Often British people kid ourselves into thinking that race issues are really bad in America but they’re not so bad here; but it’s just in different forms
Chine McDonald, director of Theos, interview in Christianity Today, 22 August
We do ourselves no credit by the implication there is no room for public spaces that are given over exclusively to solemn reflection. The implication is that these spaces are not up to being attractions in their own terms. What is the root of this? A lack of confidence perhaps? The plasticky, gimmicky nature of the exhibits that invariably are chosen do cry “trying too hard”. The sight of our ancient cathedrals engaged in the equivalent of waving a hand recorded mixtape at a girl who doesn’t really fancy them
Fergus Butler-Gallie, Spectator website, 21 August
Our church buildings allow us to offer sanctuary in the midst of the community. The open doors of a church in a busy city centre beckon the weary to a place of peace and quiet, an oasis for the commuter at the start and end of the working day, a place to pray, or simply sit in silence, or have a cup of tea, a biscuit and a natter
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, The Times Credo column, 20 August
As a church, we are happy to debate which tactics are most effective and, equally, may disagree with certain disinvestment campaigners. But we are united in the seriousness of the issue and the response required to pursue a strategy to achieve a net zero world, not just a net zero church or investment portfolio
David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, letter in The Guardian, 19 August
I think we’ll see malnutrition and hypothermia unless there is really strong coherence and partnership action with government, local authorities, churches, the voluntary sector all really working together. Unless we see that I think we could see terrible suffering in the fifth largest economy in the world. It’s an unconscionable situation
Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, interview with Premier Christian News, 22 August
After this week’s rain, sewage has flowed into dozens of beaches, followed by swift pollution warnings across England and Wales. . . The waters around us come as an unearned, unbuyable gift. Some theologians call this “common grace”, offered to all regardless of merit or status. Given this country’s history of commons, land and water that belongs to everyone, perhaps we ought to think of our rivers and seas as commons grace. If we began from such a principle, our waters might start to recover
Hannah Malcolm, environmentalist and theologian, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 19 August
In real life, churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples force together, in their congregations, a random assortment of people who just happen to live close to them. But today’s social activism is often mediated through the internet, where dissenting voices can easily be excluded. We have taken religion, with its innate possibility for sectarian conflict, and fed it through a polarization machine. No wonder that today’s politics can feel like a wasteland of anguished ranting — and like we are in hell already
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 18 August
In the Bible, energy is literally the word used to describe how God works in the world. . . For people of faith, energy is a sacred gift — not just a commodity to be valued monetarily, but a life force to be revered. Conserving it adds a fresh angle to our stewardship of the earth, and how to share it with the poor is a continuing matter of justice.
James Jones, a former Bishop of Liverpool, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 22 August
These people know that Brexit has failed and that their plans for the economy are incoherent. So they hope that by pouring abuse on the laws and the culture of our nation, which they have governed for more than a decade, they will be given another spell in power. It can’t go on
Paul Bayes, a former Bishop of Liverpool, Twitter, 16 August
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