Friends, I Beg You: Stop Passing on Covid Information You’re Not Qualified to Understand
I'm not here to convince you to get a Covid-19 vaccine, as I have. I am however, begging us all to stop claiming to be immunologists, vaccinologists, public health experts and medical statisticians.
Line of Duty’s “Disappointing” Ending Tells Us Something About the Soul
Line of Duty. Wow. I don’t remember feeling as captivated by a TV series since West Wing. Under the spell of AC-12’s hunt for bent coppers and organised crime, I joined 13 million other viewers for series 6's finale—pulse quickened, breath held, ready to find out who the mysterious ‘H’ was and whether Arnott, Fleming
The Day I Broke Social Distancing Rules
I’m not one for breaking rules. In fact, when I found myself walking my dog in a ‘No dogs allowed’ park once, I went and handed myself in! And when it comes to wearing masks and keeping to social distancing rules during lockdown, I've been about as stringent as you can be. So as you'll
The Bird That Lost its Song. A Parable
The regent honeyeater bird is in trouble—it's losing its song. Once an abundant species in south-eastern Australia, now just 300 remain, and with so few mates to learn from, the males are forgetting their own song and trying to mimic the songs of other birds instead—leaving the female honeyeaters confused and their numbers in decline. Losing
Relax. You Don’t Need to Have an Opinion on Everything
So, after that interview, are you Team Markle or Team Windsor? You have made your mind up already, right? After Oprah's interview with Harry and Meghan, public discussion has been polarised. On Monday I heard activists swear that British royalty was inherently racist on the basis of Meghan's claims alone, while tabloid newspapers, unable to tolerate any criticism of the
Healing the Wounds of Jesus’ Followers
I write this with a heavy heart, as heavy as yours may already be from the revelations of Ravi Zacharias' hidden life. If you hadn't heard of him, Zacharias was considered one of this era's greatest Christian apologists. If you haven't heard the news, an independent investigation found he had systematically groomed vulnerable women over many years,
We Need a New Renaissance of Faith. These Three Commitments Can Help
Five hundred years ago the Renaissance brought an explosion of art, science, geographical discovery and religious ideas into the world. What would it take to see a new renaissance (rebirth) of wisdom, creativity, community and faith in this coming decade?
10 Commandments for These Divided Times
A few years ago, researchers did a fascinating experiment. Wanting to know when people would step in to help a stranger, they asked participants to watch a woman named Elaine experience a series of mild electric shocks. The observers were told a little about Elaine beforehand, including her personal values and interests. The experiment began. But
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
How to Deal With Trolls (Hint: Don’t Get Even and Don’t Give In)
The surprising thing about talking publicly about childlessness, is the level of abuse that's come alongside the messages of gratitude. While many have thanked me for bringing it into the open, an equal number have seen fit to get nasty. I could let it get to me, or I could hit back – but I’ve