Crazy week!

It's been a bit of a crazy week!

We were back in Lancashire on the weekend to be at the ordination of Deacons in Blackburn Cathedral, where two Westcott students we're ordained. One of them has a blog here, and he's promised to update it as he starts his journey as a member of the clergy in Blackpool. The other Westcott ordinand has gone to be the new curate at the Priory in Lancaster - where the former was a parishioner before he went to Westcott. It's a small world; especially in the C of E.

Despite being further north in Sheringham than we would have been in Cambridge, it's a considerably longer journey up to the northwest from here. Undeterred, we set out for a weekend of late night travelling, disrupted sleeping patterns and sub-standard service station food. But it was all worth it. It was great to be back in Blackburn Cathedral, and to see lots of familiar faces. It was also good to see what will be happening to me (God willing) at the same time next year. The service was very good (though long) and the music was excellent. Mike Peatman was there, and I share some of his reservations about the use of choir-only mass settings for such services, though the choir and organist were on good form.

Seeing friends up at the front of the cathedral being ordained was described by DrLanky as 'surprisingly ordinary' when you bear in mind the significance of what was taking place. I think when you've done as much church as you do at theological college, there is something delightfully ordinary about the most significant of liturgical events; be they royal weddings or ordinations. Yet despite the ordinariness, there was a level of personal investment in what was going on; our friends were being ordained, and their families' lives would be forever changed by that event. That's where it gets a bit scary for next year.

On Sunday we managed to catch up with friends in Lancaster, and LittleLanky got to play in Violet and Ivy's paddling pool; complete with ingenious filling technology (a hose from the upstairs shower, with a long string connected to the electrical isolator). We had an impromptu barbecue, followed by Reflect at the chaplaincy.

We returned to the Norfolk coast late on Sunday night, and then I went straight back into my placement on Monday with a morning memorial service, and meetings in the afternoon. This was followed by an event to 'meet the curate' at St Peter's. Another reminder of what lies ahead of me at this time next year!

On Tuesday I preached at the Mothers' Union communion service on the theme of Mary Magdalene. Maybe I'll post the text if I get around to it. In the evening, the standing committee met, and I was present. It was a long meeting!

Then on Wednesday, DrLanky, LittleLanky and I went to the parish playgroup. LittleLanky loves it! In the afternoon, due to the unpredictable weather, we took LittleLanky for a swim at the local 'Tropical Leisure Pool'; she loved that too.

Today was BCP communion, some design and proofreading work in the parish office, some detective work with unidentified keys, and a deanery barbecue in Cromer this evening.

Tomorrow is my day off. We're going to London to see good friends who have just welcomed a baby girl into the world.

And to crown the week in a very satisfactory manner, I see on the BBC website that the News of the World is to close. It's a shame it's taken such a massive scandal to bring about the end of this ridiculous redtop, but I am nonetheless delighted at its demise. Can we get rid of any others at the same time?

Another world

So I've arrived in Sheringham to start my 'long' placement, and ironically, it's the first time I've been able to sit down and blog for ages. My incumbent has Friday as his day off, and as I'm shadowing him, it's my day off too. A day off? What's that?

In many respects, Norfolk is another world; even compared to the peculiar city of Cambridge. Time is slower here; people say hello to each other (that bit's like being back up north), and there are no motorways in this neck of the woods, so getting anywhere takes a while. The northern coast of Norfolk is a haven for retirement, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to come here. Having spent the last 12 years of my church life involved with a university chaplaincy, I felt a bit disconnected from real life; in particular, the end of life. My placement here will give me plenty of experience of working with the elderly, and I feel that's important.

As I read all the fuss about ++Rowan's recently espoused opinions, I find myself frustrated that I have not yet been able to track down a single copy of the New Statesman in Sheringham; I would actually like to read it for myself! Having visited 4 different sellers of newspapers and magazines, my prejudices have been reinforced. I'm in the Daily Mail belt, and I'll have to remember that as I get further into my placement. It will be interesting to see if the sermons on Sunday refer to ++Rowan.

