Written for a friends' retirement: "When a flock of starlings swarm, there is nothing perceptively guiding their flight. Mesmerising patterns are made by each bird keeping the same distance from the seven closest to them. Some scientists wonder if the patterns are made by each bird seeking the safest place in the centre of the … Continue reading Constancy
"Do we go to Father Christmas' church - it says St Nicholas!", says my excited six year old. What a paradox we give to children at Christmas - Santa - the myth of an old man you grow out of - versus Jesus - the truth of a baby the church says to believe in. … Continue reading Father Christmas – a festive parable?
Following a fad, or reinforcing foundations? Toddler groups bring more families into contact with churches than almost anything else, except perhaps food banks. Beyond grasping gratefully at the offer, does anyone wonder why churches provide them? Are they an outlet for nostalgic public-spirited housewives? Does the church think that coffee, toys and a chat will … Continue reading Into the Woods! Church toddler groups and forest school
Earth Day on Friday was a reminder that many centuries ago (it feels), during COP26, schools and communities around the world were urging on corporations and Governments to make difficult choices for the sake of the next generation. There is a widespread expectation among activists that planetary well being should come before profit or political … Continue reading Earth (day) on the EDGE – the unsung potential of the PSA
Bought in Kiev, 2003. Photo from my kitchen, March 2022, How on earth do you hold world-shaking events in your mind, as you continue daily life and deal with tiny domestic preoccupations? Do we shut out the world and focus on the immediate? Rendered powerless by the sheer scale of the crisis, do we seek … Continue reading A Crisis of Insight
Grain of Sand 