Thought for the week

The justice and mercy of God

Many people in our world cry out for justice. More than 3 million people in the world have been imprisoned without trial. Autocratic leaders in China and Russia silence all dissent, arresting and imprisoning political opponents and denying them justice. In China more than a million Uyghur Muslims are detained in ”re-education” camps” and hundreds…

May 23, 2022
The courage of Grace Darling

Grace Darling was born in November 1815. Within a few weeks she was taken to live on Brownsman Island, one of the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumbria, in a small cottage attached to the lighthouse her father ran. In 1826 she and her family moved to the newly built Longstone Lighthouse. Grace was…

May 16, 2022
Please treat us equally

Heidi Crowter is a remarkable young woman. When Heidi was born in 1995 the NHS did not carry out 20-week screening scans. So, her parents Steve and Liz didn’t know Heidi had Down’s syndrome until after she was born. Liz says, “We were both absolutely devastated, and took a long time to come to terms…

May 8, 2022
Comfort in suffering

We live in a world of suffering. The city of Mariupol in Ukraine is a graphic example of great suffering. The constant indiscriminate bombardment of Mariupol by Vladimir Putin’s soldiers has reduced a beautiful city to rubble. Civilians trying to leave the city have repeatedly been hindered by continued shelling from the Russian army. Hundreds…

May 2, 2022
Truth matters!

Truth is in the news. Do our politicians tell the truth? Are the Russian people being told the truth about the invasion of Ukraine? How can we recognise “fake news”? Truth matters! In a survey about the professions people in Britain trust least politicians, journalists, and car salesmen came at the bottom of the league.…

April 25, 2022
Jesus is the resurrection and the life

The joyful message of Easter is “The Lord is risen!” On the third day after Jesus died the women went to the tomb early in the morning, just before sunrise. They had bought spices and were going to anoint Jesus’ body. As they walked, they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from…

April 18, 2022
When the Prince of Glory died

The death of Jesus Christ on a Roman cross was both a tragedy and a triumph. It was tragic that after all the remarkable events of his 3-year ministry, Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders and people. Jesus had taught great crowds who came gladly to hear him. He had healed many people from…

April 11, 2022
The secret of happiness

Va’aiga Tuigamala, known as “Inga”, has died at the age of 52. He was an outstanding rugby player, a gentle giant of a man. Originally from Samoa, he represented the New Zealand All Blacks in 19 Test Matches, including at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, and later played for Samoa. He played Rugby League in…

April 4, 2022
A peace I’d never experienced before

Siya Kolisi is the first black captain of the Springboks, the South African team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2019. In his recently published autobiography “Rise”, Siya tells how he grew up in Zwide, Port Elizabeth, where he experienced hunger and violence. He said, “I would scream with hunger. It went past being…

March 28, 2022
The God of creation

The Spring has come. After the dark, wet days of winter we are enjoying bright, sunny, blue-sky days. The snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and magnolias are blooming. People are out walking and cycling. Our spirits are lifted as we look forward to the long, warm days of summer. Seeing nature coming to life reminds us of…

March 21, 2022