Anyway, LittleLanky is stirring from her afternoon nap beside me. Time to do daddy duty. Stay tuned for further updates from the seaside.

Oooh, I want some

Just a quick post to say that the clever people at moo.com have come up with these interestingly rounded business cards. They look very good, and I think I shall have to think of a reason to get some. I've used their standard moo cards in the past for publicity for services at the Chaplaincy in Lancaster, and the quality is amazing.

Tom Hollander and James Wood visit Westcott House

As you may have picked up from facebook posts and Twitter activity (yes I'm now tweeting), Westcott House hosted a visit from the principal creators of the acclaimed BBC2 comedy, Rev.

Tom Hollander and James Wood had been to Westcott before to talk with some of the people here before writing the second series of the show, and they were persuaded to return to spend some time with the students. Last week, the appointed time came, and they packed out the Westcott lecture room as they told us about the evolution of the show, and took questions from a bunch of eager ordinands.

As the nominated techie in the House I was able to record the session, but I'm not yet sure about what we can do with the audio. If and when it goes public, I'll make sure I post a link to the page on this blog.

The session was really interesting. Both Hollander and Wood are sympathetic and knowledgeable when it comes to the church. It was clear from what they said that they didn't set out to create a particular kind of show with stereotyped caricatures (like Dibley or Fr. Ted). Instead, they sought to try to portray real characters, and to let the humour remain gentle and authentic. We were told that the majority of jokes came straight from the mouths of the many clerical consultants they spoke to, rather than the writing team.

One interesting aspect of the questions that came from the floor was that we seemed to be interested in their opinions about the church, and what we might do differently. I think this was on the basis that they are articulate and critical whilst being sympathetic to the church and its people. This line of questioning was interesting in itself, but their answers were interesting too. They spoke of the tension between preserving the mystery and beauty of the church's traditions and making the liturgy accessible to newcomers. It was a very intelligent discussion!

My question to the pair revealed my interest in film and media. I asked what other TV had inspired them in their creation of Rev. We had heard much about what they didn't want to do (Dibley, Fr. Ted etc), but we hadn't heard which influences did find their way into the show. The most interesting answer to my question (which caused a small pause and some head-scratching) was from James Wood. He cited an American show called Nurse Jackie, which I've never seen. I will now seek it out.

We also heard that the DVD of the first season will probably be available after the second season has aired. They didn't know why, but I suspect it's a marketing decision to ensure a bigger sales impact when they release it. Anyhow, you can buy it on iTunes if you're desperate to see it.

The main thing I took away from the session was an increased admiration for the team of creators. Whether you like the show or not, you have to appreciate the effort and skill they put in to researching the show. Like many others, I am looking forward to the next season, and to finding out what intelligence they have managed to glean from their visits to Westcott House.

Now I really need to do some work on my Greek before classes start tomorrow.

Confused and concerned

I don't profess to be an expert on German politics, but I was surprised to see the comments from Chancellor Merkel in the press this weekend. The BBC gave a very balanced report about her speech, but I found myself more in sync with the coverage in this morning's Independent. Here's the headline: Weak Merkel stokes xenophobia as she fights for political survival. The Independent doesn't often go all hyperbolic, but I thought this was quite a stroppy headline for them. I agree with them too; I thought Merkel was meant to be a liberal conservative, but this story paints Germany in a bad light.

Quote of the day!

 

In response to the critics of a Mass in Soho which is aimed at welcoming gay Catholics, Archbishop Nichols has issued a proper dressing down. He said:

"Anybody who is trying to cast a judgement on the people who come forward for communion really ought to hold their tongue.”

Hear hear, Archbishop. Though it's a shame a special Mass is required to make gay Catholics feel able to attend.

