Polls Say We’re a Generation Seeking Fame. Here’s Where That Will Lead Us
I recently asked my seven year-old nephew what he wanted to be when he grew up. With delightful honesty he said, “I want to be famous!” He's not alone, of course. Lots of kids want to be famous, as did we at his age. But for some years now polls have revealed a growing hunger
When the World Sends You Garbage, Send Back Music
Cateura is a small slum in Paraguay, South America, built on a rubbish tip. Desperately poor, its villagers eke out a living by recycling and selling whatever they can find in the garbage. But from these unpromising conditions something beautiful has emerged. And it holds an important lesson for you and me.
Today We Push Out into New, Uncharted Waters. Don’t Be Afraid
A new year. A new decade. After counting down to Big Ben chiming, watching the ball drop in Times Square and seeing Sydney Harbour erupt in fireworks, today we begin a new chapter of our lives. This is a time of new possibilities and adventures, but also uncertainty for some as none of us knows
Stormzy, Coldplay and Kanye Reached for the Light this Year. This Christmas, We Can Too
British rapper Stormzy turns Glastonbury festival into a worship service. Kanye West announces Jesus is his king. Coldplay hope for a world of peace and perfection. It's been a fascinating year in music. In a world growing more secular by the day, spiritual longing keeps breaking through - a longing Christmas fulfils. The Light of
NASA Sent a Message to the Universe. Here’s What Came Back
This week NASA released some fascinating facts about its Voyager 2 spacecraft. Launched forty-two years ago, the ship has given us iconic pictures of Saturn and Neptune along its 10 billion mile journey. Late last year it left our solar system and now drifts in interstellar space. Its batteries will die in 2025. After that,
Friends, the World is Asking More From Us
It's been eight years since Merryn and I started life as a childless couple, six years since our story was first told in Resurrection Year, with many people and their stories encountered since. I've seen that childless couples, and many others, hunger for hope and deep Christian community
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Here’s What Survivors Want You to Know
Diana is a hair stylist and public health advocate. Chestnut hair, warm smile, she’s good at her job and caring towards others. She’s also a five-time suicide attempt survivor. Hers is one of many stories I’ve heard in preparation for today—World Suicide Prevention Day. Having spent time on the end of a crisis line, I
Whatever Your Job is Today, Treat it as a Caring Profession. Here’s Why
For most of us the phrase ‘caring profession' probably brings to mind jobs like nursing, teaching and social work. But this list is far too small. Remove the 'care' element from other occupations and people get diminished, especially the most vulnerable. I discovered this afresh recently when I talked to Sarah, whose everyday life becomes
Time to Rethink Our Attitude to Singleness
More and more of us are single. In the United Kingdom, over a third of the adult population of England and Wales are single, more than half of 25–44 year olds, and singleness is increasing in every age group with 50–64 year olds growing the fastest. Some embrace the single life with joy, others don't,
What a Little Girl Named Phoebe Can Tell Us About Ourselves
A few weeks ago I spoke at a secular conference for childless couples—an audience of men and women wondering what to do with their lives now they may not become parents. After I'd spoken, a woman approached me in tears. “I've been wondering all day why I came," she said, "but now I know. I