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...
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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...
20 June 2026 Gavin Peacock was a celebrated footballer playing for Newcastle United and Chelsea. At the end of his career, he became a football pundit on the television. Now he is a Baptist minister. He has written about it all in his autobiography, ‘A Greater Glory: From Pitch to Pulpit’. He became a Christian when he was a teenager. He attended a Methodist Church with his mother and was invited by the minister to come along to a youth Bible Study. This led to a greater commitment and eventually to church membership. In his autobiography, he writes, ‘When I became a Christian, I became a better player simply because football fell into its right place in my life and I was a more rounded person.’ In an age where young men are suffering from various mental health issues, Peacock celebrates his Christian faith. Firstly, he says, ‘When a man comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he gains a perspective on life and football that wasn’t there before. Suddenly there is more to l...
19 June 2026 One tends to think that there is more uniformity in the Roman Catholic Church than in the Scottish Presbyterian Church. But I wonder. Our hymn sandwich is pretty uniform and the centrality of the Word and, certainly, the preaching of the Word is universal. At the moment, there have been several issues with the liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. In particular, the Tridentine Mass. Pope Benedict had encouraged its use. Pope Francis tried to outlaw it. Young people seem to be attracted to it. Pope Leo is more conciliatory. As well as this issue, division appeared in the Eastern Catholic Church in Kerala. It was all about whether or not the priest should be facing East or facing the congregation. This was partially resolved by the Pope’s wisdom, giving space for more reflection and discussion. In addition to these things, there are two other concerns which Pope Leo has about the liturgy. And I think that they also relate to our worship in the Church of ...
18 June 2026 There was an interesting article in the recent issue of ‘New Scientist’ entitled, ‘A Revolution in Maths’. The summary of the article ran like this, ‘The stunning progress AI is making in maths is leaving some questioning whether there will still be room for humans.’ discovers Alex Wilkins. It is only in the last few years that mathematicians have become aware that AI has the potential to revolutionise the field of mathematics. This is leaving some mathematicians worried about their jobs. If a mathematician chose to study a particular field, how will he know whether AI will beat him to it? Some clearly welcome the mechanisation of mathematics which has become increasingly collaborative since the middle of last century. Now there is collaboration not only with other mathematicians but with AI too. ‘The future will be some combination of human and machine.’ said one mathematician. Whereas some mathematicians find fulfilment in solving a problem, o...