Physics Genius Stephen Hawking has restated his previously stated position about the need for God in the process of creation in slightly different words, but with precisely the same conclusion

I posted last week about why I think one can defend the creation of a BBC religion editor, and the fuss about Stephen Hawking's 'u-turn' over the possible existence of God makes the point nicely.

Otherwise intelligent journalists (like John Humphreys on Radio 4 this morning) seem to turn into gibbering, incoherent numpties when they get near a religious news story*. The whole idea that Hawking has had a major turnaround in his beliefs is something with which the Church Mouse takes issue, and I'm inclined to agree with him:

Here's what Hawking said in 1989:

What I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn't prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary. [Stephen W. Hawking, Der Spiegel, 1989]

Compare the quote from 1989 with the one which has caused the headlines today:

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."

If anyone can spot a difference, please let Mouse know.

It occurs to me that a good religion editor in the BBC would have been called in here to make some sort of analysis, and they would hopefully have removed the spin and hyperbole from the BBC's coverage. They may even have offered some more incisive research into Hawking's position, and given a balanced and accurate rendering to the fact that 'Physics Genius Stephen Hawking has restated his previously stated position about the need for God in the process of creation in slightly different words, but with precisely the same conclusion'. Not such a snappy headline is it?

*I accept that's not entirley true - I enjoyed Humphreys' series of interviews about his own beliefs, but we can all use a bit of hyperbole occasionally

Update - Mark Vernon has a different angle on the issue here.

13 days

Taking religion seriously

Bishop Nick Baines has an interesting post about the debate concerning the case for a 'religion editor' for the BBC. In my opnion, he (along with others) makes a strong case based on the need for interpretation and balanced consideration in the news. Through the economic meltdown, we have been treated to the wise, if irritatingly voiced, words of Robert Peston. He has helped us to understand what has been going on in a balanced way - we don't just have to believe the government or opposition hyperbole, and we don't have to wade through the broadsheets analysis. We simply tune into the Beeb and Robert will walk us through it.

The argument continues to say that, as religion is such a massive and influential phenomenon in the world, it makes no sense to ignore it. Even if we disagree with it, we cannot deny its existence or its prominance in society. Rather than taking the atheist position as the objective and scientific one, a religious editor would see this as one of many positions - not the de facto 'thinking person's' view of the world.

My only problem with any of this is that I don't think it is possible for anyone (let alone those in the media) to be completely objective. We're kidding ourselves if we think that Peston is completely without prejudice and bias - we are all prejudiced and biased.

This could be an argument against any kind of mediated news on the basis that it is all prejudiced. I don't think I can successfully defeat that one to my own satisfaction! In reality, though, we rely on mediated news and we always have. Newspapers, even the local ones, have a political slant. They filter out the things they don't consider to be newsworthy based on circulation figures and pre-existing prejudices.

And you can take it back a step further. When I go home tonight and tell DrLanky about my day at work, you can guarantee that I will present the edited highlights; I won't spend 8 hours recalling every trivial occurrance. I will edit the 'news' according to my own bias and prejudice, and according to what I think she will find interesting (sound familiar?). I'm not saying that I will lie, I will just edit the truth - we all do it; we can't avoid doing it! We just don't think about it.

In the end it comes down to trust. If you trust the person giving you the news, you trust that they will tell you the things you feel you need to know, without avoiding any interesting bits. You also trust that they will not distort the facts (though we all* exaggerate to some extent).

It's exactly the same with the news. We choose our news outlets by the way they fit with our world view. This is why I don't read the Sun and I don't watch Fox News - their versions of the truth doesn't seem to match the one that I observe in the world, so I choose to ignore them. Instead, I read the BBC news website and dip into the Indendent and Guardian for my news. They don't always match with my world view, but they get close most of the time.

Once this relationship of trust is established, the viewer can start to trust (to a certain extent) the content being presented, and as long as the editor continues to play ball, everyone is happy. Our trusted editor tells us what we need to know and filters out the uninteresting bits. They also bring to our attention the important things we may not have noticed, and as such they are an important part of the news infrastructure.

