John Tasker

May God have mercy upon the people of the Middle East and may peace and reconciliation be planted in the hearts of the rulers of the nations.

Join our team at Reconciling Leaders Network as RLN’s Head of Communications & Engagement!   More info! difference.rln.global/jobvacancies/

Archbishop of Cape Town Announced as New Christian Aid Chair - Christian Aid christianaid.org.uk/news/about-us/…

UK Government "inaction has contributed to a culture of impunity which the Israeli Government has used to accelerate its de facto annexation of the West Bank" - Bishops of Chelmsford, Gloucester, Norwich theguardian.com/world/2026/feb…

🌧️ Severe Flooding in Southern Mozambique: Rising Human TollHomes have been completely submerged by floodwaters in Chókwè, Gaza Province 🏠🌊, following days of intense rainfall. Today, one person lost their life in Manhiça ⚠️, bringing the number of fatalities since Friday to nine. Since the start of the rainy season in October, at least 104 people have died nationwide due to floods and related incidents 🕊️Lives, homes, and livelihoods are at risk — sustained attention and action are needed as the rainy season continues. @daddyhope

Please will you remember our @dioceseoflondon partners in Mozambique in your prayers as the current flooding has significantly worsened. @IAMA_Anglicana

Asking our @dioceseoflondon #ALMAfriends to read this post esp if linked with Niassa & Zambezia. This is why engaging with #climatecrisis matters so much. @StJamesHampHill @StJohnsStanmore @StAndrewEnfield @StMarysHampton1 @Davebookless @CompCommunities

The Mozambican President, 18 December ‘at least 313 people had died, 1,255 were injured, and more than 1.8 million were affected by Cyclones Chido, Dikeledi and Jude, which struck Mozambique during the 2024–2025 rainy season’ #praying4ourpartners @dioceseoflondon @IAMA_Anglicana

Powerful and prophetic of Matt Lockwood to speak out for residents in his Blackpool parish. Let’s hope it leads to better consultation and change. theguardian.com/society/2026/j…

Sixty-nine years ago today, the Montgomery Bus Boycott ended—but its legacy endures. It remains a masterclass in disciplined, strategic, nonviolent action, reminding us that real change requires collective sacrifice, clarity, and moral courage. #MontgomeryBusBoycott #Nonviolence365 #BelovedCommunity #MLK

@augustineihm Many congratulations Augustine. May your ministry flourish in a new home 🙏

After 13 years in the UK, I’m stepping into a new season. I’ve been called as Senior Minister of Wesley Church, Hamilton, Bermuda. Subject to immigration, I’ll begin in April 2026, transferring into the United Church of Canada.

Today I had the chance to visit Christmas Lutheran Church, where I served for more than ten years—eight of them as the main pastor. Returning to a place that shaped so much of my life and ministry is never an easy experience. It carries memory, prayer and appreciation. Under the faithful and courageous leadership of my dear friend Rev. Ashraf Tannous, the church made a deliberate and meaningful decision: to keep Christ in the Rubble—but to place it under the Christmas tree. This old-new crib spoke to me again. The rubble remains. The broken stones are still there. The Christ child still lies among the rubble, reminding us that God chose not safety, not power, not palaces—but vulnerability and solidarity with the crushed of the earth. And yet now, rising from that rubble, stands a tree - a living tree. For me, this is a profoundly Palestinian image—and a profoundly Christian one. The tree is declaration. It is the tree of life. It is defiance in the face of death. It is hope planted where despair is expected to rule. The tree appears almost as if it grows out of the rubble itself. Not beside it. Not after it is cleared away. But from within it. This is our story. This is the story of Palestinians—and of the Palestinian Church. We live amid ruins, yet we insist on life. We bury our dead, yet we plant trees. We endure siege, displacement, and erasure, yet we keep saying: we want to live. And we will continue. We will continue, in defiance, to preach peace. We will continue to proclaim life. We will continue to hope—stubbornly, faithfully—in the promise that comes from this child, the child of Bethlehem. The Christ who was born under empire. The Christ who became a refugee. The Christ who still lies today in the rubble of Gaza, in the ruins of homes, churches, hospitals, and lives torn apart. Oh come, let us adore Him—as Emmanuel, God-with-us, God-with-the-wounded, God-with-the-oppressed. As I stood there, I felt again what this symbol was always meant to say: Rubble does not have the final word. Death does not have the final word. Empire does not have the final word. Life does. God does. Please: Pray for Gaza, wounded and buried under relentless destruction, and today in severe weather conditions. Pray for Palestinians under siege in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Pray for the church, which faces a constant and real threat of displacement, silencing, and disappearance. And pray for all victims of violence, including state violence, everywhere in the world. And may this child continue to disturb us, challenge us, and call us—not only to prayer, but to faithfulness.

