A murder is always bad news.  When it happens almost on your doorstep it is very bad news.

I never met Nasim Jamil, though it's possible I passed her in the street.  Indeed, I had never heard of her until her death hit the national headlines.

It transpires that some of the mums from toddlers knew her or have relatives and friends who did.

Today all that can be done is to weep with those who weep.

This is a proud and diverse city, and as we prepare our hearts to welcome, afresh, the Prince of Peace may that peace fill this place once more.

Eternal rest grant unto her, Oh Lord, may she rest in peace.

(Photo from BBC Scotland website)

I was half awake listening to the 6 a.m. Radio 2 news this morning and heard something about Rowan Williams being a tad irritated that politicians (I think) saw religious belief was something for 'oddities, minorities and foreigners'.  I might well not have heard properly and it was undoubtedly out of context and I am 100% certain the arch bish has no problem with any of the above people-groups, but it made me think (even in my blearly minded state!).

Without the oddities, minorities and foreigners my church would be pretty empty on a Sunday.  Sure, I have many, many folk who are stable and able, and even a majority of White British Scots.  But actually the church (and I'm sure RW would agree wholeheartedly) chooses to embrace the odd, minor and foreign, to be a bit marginal and liminal and radical and such like.  If the powers that be dismiss that as lesser, well that's their loss... just maybe they'd do well to look back at a bit of history to discover that it was those odd/minor/foreign folk who began public education, hospitals, hospices, prison reform, credit unions, etc. etc. etc.

As for me, well hey, a white English female Baptist minister in Scotland... that's pretty odd, foreign and minor!!