The reason I read my news in a few different places, though, is because I don't trust the BBC in the same way as I trust my wife. I feel the need to check up on them to see if they are being faithful. Many people don't do this, especially those who read the red-tops, and this is where the real power of the editor lies. Many people trust the news (from whatever source), and to have a religion editor who brings balance to religious stories would be very welcome. 

*pun intended

Obama sticks his neck out

I just saw that Barack Obama has voiced his support for the controversial new mosque close to the site of the world trade centre twin towers. (I'll add the link later)


This was a bold and brave move by the president, given the strength of feeling shown in the press. American politics seems to be incredibly populist, and he must know that he risks a massive amount of criticism from the right wing media outlets and their followers.


It's nice to see principles take precedence for a change.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday roundup

Cathedral goes green - I saw this story on the BBC news site. Congratulations to the congreration of Bradford Cathedral for acheiving this accreditation from the Eco-congregations organisation. This is the first I have heard about this ecumenical organisation. I think I will read some more.


Temper temper - One of the things I like about cricket is that, compared with some other sports, it is a civislised affair. There are many reasons for this, and I think one of them is that players get fined for incidents that, in other sports, would be seen as very minor. I think this 'sets the bar' for the players in terms of acceptable behaviour at a high level. Of course, the other thing that makes cricket the most civilised sport is that they stop for tea.

Good old Catholic tat - I missed this one last week from the Church Mouse. It seems that Mouse is somewhat underwhelmed by the range of 'tat' on offer to commemorate the visit of the Pope to the UK. Since visiting Malta a couple of years ago, my eyes have been opened to a whole realm of 'Catholic Tat' (it's a recognised proper noun phrase in the Lanky household), and I'm actually quite excited by the tat potential of a Papal visit. My favourite bits of Catholic Tat are the snow globes (depicting scenes where it never snows) and glow in the dark statues of Mary, just in case you feel you need a ghostly, luminous apparition when you wake up in the night. Unlike Mouse, I will be actively seeking a bit of Papal tat for the Lanky household.

Well done Pakistan - It was beginning to look like the current test series between England and Pakistan would be something of a whitewash. Whilst it is satisfying to see your own team in a dominant position, it's disappointing to see the opposition buckling so easily. It was good, then, to see a defiant lower order batting performance from Pakistan yesterday. England will face stern tests in unfavourable conditions when they go to Australia later in the year, and it's good that they are made to work a little harder than they have done of late.

The death of British film-making? - In an unlikely show of support for the UK film industry, Clint Eastwood has written to George Osborne about the proposed 'axing' of the UK Film Council. I know times are hard - we're even reassessing the merits of 'milk-snatching' - but I think it is a bit shortsighted to start hacking so brutally at some of our major cultural organisations. Without the UKFC, a large number of recent UK films would not have been shot, and our cultural life would be weaker for it.

Monday roundup

Rev. is 'rather good' - According to the Guardian, the AB of C thinks the programme is 'rather good'. This is one of several issues on which the Archbishop agrees with me. I do hope that the people at the Beeb who hold the purse-strings will find a bit of funding to continue the show for another season - hopefully more.

An Englishman in Wisconsin - Some of you Lancaster types will know the identity of this serial blogger. He's started blogging again, and his British perspective on American culture is already evident. One for the blog list.

James Anderson does it again - After a robust performance against the Australians, Pakistan looked set to provide stern competition for a buoyant England side. In reality, a low scoring game and favourable swing conditions allowed Jimmy Anderson to produce stunning bowling figures of 11 for 71. Quite rightly, and modestly, he praised the slip fielders for their reliable hands. Anderson's stock has soared in the ICC rankings, and he now sits at his highest ever place in the test bowlers' rankings.

