Standing up to speak I felt tentative, but it wasn’t the slight stomach turning before a speaking gig or worry about whether the technological wizardry would work. Instead, it was an awareness that the ground of my being was shifting, and it made me uncomfortable without knowing quite why. 20 or so years before I’d […]
Rethinking organisational capture, collusion and reciprocity
I have a dream that spirituality and soulfulness can be creatively reimagined for our time through inspirational workplaces that take meaning making, compassion and connectedness seriously as part of the deep, holistic wisdom we are rebirthing in our everyday communities. I know it’s just a dream, but, lately, I’ve become rather attached to their value. […]
Oh Godde, my mum is dying
Oh, Godde, whatever you are and I don’t know; my mum is dying. Maturity disappeared in one phone call when she said, I have something to tell you. No! I’m not ready. Too many memories of being held hurt soothed and pain kissed away. Now, it’s my turn to wrap her suffering in the space […]
Out of the blue God
Can you close the curtain? Sure. We call them the blue soundproof ones. Yeah, nah, not, it’s an illusion. (He laughs) So, what does God look like for you today? See that blue? Yeah. It’s like the sky and the sea. So, God comes to you out of the blue? Far out! I thought of […]
Humanist chaplains help normalise spirituality in healthcare
Lindsay van Dijk, a humanist, has been appointed by the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to lead a chaplaincy team that includes Christian, Buddhist, and Bahai members. As Lindsay told the Guardian, ‘A lot of people don’t have an organised faith, but still have spiritual and emotional needs at difficult times. Often people are trying to […]
Secrets, God and broken glass
Everyone carries secrets. Not necessarily the kind that titillate, but the ordinary, everyday ones that rise to trouble us like a recurring virus. The pain of regret, of knowing that our lives are not perfect, not even close but sometimes a chaotic mix of halfway rational choices and haphazard mistakes. Knowing that this life may […]
No religion but still soulful
The moment arrived. I opened the New Zealand Census webpage, filled in my code and with one click of the mouse became a No Religion, one of the fastest growing groups in our community. To be honest, I didn’t feel that I had an option. Although I’ve tangled with what we mean by God for most […]
Support for the End of Life Choice Bill
New Zealand is currently considering David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill through the Justice Select Committee process. My submission is below in its entirety. Support for the Bill I support the intent of this Bill because it emerges from a compassionate approach to human suffering and moves towards a society where every person has […]
Losing our religion could reinvigorate faith in healthcare
Kiwis are losing their in record numbers but they’re leaning into life in diverse ways, which would make complete sense to the late theologian James Fowler. After interviewing nearly 600 people, not a bad sample for any research, Folwer reckoned faith is the way we lean into and make sense of life. It’s not necessarily religious or […]
Turning compassion fatigue upside down
Research is all very well, but what if the results force you to rethink existing beliefs and behaviours? I’ve just been challenged like that about a compassion course I co-tutor. The course emerged out of hospital corridor conversations where staff talked about how exhausted, stressed and burnt out they felt. My colleague and I responded […]