The culture war over the poppy’s meaning continues.
Archives
11/11 – a Humanist Poem of Remembrance
To the nameless millions who lie in mass graves,
From the forest of Katyn to the killing fields of Cambodia,
From Treblinka to Shatila:
We will remember you.
Grayson Perry – Rites of Passage
I’ve long been a fan of Grayson Perry. Not just of his work as a potter which is as subversive as it is beautiful, but also of his clear-eyed attempts to understand and explain the human condition. He’s a gifted communicator, whose easy directness allows him to connect with people from all cultures and walks of life, and … Continue Reading
A humanist
Tom Leonard is a Glaswegian poet whose work deserves to be better known – and I am talking to myself here as much as you. I thought I knew his writing quite well, until I came across this today: it’s a wonderful, thought-provoking poem and I am delighted that he has given me permission to … Continue Reading
Royal Wedding Vows
Congratulations to Meghan Markle! As the first bride who isn’t promising to ‘obey’ her royal husband, she’s made headlines around the world, as in this story from The Guardian. It’s no small thing, in the context of a traditional Church of England wedding, but it did make me smile. Since 2005, I’ve conducted more than twelve hundred … Continue Reading
Humanism in Pastoral Care
I was very pleased to see this story in today’s Guardian. It’s taken a lot of campaigning to allow humanists to be part of chaplaincy teams of any kind, so this is something to celebrate. I am more than a little confused however, by the related article from Andrew Brown in Comment is Free Humanism is increasingly the … Continue Reading
Let’s do lunch…
I missed the official Chaplaincy lunch this Christmas, but to make up for it, Bulletin, the University’s Staff Magazine, treated me to lunch with one of my chaplaincy colleagues, Irene Cotugno, who is the Baha’i Belief Contact. The Baha’i faith originated in Persia at the end of the 19th century, and it has three core beliefs: the … Continue Reading
The C Word
I’ve had two letters recently from humanists who are exploring the possibility of working in chaplaincy, which is very encouraging. A few years ago, I wrote an article about the problems humanists have with the very idea of chaplaincy and, as things don’t appear to have changed a great deal outside of my own university, I … Continue Reading
Remembrance Day 2017
I was honoured to be asked to deliver a Remembrance address to the staff of the Scottish Government at St. Andrew’s House in Edinburgh yesterday.
Remembrance Day
From the flowers of the forest
To the fallen men of Flanders field,
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning,
We will remember you.