TV licence under fire - Rev. may not get a second season if the licence fee gets scrapped, as suggested by the Adam Smith Institute. I'm a fan of the Beeb, and I think the licence fee has given us the best broadcasting network in the world. I know the independents feel hard done to, but I look at the output from the various channels, and it's the BBC that gets my vote every time; I hardly ever watch ITV and Five (though C4 is quite good sometimes). It's the same with radio - no commercial operator would run Radio 3 or Radio 4, but where would we be without them?

Flying Bishops? - Thinking Anglicans and the Church Mouse report this story about a letter from 15 Anglo-Catholic Bishops. I'm not sure it says anything new or moves the argument along any. An interestng aside is that I recognise a number of signatories as current or former Blackburn Diocese clergy (there may be more who I don't recognise):  

Rt Revd Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn
Rt Revd Martyn Jarrett, Bishop of Beverley (formerly Bishop of Burnley)
Rt Revd John Goddard, Bishop of Burnley
Rt Revd Mark Sowerby, Bishop of Horsham (formerly at a parish in Accrington and Chaplain to my High School when I was a student)
Rt Revd Robert Ladds (formerly at a parish in Preston before consecration as the Bishop of Whitby - now retired)

Hmmm, not sure what this says about my home diocese! 5 out of 15 is a significant proportion.

Moving on - I'm not the only one going to theological college in a few weeks. Jante has received her bundle of information from Cuddesdon, and is counting down the days. I have returned my batch of forms to Westcott, and am waiting for the final removal quote to arrive.

44 days - must start packing!

Is it only Tuesday?

Time has started to drag a little at work. I've got to the stage where people have stopped giving me interesting new projects (there isn't time to finish them), and all that's left is the boring day to day stuff. I shouldn't complain. I prefer this to being stressed out with lots of competing deadlines - that's how it's been for much of the last 2 years! It will all change soon though. The end of July is our financial year-end, and it's my responsibility to drag us over the line somewhere near our budgets. This means that things are starting to pick up a bit.

In other news, I haven't caught up with the latest episode of Rev. yet - it's waiting in the Sky+ box for us to watch this evening. Bishop Alan Wilson has this thoughtful review of the series which some of you might find interesting.
57 days - first of three removal firms coming to do a quote today.

Reasons to be cheerful

I know that some Anglicans will be feeling a bit glum following the news from Synod, so I thought I would post about a few reasons to be cheerful from the news:

1. I know it was only against Bangladesh, but England produced a stunning batting display yesterday to seal the series win. Given the embarassing defeat on the weekend, it was good to see Strauss hitting the ball into the Edgbaston building site with great frequency. This was probably one of the finest batting displays by an England captain in recent years.
2. It's taken months, but it looks like BP have managed to make some progress on halting the oil tragedy in the Mexican Gulf. It seems to have taken a ridiculous amount of time to get to this stage, but at least there's an end in sight.
3. The best team in the world cup actually managed to win it! Despite the ugly tactics and technique displayed by the Dutch, then Spaniards' dedication to playing good football eventually shone through. Howard Webb had a hard match to referee, and I think he struck a good balance between keeping the game moving and dealing out some justice. Holland should have been down to 9 or 10 men by the end of the first half, so they have no right to complain about the referee's decisions!
4. A planned cull of badgers in Wales has been halted. I am still known to some people as 'Mr Badger' (following an innocent adoption of a call-sign at a Chaplaincy Carol Service many moons ago), and I have an affinity for the furry little critters! I must also add that when I last checked, the scientific evidence did not support the hatred which is shown towards my monochrome kin. Leave us alone! We're not giving TB to your cattle.
5. Hayley Matthews, currently at Lancaster Priory (who have a new website), has been appointed as Chaplain to Media City. This is the new development in Salford which will house a massive new BBC development. Well done Hayley!
6. This wonderful story about a milkman in Lancashire made me proud of my East Lancs roots. I'm not always so proud when I see stories of the BNP gaining ground in elections, but this is the kind of story that lifts the soul. This white, working class man from a depressed former mill town has challenged stereotypes by becoming fluent in Gujarati so he can communicate more effectively with his Asian customers.

