Category Archives: Thought for Today
Humanising Asylum Policy
I am indebted to Tim Fetherston for a reminder that in this conflictive, confrontational politics of today we need to retain a sense of moral duty of care for the vulnerable. Fetherston is a volunteer medicolegal doctor from the Northeast if England with Freedom from Torture, a UK charity which, since its formation in 1985, has provided support for more than 50,000 victims of torture who have fled to the UK for asylum. This support ,Fetherston tells us, “takes the form of psychological therapy, social assistance and advice, …
Encounters with the Common Good
I know I am not alone in struggling not to be overwhelmed at times by all the negativity in so many words and acts, a sense of despair about the state of the world from Brexit to Trump, via massacres and other man-made disasters. So let me share three shared encounters in recent days that reminded me that our spirits can be lifted if we allow other less binary, less visceral and conflictive human narratives to give us direction and a sense of common purpose. The first was a silent …
Thought for Today: Belonging
I’m introducing a new occasional item to this website. A thought which I hope may resonate with some of my readers as it resonates with me. This is a short verse from a wonderful book called ‘Eternal Echoes’ by the Irish philosopher writer John O’Donohue. This meditative tome is dedicated ‘for the ones who inhabit lives where belonging is torn and longing is numbered.’ I arise today Blessed be all things wings of breath, delight of eyes, wonder of whisper, intimacy of touch, eternity of soul, urgency of thought, miracle …
