Little angels

My daughter Bridget died 21 months old. She had never walked or crawled but could sit propped up. She couldn’t see. She was born three months premature, the first of twins. She was a much-loved sister to my three grown-up stepsons. She gave so much joy in her short life. After the shock of her … Continue reading Little angels

Does the brain fully explain consciousness?

brain

You may wonder that if memories are chemically and electrically stored in the way neuroscience describes, does this mean that your brain is the be-all and end-all of your memory and that without your brain you would remember nothing after death?

Practising awareness of the Divine

Now that sounds unbearably pompous or over pious. But in fact it it is the name that the early Fathers of the Christian (yes there were also early Desert mothers too)  church gave to their meditation or prayer life. The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270–271 and … Continue reading Practising awareness of the Divine

Happy marriage — How can this happen?

happy marriage

A Jane Austin novel seems to end at the altar as if the wedding were all that is necessary for a happy marriage for all time. Yet these days a lot of marriages seem to finish up on the scrap heap and you might have a sneaky feeling that perhaps a well-known film star was … Continue reading Happy marriage — How can this happen?

Self-respect — How to find it if feeling guilt?

self-respect

What you did wasn’t that bad. A hasty ill-judged remark, an over-indulgence, a minor act of selfishness. You want to forget about it but the memory lingers. What if somebody else noticed? You feel uneasy with yourself. Is this the tiny prick of conscience? A sense you have done something wrong? You want to feel better about yourself but you cannot change what happened. You want to find self-respect after doing wrong.

Ingmar Bergman film trilogy

Weekly screenings of films by Ingmar Bergman in grade-II-listed Swedenborg Hall, ‘one of London’s most atmospheric venues’ (The Guardian). Admission is free but capacity is limited. These films retains an ability to hold an audience spellbound and explore deep issues. 13 September: The Seventh Seal (1957) More information 20 September: Wild Strawberries (1957) More information … Continue reading Ingmar Bergman film trilogy

Just how tolerant should I try to be?

tolerant

The British live in a curiously tolerant country – one which allows a range of values, views about life, and philosophical and political beliefs. But one thing for which people are not tolerant is intolerance! The public see anyone as discriminatory, moralistic and rejecting who shows intolerance of diversity.   And so to criticise the sex … Continue reading Just how tolerant should I try to be?

Why am I not healed?

Conventional modern medicine has made great strides, the main progress having been focused on specially formulated chemical substances and sophisticated surgical techniques with their high-tech electronic aids. This has led to some truly amazing advances, but it has also resulted in specialisation and an approach to the whole subject of ‘health and wholeness’ which has been increasingly concerned … Continue reading Why am I not healed?

Generous — How can I be more like this?

generous

By Stephen Russell-Lacy. I suppose it takes one to know one, but I admit giving my money away does not come easy to me. It never seems to occur to me to buy an unplanned gift for someone to mark a special occasion. Some of us are a bit stingy and penny-pinching whereas others seem … Continue reading Generous — How can I be more like this?