We’ve just heard the story of Jesus’ torturous and violent death as told by St John. We’ve been listening to it year after year on each Good Friday. The same story told in the same way and heard many times can make us less perceptive or sensitive to it. Listening to this long story while standing up can be painful…
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As for my Mum, I am her favourite child. It doesn’t sound particularly modest, but I have no doubt it’s absolutely true. How could I possibly know that with such certainty? It’s simple: I’m her only child. Like most children I’ve been making her life difficult since I was born, but always within commonly acceptable boundaries. So we’ve never fallen…
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Last autumn we heard about the sad and tragic incident that happened in Cults Academy in Aberdeen, where a teenage boy died after being stabbed. The news was shocking, particularly as it took place in a leafy area of the city, not known for gang culture or knife violence. The final act of that incident is now taking place in…
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‘Good news is no news.’ Put that way round this might sound rather odd, but it’s the reality of most media outlets. Nothing sells better than bad news comprising tragedies, disasters, scandals or controversies. Good news sells well only when there’s a happy ending to an unhappy chain of events. Now, I could complain about media editors feeding on our…
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Have you decided on your Lenten practices yet? By talking with some of my friends I guess they have although, sticking to the piece of advice given by Jesus on Ash Wednesday, they keep their resolutions to themselves rather than trumpeting them loudly. I’ve accidentally been forced to disclose mine to a handful of people; the only other options open…