Thoughts on Faith

Ever wonder how the ‘Save the Children’ charity first began? It was born out of the horrors of warfare 100 years ago, when a retired Christian schoolteacher decided to help the suffering refugees in Europe. Eglantine Jebb’s courage, compassion and determination gained her national recognition. Her work has saved literally millions of lives, and so…

One person you are bound to run into this Christmas season is Father Christmas. If he looks tired, just remember that he has been around a long time and gone through a lot of transformations.   Father Christmas wasn’t always the red-suited, white-bearded star of the retail trade that he is today. He began life as…

As Jesus’ mother, Mary plays a crucial part in the Christmas story. It begins with Gabriel’s visit to her: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.’ (Luke 1:30,31). This conversation takes us straight to the heart of…

St Andrew, whose feast day ends the Christian year on 30th November, is probably best known to us as the patron saint of Scotland. The Gospels record that Andrew was one of the first disciples of Jesus, and the very first to bring someone else to Christ – his own brother. Like many fervent Jews at…

In the month when we think about those who have given their lives in war, the Two Minutes Silence is a significant act of remembrance. The silence provides an opportunity to remember those who have suffered in war and how we can work for a peaceful world. However, we can also find ourselves thinking about…