Q Combinations 18: Shishkin’s Wild North and Rossetti’s Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas one and all! This Christmas Combo is only 2 days late, but the meanings and wonder it points us to are by no means time-sensitive, nor do they have an expiry date! I saw this painting at the start of the month in the National Gallery of Russian Art in Kyiv, Ukraine. It […]

Power 2: The miasma of power abuse

To assume that what is going on with Trump, Weinstein, Spacey et al is ‘merely’ about transgressing sexual boundaries is woefully inadequate and patronising. Is not good enough to head off for some therapy at a health spa either, as seems to be the celeb response of choice. Because it is about power abuse in […]

Singing into the Light: U2’s Songs of Experience wordle

I’m not quite sure why I first did this, but started making wordles for U2 albums a while back. So naturally, with a new album out this week, I wanted to do another. I’ve had all kinds of things buzzing around my head while listening. Will perhaps inflict my thoughts on the world in due […]

Q Marks The Spot – Treasure Map 112 (December 2017)

Sacred Treasure Former LibDem leader, Tim Farron has been saying some really important things in the last week about the state and nature of western liberalism. Here is his original Theos lecture: What Kind of Liberalism do we want? Then a follow-up article he wrote for the Guardian: Liberalism has eaten itself And an interview […]

Power 1: Power. Abuse. Men. Get real

I’ve felt overwhelmed in recent weeks. I’ve started posting about it on at least 5 occasions and then each time deleted my meagre thoughts. There really are no words. But there need to be words. The presenting issue has of course been the public exposure of endemic and persistent sexual abuse in the workplace. The […]

Time in the company of an artful hymn writer

A few hours in Timothy Dudley-Smith’s company, through the medium of his recent A Functional Art: Reflections of a Hymn Writer, is extremely well spent. Now in his 90s, it is wonderful to find that his acuity, humanity and insight are all intact. He writes with concision and humour, bearing the weight of a lifetime’s appreciation […]

On the short stories of Cemeteries

Moving to a new town means having to discover convenient new dog-walking areas. There’s a great little park near us – but there’s a limit to the route variations one can take in it, so it is already getting a little dull (though the seasonal colours definitely help). So I’ve really pushed the boat out […]

Conversations on Engaging with Pop Culture

A month or two ago, I was involved in a number of conversations with the good folks at TWR who have put out a few programmes on Pop Culture. Eddie Bridle facilitated and brought it all together, inspired by Ted Turnau’s fantastic and important book Popologetics. I’m a big Ted fan, and so this is […]

Q Marks The Spot – Treasure Map 111 (November 2017)

Sacred Treasure A lovely tribute to my late friend Tom Chapman, a Norwich pastor who died after a 10-year battle with a brain tumour Phil Whittall offers an excellent summary of Justin Taylor’s thoughts on diversity in the church. Stimulating and challenging. More gems from Emma – Lessons from the hard times. This is a […]

Breath and Bone: A festschrift for Chris Wright’s 70th

STOP PRESS: It is now available here from Langham Literature, and will be on all usual distributors soon. It came as a complete surprise to him, thankfully. But under the guise of a Langham supporters’ evening, a number of us gathered in central London to give Chris Wright a 70th birthday celebration that was as […]

The Catch22 of modern journalism summed up in one ad

I saw this advert the other day. It sums it all up really. People in power are up to no good. They have ulterior motives. Journalists are crusaders for truth. They will uncover those motives. Seems perfectly reasonable. And indeed, it is what we need for in these troubled times. But there is a problem. […]

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