I very rarely wear a ‘dog-collar’ – that white ‘number plate’ under my chin, signalling to the world that I’m a clergyman. Not that I’m ashamed of being a priest, or trying to maintain a low profile about my priesthood. In small communities like Fochabers or Buckie, that wouldn’t make much sense anyway – I’ve been here long enough to…

A few months ago we were watching daily dramatic reports about the acute famine in East Africa, followed by reports from war-ravaged Yemen that were uncomfortable to watch. Mass hunger remains an acute problem in many places around the world despite the many efforts made by international organisations and charities. Perversely, because those images of starvation are so graphic, they…

It seems to be the most theoretical and impractical aspect of the Christian faith: the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The mystery of One God in Three Persons. This aspect seems to complicate unnecessarily the lives of those who try to defend their Christian belief. And yet, with seemingly obsessive persistence, the Church stands by that mystery, and – to…

The owner of a small Italian restaurant in Berlin spoke very little English; my German was limited to just a handful of words and simple phrases. But I noticed the non-Germanic softness in his voice, and a little later I overheard him speaking Italian. So, when he came to take my order, I dropped a couple of Italian words (out…