Thought for the week

Tag: Death

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • The courage of Henriette Hanotte

    In the dark days of war heroes and heroines often emerge who demonstrate outstanding courage. Recently Henriette Hanotte died at the age of 101. During World War II this brave Belgian lady, known by the code name ‘Monique’, assisted 100 Allied airmen to evade capture by the Germans. She escorted them along the Comet Escape…

  • Light shines in the darkness

    The war on the people of Ukraine is appalling. The relentless bombing of cities and smaller communities wreaks mindless destruction of property and kills men, women and children. It is heart-breaking to see people leaving their homes carrying a few precious possessions with them. Little children carrying only a favourite toy. Thousands of people sheltering…

  • Christian faith in Ukraine

    The invasion of Ukraine has started as the Russian army obeys the command of President Putin. The response of the Ukrainian people has been inspiring. President Zelensky has led his people with courage, the Ukrainian army has shown skill and determination and ordinary people, both men and women, have volunteered to serve in the fight.…

  • The Forgiveness Project

    On the morning of 14 December 2012, a young man shot his mother and then walked into Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut where he shot dead 20 children and 6 staff before turning the gun on himself. It was the deadliest mass shooting at a school in U.S. history. One of the children who…

  • The Servant Queen

    On 6 February 2022 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years since she acceded to the throne on the death of her father George VI. She has reigned longer than any other British Monarch and is also Queen of 14 Commonwealth realms. The words of the National Anthem, which are a prayer, have been fulfilled in…

  • The Plight of Afghan People

    Afghanistan is no longer in the headlines, but the plight of the Afghan people is desperate. NATO forces, who were there for 20 years, have been withdrawn. The Taliban are in power. Many people have lost their jobs, the economy collapsed after foreign aid ended overnight, the currency has lost almost half its value, the…