Sometimes, people ask me why I stopped eating meat and fish (a few years back now!). I usually answer something about never eating that much meat, about no longer feeling I could kill an animal for food, and that it was being asked to sign a petition to stop people eating cats and dogs they finally convinecd me to stop being such a hypocrite.
Ths beautiful short film traces the story of a beef farmer who followed a long journey from feeling he neededto do something to, eventually, finding a new home for his his last #73cows. You might need a hanky. And it might change the way you feel about your Sunday roast...
Every Christian tradition, in my opinion, has its own canon of saints, official of otherwise. Maybe even individuals do - the names of those whose lives have inspired us in faith and service.
When I was a ministerial student, one of the 'saints unofficial' celebrated by the college community was Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was remembered annually in the context of our chapel Eucharist, along with the (unnamed) nuns also slaughtered, . We learned of the faith, work, witness and sacrifice of this able pastor and theologian. We welcomed students from El Salvador on our Masters programme, learning with and from them what liberation theology looks like in various contexts.
Today, the Roman Catholic Church formally canonises Archbishop Oscar Romero... it gives me a wry chuckle to think that Baptists, who don't do saints (much) got there at least two decades earlier.
May the legacy of courage, truth, love and sacrifice continue to inspire and encourage others, whatever their tradition or faith, now and long into the future.
It's not a great photo, the auto-set colour isn't quite right and reflections in the mirror make it a little odd. But none of that matters. This is how I spent my inheritance - the £250 that was my share of the money left over after after we settled Mum's affairs.
Storm Callum (almost named after one of my brothers) showed me that my ten year old waterproof jacket was waterproof no longer, and, having re-proofed it a couple of times already, I decided maybe it was time for something new.
The new coat is almost knee-length, a deliberate choice, since nowadays I don't have a car and need something to keep me dry when walking - wet drip lines across skirts or trousers are not good! It is also the most amazing deep azure-cum-turquoise colour, which I absolutely love. And the design is such that it has a lightweight quilted inner that can be worn separately if desired.
The clincher though, was the name! This is the 'Dunoon 3-in-1 Jacket' and the colour is 'Loch Blue'.
Among my precious and happy memories from childhood is a day trip to Dunoon when I would have been about 10. I can remember getting the train from Glasgow Central Station and the ferry over to Dunoon. I remember a children's ride in the form of ladybirds. Somewhere, buried in a box, there may still be a surviving back-and-white photo of that day. But even if the photo is lost, the memory survives.
So, I hope my ludicrously expensive coat lasts as long as the one it replaces (in which case it will be good value for money). And when I pull it on, at least sometimes, I will remember and be glad.
Whenever this story is told, it will be done in memory of her...
