers experience deep joy and sometimes…

The war in Ukraine continues to claim many lives every day. The battle for the city of Bakhmut began in September 2022 and still hangs in the balance. Since the fighting began 90% of the population has fled the city and between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded. Ukrainian casualties are…

A 30-year-olf Bolivian man, Jhonattan Acosta, has told how he managed to survive for 31 days in the Amazon jungle after he got lost. He had got separated from four friends while out hunting in northern Bolivia. He drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms and insects while hiding from jaguars and peccaries,…

In the coming weeks birds, that have migrated to warmer countries for the winter, will begin returning to Britain. Pairs of swallows have sometimes been spotted before the end of February. Swallows winter in Southern Africa and fly more than 9000 miles to return to Britain. Returning early has its risks, especially if we have…

Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu died in the earthquake in Southern Turkey. At first it was thought he had survived and been taken to hospital, but 12 days after the earthquake his body was found under the rubble of his home in Antakya, Hatay. The day before the earthquake 31-year-old Christian scored the winning goal for…

Daily reports following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are heart-breaking. Pictures of collapsed buildings and devastated communities, as well as the growing death toll and desperate plight of survivors made homeless in sub-zero temperatures are overwhelming. The situation in Syria is even more desperate as the Syrian government, their international allies and local militias…

A major earthquake has struck south-east Turkey and north Syria. Early reports say more than 500 people have died with thousands more injured. The final death toll is likely to be far greater. Many of the people affected are Kurdish. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck during the night when most people were asleep in their…

Life expectancy for men and women in Britain reduced because of the Covid-19 pandemic but still the average age is high. In 2020 the median age at death was 81.8 years for men and 85.5 years for women, a fall of 1.3 years for men and 0.9 years for women from 2019. Many now live…