64 days

It's not Dibley! (warning, this post contains a naughty word!)

Thanks to the wonderful Sky+ box in the Lanky household, we watched 'Rev.' last night due to postgrad group commitments on Monday. Having read a lot about the series already, I had a good feel for what it would be like before I watched it.

It's not Dibley, there's no laugh track (hurrah), and the humour is far from slapstick. Despite a couple of outbursts, the language is not nearly as fruity as 'the thick of it', but it's definitely not Dibley! I especially liked the bit where the vicar removed his collar as he told a bunch of abusive builders to 'fuck off!'.
I heard an interview with a cast member from 'The Wire' the other day, and she said that until well into the first season of the show, many of the actors thought it was fairly poor. It was only when the characters had developed and the rhythm of the dialogue had settled that they started to get into it and see its potential.
I'm not saying that I think Rev. is poor, but I am saying that this was a gentle start for what I expect will be a very good series. It has caricatures, but they aren't like the ones in Dibley. They are keenly observed, and therefore very amusing; especially for those of us who are part of similar church communities.
All in all, a solid start. I've already set the Sky box to record the entire series.
Other bloggers have watched too:

Church Times blog
Mark Vernon's blog
Bishop David Chillingworth's blog
David Keen's post has lots of other links too.

New BBC 2 comedy: Rev

Tonight sees the first episode of a new BBC comedy starring Tom Hollander as a new vicar in an urban setting. From what I've read, I'm expecting something more like 'The Thick of it' than 'The Vicar of Dibley'. Anyway, tune in tonight: BBC2, 22:00.

Read more about it at the Church Times website...

The many joys of a British summer

England are through the group stages of the world cup and set to take on the old enemy this weekend. Shock exits for Italy and France have shaken the tournament up a bit after its slow start! Live streaming footage available from ITV and the good old Beeb mean that those with a desktop PC at work (and no bandwidth or IP restrictions) are able to watch and work (I learnt I could actually multitask during England's last game).

Wimbledon is off to a flyer! Warm and dry weather mean no lost time so far, and the most epic of matches concluded yesterday to give us all a reminder that, for all the training and precision of the serve-volley game, it's still possible for a surprise to turn up occasionally.

The England cricket team have beaten the other old enemy, Australia, twice in three days! And it was in the 50 over format of the game; one which we are meant to be bad at (though opinion seems to be turning).

Add all this to the hospipe-ban-weather, and the rare site of yellow-brown lawns in Lancaster, and it makes me realise why I love the summer. The only way to top it off would be if a farner came to me and asked me to help with hay-making. That would bring back some very happy childhood memories of Salesis Farm.

The power of positive reinforcement

I've never been a follower of organised boycotts such as the Nestle one. I understand the key issues, but you need to take a lot of 'facts' on trust from a partisan when you support such a campaign. I have no idea whether Nestle are good are bad - how would I know that what I've been told about them is correct and free of bias?

I also have a more fundamental discomfort about organised boycotts like this. I'd much rather take action based on my own rationale rather than received wisdom.

Finally, there's a significant issue here about how we are seeking to modify the behaviour of these corporations (that is what we're trying to do isn't it?). We're told by child psychologists that we should ignore any undesired behavioural traits in our children, and reward them when we see preferred behaviour (note my hedging away from good and bad - once a philosopher...). Maybe this is an approach we should take with corporations, businesses and organisations. Perhaps, as Phil Cooke suggests, we should reward a retailer because they have exceeded our expectations.

I know from my experience in retail that you rarely get good customer feedback. When you do, it lights up your face, and you're motivated for another week in one of the most poorly paid jobs around. On the other hand, people are very happy to tell you when their expectations have not been met; sometimes in brutal terms. Why, as a society, is it easier to chide than to praise? Is there something about the human mind that makes us do this, or have we been 'trained' into this mode of behaviour? Either way, perhaps we should be the start of a revolution which, rather than boycotting on the basis of presumed wrongdoing, takes a positive experience as the motivation for affirmation - even on a corporate level. Carrots rather than sticks!

