As the shock of the first week of the Russian invasion of Ukraine starts to fade, we have opportunity to be more considered in our responses. Despite the warnings from Western governments and intelligence services, many of us were shocked when the full-scale Russian invasion began last week. However, despite the initial surprise, this crisis […]
Articles
Behind the scenes
It is often true that the real, heroic, life-changing stuff happens behind the scenes, usually without fanfare or even recognition. Over the years, there has been work done here at FaithAction, work that has been important to me, that was done because I believed it would make a real difference, even if I thought it […]
I don’t care what you do—just do something!
I am perched on the edge of a cream leather sofa which has been rapidly cleared of freshly-ironed clothing. There is a bustle of activity going on as my wife and I relent and agree to a cup of tea. I don’t really want a drink—I don’t want to impose—but I realise I need to […]
All together now… or are we?
Have you ever had a song that you can’t get out of your head, a brainworm that will not go away? All Together Now by The Farm has been that song for me. It was a Christmas hit about solidarity in the First World War—the 1914 Christmas truce that resulted in a football match between […]
“Freedom Day”: a time for faithful neighbours
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that from 19th July 2021 most of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted. Once we get past the predictable political back and forth, which forms the theatre of any government announcement, we see that the mismatch of opinion remains. Many ordinary people are at odds with each […]
Rebuilding our internal architecture
The New York Times reports on a new term being coined by psychologists – Languishing. This is the real and developing mental health complaint caused by the COVID lockdowns. “It wasn’t burnout — we still had energy. It wasn’t depression — we didn’t feel hopeless. We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless.” It is not […]
England is what we make it
It could also be said that the English are whatever you make them. Anyone studying the history of these Isles will swiftly realise there really is no such thing genetically as an English ethnicity. We are made up of many different peoples. Recently, the Labour politician David Lammy, in his book Tribes, wrote up his […]
One year on: a better Britain? A more polite society?
As the mob of school children bustled towards me down a cramped alleyway near where we live, my wife held me back to observe social distancing. It was good to see the normality of young people, in that classic teenage way, seemingly unaware of any other walkers, deep in conversation about the latest outrage, of […]
’11 years of lockdown’
I was due to film a short video at a studio space adjacent to a local “Men’s Shed”. Max met me at the door. He enthusiastically showed me into his workshop and through to the room I would be using (of course, we greeted each other in the normal covid-secure fashion). We moved some furniture […]
Faith in the Future: Is faith the glue for 21st century society?
Over the past few months, I have found myself considering the knotty issues of integration, citizenship and cohesion. Life in lockdown acts as a pressure cooker for the issues already present in society. Tensions have been bubbling up between communities, social classes, blue and white collar, young and old, and even within families and households […]