Category Archives: Christianity

Why abandon me, God? A reflection for Good Friday?

At times, life consists of one painful episode after another. Troubles multiply, sometimes emotional, sometimes financial, sometimes with our health, and as they do, friends seem vanish like frost off the road on a sunny morning. At first we try … Continue reading

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What’s in a name? A reflection for Maundy Thursday.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ The Last Supper was, first and foremost, an act … Continue reading

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The end is nigh. A reflection for Spy Wednesday.

Christians don’t really know how to handle Biblical prophecy. A minority tradition in the Church tends to claim the events related in it will ‘come true’ next Wednesday morning when we’re sitting down to our Corn Flakes. The entertainment value … Continue reading

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Love prevails over death. A reflection for Temple Tuesday.

St. John’s story of Holy Week has important differences to the tale told by the authors of the other Gospels, and its stories are perhaps a little less familiar to people, especially if they aren’t regular Bible readers. One incident … Continue reading

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Actions speak louder than words. A reflection for Fig Monday.

Having spent the night after the dramatic events of Palm Sunday in Bethany, about a half-hour walk from Jerusalem, Jesus returns to the capital in the morning to preach in the Temple. Fig Monday is a day of parables, especially … Continue reading

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Do we need more Christians in politics? A reflection for Palm Sunday

“We need more Christians in politics.” As someone whose life has largely revolved around two pillars – politics and the Church, I have heard this phrase endlessly. For a long time I didn’t question its basic sense – Christianity is, … Continue reading

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Evangelical Alliance’s ‘Welcome’ to Gay Couples – Home-Wrecking, Faith-Destroying

Cross-posted to 8aNoWay.com… Christian conservatives are always at pains to point out how ‘welcome’ people in same-sex relationships are in their churches. But how what do they mean by ‘welcome’ – does their understanding of that word match what the … Continue reading

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Steven Agnew cleans Arlene Foster’s clock on gay marriage…

Well done to Green Party MLA Steven Agnew for setting DUP Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster straight that civil partnerships are NOT equal to marriage and that all religious symbolism or language in civil partnership ceremonies in the UK is banned … Continue reading

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Which Angel do you prefer?

Walking around Sailortown today, I noticed the Flying Angel statue outside the Mission to Seafarers was just about to fall into complete shadow given the tall houses recently recently built directly opposite it on Pilot Street. This isn’t something I … Continue reading

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Home Rule, Rome Rule and Gay Marriage

Crossposted at Slugger O’Toole… Last September, Unionists paraded in their tens of thousands through Belfast to celebrate the centenary of the Ulster Covenant. From the days of Lilibullero in the 17th Century, Ulster Protestantism has always had a particular genius … Continue reading

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