James Lawrence

The screwtape letters, CS Lewis

Interesting that the right of personal choice and expression is paramount when it comes to assisted dying, yet isn't when it comes to footballers expressing their allegiance to Jesus.

This from @IsabelHardman is good. Lord Falconer’s idea that secular people alone are ‘objective’, and that religious people are biased needs to be called out for what it is - philosophical nonsense. spectator.co.uk/article/in-pra…

“It is tragic that a primacy bringing such profound good in so many areas, conducted by a person of singular faith, courage, humility and integrity, should end like this.” #SamWells of @smitf_london on @JustinWelby’s resignation, via @BishopMark1 on FB.

Nothing I have seen or heard about the Smyth case has changed my view that @JustinWelby is a good man with a good heart, strong values and a commitment to public service. He was assured the police and other authorities were properly on the case. Yes, as he admits, he could have been more curious and checked in with exactly what was being done. He has apologised and I think many reasonable people will accept that. However he has chosen what all too few public figures do these days which is accept institutional responsibility. Ps for some reason I am getting calls from journalists who have been told I am handling his PR. I am not. I suspect that is being put around by those ultra conservative forces who have long wanted him gone, and who are aware that I see him from time to time.

I’m deeply grateful to @justinwelby for many reasons: - His grace in handling the very public revelation about his biological father, affirming that his true identity rests in God. - His strong, principled stance against the harmful Rwanda immigration deal. - His openness about his personal struggles with mental health, which has encouraged others to do the same. - His passion for sharing the good news of Jesus. While his decision to step down due to this terrible safeguarding crisis was necessary, this moment must be a beginning for the @churchofengland to genuinely address and correct these issues—not the conclusion.

Very sorry to hear of the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury - I have worked with him for a long time and have always been struck by his humility, openness, care and sense of public service.

Excellent rebuttal from @wesstreeting

Wise words from @krishk on Russell Brand.

This is interesting because the basic arguement matches a recent Telegraph opinion piece - and it’s both correct and naive. It’s correct because the only way Brexit could have worked economically speaking was to use it to deregulate, lower business taxes, shrink the state etc. It’s naive because the majority of U.K. voters - especially those who voted for Brexit - don’t want that. They actually want a European social model - high spending on health, education, defence, etc. And the only way you can have that in today’s difficult geopolitical world (given our geographical position on the European continent) is to be part of the vast, pan-continental single market and customs union that exists to deliver the European social model as far as is possible. This is why the Labour Party, in government, will eventually begin the process of joining the European single market and customs union. The only other option is to follow the Brexiteer vision of a much smaller state - and a large majority do not want that. As the recent Telegraph piece pointed out, these are the only two choices that do not lead to inevitable economic decline.

Excellent article: thank you, ⁦@timothy_stanley⁩

HOLY WEEK ✝️ The whole Academy celebrated across 3 sites this morning - thanks to @bbcathedral + @Stlukeschurchbb for hosting us and to Matt Britton/@THISISVISION for the inspiring retelling of the Easter Story. Well done to all students who took part in the services as well 👏

Today we teamed up with our friends at @bbcathedral @SaintWilfrids Blackburn College Chaplaincy and @The180Project1 to explore, with a few hundred young people, the story of Jesus becoming an outcast so we can be included. And we got free coffee. And the sun shone. #fullheart

“A ‘nice’ God is a figment of liberal imagination, a projection onto the sky of the inability to give up cherished illusions about goodness, freedom, & the rationality of social actors” - Miroslav Volf Quoted by @flemingrut in her wonderfully stimulating book on the Crucifixion

@pphobday @ChurchTimes Congratulations Philip!

Thanks to today's @ChurchTimes for a thorough and thoughtful review churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/…

@RachelGardnerRA I often feel like that and I don’t have a dog as an excuse 😂

Took Leo to a lunchtime speaking gig at York Uni today. Don’t think anyone paid any attention to what I had to say! #puppylove

Please read my statement on the withdrawal of funding from the Inter Faith Network UK.

Brilliant from @jessphillips

We will not only win our freedom for ourselves, we will so appeal to your heart and your conscience that we will win you in the process and our victory will be a double victory." (2/2) This is the quote I’m using to remember #MLK2024 this year. We must remember that love wins.

"Throw us in jail and we will love you. Bomb our homes, and as difficult as it is we will love you... But be assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom…. (1/2)

“The women are so strong!” You’ll love this little one’s commentary as she watches women’s Olympic weightlifting with her father. It’s clear that she’s drawing inspiration from these female role models; a great reminder that representation matters for children. As the great Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund once noted: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Of course, as a student of child development, my very favorite part of this video is when she gives the sport her own alternate name: Dropping. 🤣 Genius! This future Olympian was shared to TT by coffeencrusts.