It’s one of the hardest things to do. And few of us enjoy it. But everyday we find ourselves waiting for one reason or another. We wait for the water to boil. We wait for the bus to come. We wait for the bell to ring. We wait… and we wait… and we can’t get away from waiting.
Sometimes waiting is an experience to be savoured. I think of the anticipation and joy preceding the birth of a baby, or the excitement of a special occasion. But other times it is frustrating and distressing. No-one likes to wait for an operation. Nor would we want to wait to hear news from someone we love.
But waiting is a fact of life. It’s common to us all. Though I expect you’ll agree most of our waiting is trivial compared to what some others have to wait for. Read more

Recent court cases in New Zealand have shown the importance of an effective justice system. People must take responsibility for the decisions they make and they must be held accountable when they overstep the mark.  The alternative is chaos.
Few of us would disagree here. We may differ in the sorts of law we believe a society should have, and the consequences for wrongdoing. But we share in common a belief in a judicial process which is fair for all people, victims and law-breakers. Read more

We are sailing in unchartered waters, so the experts tell us. The impact of the global financial crisis is starting to be felt, and people are uncertain and even fearful of what 2009 will bring. Some have lost their life savings in failed finance companies, others have watched as house values fall, retailers have seen shop sales slide and businesses are beginning to face the prospect of having to lay off employees. And to make matters worse, the Treasury forecast for the next twelve months looks even uglier. Read more

‘All things are subject to interpretation’ wrote Friedrich Nietzsche. It’s a quote I’ve thought about this last week. There is more than one way to interpret a text.
Let me give you an example.
One of my favourite poems is ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost. Influenced no doubt by M Scott Peck’s bestseller ‘The Road Less Travelled’, I’ve always understood this poem to be about self-reliance and non-conformity, seeking to inspire the reader not to follow where others have gone; but to be an individual, autonomous and free. Read more

Today is All Souls Day, when many Christians think prayerfully about the whole host of the faithful departed and especially about their own dead. Let’s just take a moment to think about those dear to us who have died, and especially those who have died in the twelve months since last All Souls Day…… In some parts of the world we would be gathering at their graves. Read more

An article appeared in the newspaper during the week. It spoke of a campaign soon to be conducted by British atheists. The organizers hope to run more than five thousand ads over January, with the message: ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’

Over the years there have been many attempts to prove God exists.

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What were you doing ten years ago? If you were to ask me the question I would reply something like ‘writing assignments’ or ‘preparing for exams’. For I was in my last year at St John’s College in Auckland and was starting to think about what it was going to mean to be ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church. 
But for others, within and outside the church, the focus was on something much larger. Read more

You know an election is just round the corner when billboards lie scattered along the roadsides and a new poll is out each day. Dominating this year’s race is the global financial crisis (who can get us out of this economic maelstrom?), but close behind is the issue of law and order.
I want to talk about the latter this morning. Read more

There are some places which stay with us long after we have visited them. One such place for me is Assisi in the Umbrian region of Italy. Back in 1996 Raewyn and I rode our heavily laden bikes into this historic hill-side town and it made quite an impression. Read more

Did you know a hearty chuckle is good for your health? Apparently a study by an American University has found that humour and laughter can lower blood pressure, protect the heart, burn calories, increase attentiveness, as well as bring much joy to our lives. Read more