Trump is fixated on Ilhan Omar. She embodies the America he fears most | Soumaya Ghannoushi | MEE Opinion

Following #COP30, Revd Aurelio Uqueio shared Mozambique’s story of resilience: planting mangroves & trees, and empowering youth through sports for sustainability. Rooted in faith, these actions call us to care for creation and advocate for #ClimateJustice. london.anglican.org/articles/from-…

A prayer for Advent

I wrote this last week reflecting on the Tommy Robinson supporters attending churches, and how churches can respond, drawing on ideas we explore in our political theology for mission module. @churchurbanfund @Theosthinktank

Is Kemi Badenoch right — is the welfare system “anti-Christian”? Short answer: No. Longer answer: There’s a grain of truth in the values she’s drawing on — but the conclusion goes in the wrong direction. 1) What Badenoch gets partly right There is a Christian emphasis on work, responsibility, and caring for your family. Paul writes: “He who does not work should not eat.” (2 Thess 3) “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives… has denied the faith.” (1 Tim 5) These verses show that the early church valued contribution and the dignity of work. But here’s the key: ✔️ These instructions were written to church communities, not governments. ✔️ They address idleness, not poverty. ✔️ They are pastoral advice, not economic blueprints. A healthy society should value work and responsibility. But that is not the same as saying the welfare state is anti-Christian. 2) What Badenoch gets wrong But there's another side of the Bible's teaching that her approach completely leaves out: Whenever the Bible speaks about the vulnerable — the poor, the widow, the orphan, the foreigner — the theme is not minimalism but active protection and structural support. Old Testament examples: • Gleaning laws force landowners to leave food for the poor (Lev. 19). • The triennial tithe funds a social safety net (Deut. 14). • Jubilee resets the whole economic system to prevent generational poverty (Lev. 25). These aren’t “nice-to-have” acts of private generosity. They are structural, society-wide obligations. Jesus and the early church: • Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 makes care for “the least of these” a measure of true faith. • The famine relief collection (Acts 11) is basically coordinated international development. • In Acts, resources are shared so there are no needy people among them. Christianity is not a philosophy of rugged individualism. It’s a story of communal responsibility. 3) Three problem of anachronism Saying “there was no welfare state in the Bible” is like saying: • there was no internet • no democracy • no NHS • no schools • no modern police Of course there weren’t — the modern state didn’t exist. You can’t copy-paste public policy from Iron Age Israel or a Roman province. But you can draw out principles, values, and a moral vision. 4️⃣ So is the welfare system anti-Christian? Ask this instead: What does the welfare system do? If it: • supports the poor • protects children • helps the sick • helps those who cannot work • restores dignity so people can contribute… …then it aligns far more closely with the biblical vision of justice than a system that leaves the vulnerable to fend for themselves. Christianity doesn’t forbid government support. In fact, Christian ethics has historically generated welfare efforts — from Basil’s 4th-century hospital complex to Beveridge’s post-war reforms shaped by Christian social thinkers. The real Christian question is not: “Is welfare anti-Christian?” but: “Does our welfare system treat people with dignity, justice, and compassion?” The Bible warns against idleness — not against compassion. It calls for justice — not just personal effort. A society that supports the vulnerable isn’t anti-Christian. It’s deeply faithful to the Christian story.

In light of the awful news announced yesterday regarding Slovenia’s government passing “Šutar Law,” our Chair, Rev. Canon Nicky Chater of Gypsy Roma and Traveller Friendly Churches, has offered a prayer for our brothers and sisters in Slovenia. theguardian.com/world/2025/nov…

A message from His Majesty King Charles III on Angola’s 50th Independence Day. Wishing the people of Angola his best wishes as they mark this historic milestone. Happy Independence Day!