27 June 2026 Roman Catholics in Poland and evangelical Christians in Tennessee burned JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books because they thought they corrupted children with an introduction to witchcraft. Thomas Hardy’s ‘Jude the Obscure’ was famously thrown into the fire by the Bishop of Wakefield. Hardy’s novel was caricatured as ‘Jude the Obscene’. Victorians were offended by his exposure of sexual relations outside marriage, the hypocrisy of the English clergy and the elitism of the universities. As a result, Hardy never wrote another novel again and spent the rest of his life writing poetry. Burning books has been done by Jews, Christians and Muslims. The Reformers, the Roman Catholics, the Nazis and the Communists have all had a go but to no avail. It is a public spectacle but it has done nothing stop the flow of ideas which cannot be burnt in a fire! Today we are not worried about books but about the internet and, in particular, social media which has cause...
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26 June 2026 In ‘Studies in the History of Worship in Scotland’, there is a delightful chapter written by David Reid entitled, ‘The Scottish Tradition of Preaching’. He begins by declaring that it was Biblical and sacramental in the sense that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s living Word is heard in the ordinary words of the preacher. Reid makes four points about Scottish preaching. Firstly, he says, ‘It has been the strength of the Scottish pulpit that scholarship and passion have often been dynamically fused.’ He looks to St. Paul in whom the powers of the mind were harnessed to a burning desire to share the gospel. Secondly, the discipline of sermon preparation. In a busy week, it can be compromised but there’s work to be done in exegesis, in finding ordinary words to express deep theological insights, in keeping abreast of an intelligent congregation and their assorted questions. ‘It simply means taking the preaching task seriously.’ Thirdly, the past...
25 June 2026 In his recent encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo makes a distinction between the ‘culture of power’ and the ‘civilisation of love’. The one is a secular concept whereby people order their world through wielding power rather than creating a world established on love. The Pope argued that we are all responsible for building this civilisation of love and he gave five paths towards building it. The first was the need to disarm words. ‘ We must all, therefore, examine our conscience regarding the words we use, the prejudices we have and the explicit or implicit aggression that lies within them.’ he writes. The second is building peace through justice. He quotes St. Augustine. ‘Do you wish to attain peace? Then practice justice.’ The two are intimately related. As the Psalmist says, ‘Justice and peace have embraced.’ If we seek justice in an unjust world, we will be making peace. The third is adopting the perspective of victims. It is th...
24 June 2026 The UK Government is going to ban the use of social media platforms like Snapchat, Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X for under sixteen year olds. Apparently, an overwhelming majority of parents and a significant majority of young people approve. It will begin in April 2027. There are four problems with the ban. Firstly, it doesn’t challenge the tech companies who have created these platforms with their harmful content and their addictive design. It is the young people who are deprived of the technology because it hasn’t been created in a humane way. Secondly, in depriving young people of their interaction on social media, what is being substituted in its place? Our society does not make enough provision for young people to meet together, to interact in safe places and to enjoy enriching recreational activities. Youth organisations find it difficult to recruit leaders. Thirdly, instead of shutting down this part of the internet and encouraging...
23 June 2026 It is extraordinary that the Tartan Army got so much publicity in Boston. Two parts of our culture helped to bring the fans to public attention. The first was the kilt – our distinctive colourful national dress and the second was the bagpipes – accompanied by the drums, they are not only loud, they are very loud. But there was more to it than that. People in Boston admitted that the Scottish fans brought their city alive and they didn’t want them to leave. Their determination to celebrate the moment and embrace everyone who crossed their path was a lesson in community engagement. The fans were so cohesive. They were united in their support of the Scottish team and celebrated it in a distinctive repertoire of song. Their enthusiasm was infectious. Even after the defeat against Morocco, they gave it a positive spin and were moving forward to defeat an even more powerful team, Brazil. The Kirk can learn a lot from their strong allegiance, their cohesion and thei...
22 June 2026 Geraldine McCaughrean has written a beautiful book about Joseph’s relationship with Jesus. It’s called, ‘Father and Son’. Joseph is mesmerised with the birth of Jesus and wonders what gift he can give the child. ‘Mine, but not mine,’ he whispers. ‘How am I supposed to stand in for your real Father? How is a simple man like me to bring up the Son of God?’ Joseph plays with the Christchild in the Galilean lake. ‘What games shall we play, boy, you and I? I mean, how can you rough-and-tumble with someone who pinned the ocean in place with a single, tack-headed moon?’ Joseph and Jesus climb to the top of a mountain. ‘How can I put a roof over your head, knowing it was you who glass-roofed the world and thatched the sky with clouds, and stitched the snow with threads of melting silver?’ ‘I am a carpenter, child. By rights, you should learn my trade. But how can I teach you to plane a door knowing it was you who planed the plains, who carved the valleys and h...
21 June 2026 – Fathers’ Day It is widely recognised that there is a crisis in fatherhood and, in particular, the absence of fathers in the lives of their children. This absence is related to educational underachievement, mental health issues and imprisonment especially among boys. Consider these facts: By the age of 14, nearly half of first-born children in the UK do not live with both natural parents. · The Centre for Social Justice highlights how 2.5 million children in the UK have no father figure at home. · Over 90% of teachers believe that fatherlessness negatively impacts boys’ behaviour and academic achievement. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK. In his Dimbleby Lecture, Gareth Southgate highlighted the importance of male role models in a boy’s life. ‘I’ve always believed, ‘You don’t need to be a dad to be a father figure.’’ Fewer men work in...