Professor Sir Mason Durie is a seasoned presenter. One slide with three points and he had the standing room only crowd in his hand at Vaughan Park Anglican Retreat Centre. We were a willing audience having gathered to hear his lecture in honour of the Rt Rev’d Sir Paul Reeves, former Governor General and Archbishop […]
Public prayer connects beyond belief
I’ve been thinking about the most wonderful keyhole in the world as debates about public prayer have been on the agenda of city council meetings in Bideford, England, and Whanganui, New Zealand. To look through this keyhole you have to go to Rome and walk up the Aventine Hill until you get to the front […]
No consciousness without pain
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who had suffered a great loss. There’s nothing novel about that. Most of us have the experience at some point or another of staggering about life, arms wrapped around grief, loss or pain. My work life is full of these stories. As a result, I treasure the dark […]
My dad’s dying
I was just 21 when my mum died after a long illness. For the last month of her life, we nursed her at home, which turned out to be one of the defining experiences of my life. Perhaps it sounds crazy, but I loved it. Not the mess, the long nights or the muddles with […]