The day Stephen Hawking helped my prayer life

As I've blogged already this week, I'm participating in a week of accompanied prayer. As such, my attention has been slanted (to a greater extent than usual) towards my prayer life. 

Yesterday, I followed a link from a blog, and I eventually arrived at an article about an interview given to ABC in the USA about Professor Stephen Hawking's latest TV series over the pond. I have a lot of time for Hawking. His work in explaining the more complex ideas in theoretical physics to a lay audience has been inspirational.

The paragraph in the article that caught my attention was one that resonated with something that has come up in the sessions with my prayer guide. From one of Hawking's answers about religion:

"What could define God [is thinking of God] as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of that God," Hawking told Sawyer. "They made a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant an accidental human life is in it, that seems most impossible."

I have a tendency to intellectualise God and faith (probably a personality-type issue). This can be very necessary, but it can sometimes reduce God to something like Hawking's caricature in the paragraph above; 'the embodiment of the laws of nature' and nothing more. I think when I intellectualise and theorise God, it becomes tempting to think of God only as a way of describing and understanding the physical reality of the world, and not as the personal God that Hawking criticises as a human-made artefact. This tendency reminds me of the 'category mistake' referred to by Rowan Williams in reference to creationism. We try to fit God into an inappropriate and inadequate system of understanding - scientific 'proof' - and we end up with an incomplete conception of the thing we were trying to understand.
I expect that one of the reasons I have this tendency is my degree in philosophy and my subsequent interest in the ongoing tussle between Dawkins and the religious world. I think I often confine my contemplation of God to philosophical thoughts about his existence, and the interaction of religious ideas with scientific ones, and I stop short of trying to know God better.
So Stephen Hawking has inadvertently encouraged me to address this matter in my private prayer time. I've resolved to try further to understand God in the personal sense that Hawking rejects. 
97 days (meant to do this each day - will try harder)

Back down to earth

It might sound strange, but I always anxious when I'm on holiday about what might happen in the world while I'm away. The whole point of a holiday is to get away from it all, and I subscribe to that view. No iPhones, no newspapers. You get the picture. This is fine in principle, but I find that I retain an amount of anxiety about what might be happening in the real world while I'm offline and out of the UK.

We returned from a wonderful week in Cyprus to the devastating news from West Cumbria, and it was obviously a massive shock. During our years in Lancaster, visits to Cumbria have been a common affair, and we feel that we identify strongly with the place and the people. Consequently, this all feels very close to home.

Logically, one can look at the statistics about gun ownership and the instances of multiple murder across the world, and this offers some comfort. However, the knowledge that such a tragedy has just happened on your patch has the ability to undermine the common sense approach of the well meaning statisticians and media commentators. I don't feel at any greater risk as a result of the shootings, but I do feel uneasy; and no amount of logic will remove this.

Part of my unease is because I know that the people of West Cumbria will continue to be the subject of media intrusion and unhelpful speculation. We will also see a batch of TV programmes on the subject, along with political debate and news coverage.

What the people of West Cumbria need most at this point is time to come to terms with what has happened, to grieve for the dead, and to begin to look forward again. For the rest of us, too, the world has changed and we'll need time to adjust.

I'm still excited

I watched the second half of the debate last night, and I have to say that I am still excited. I'll definitely be watching the next one.

I'm less convinced that Clegg was the clear winner than some commentators seem to be, but I do think he edged it. I think a large part of this is down to simple human nature; let me explain with a few descriptive words about each candidate from my perspective:

Gordon Brown - uncomfortable on live TV, apologetic, uncertain, false smile

David Cameron - young, posh, ruthless, posh, conveniently silent, posh

Nick Clegg - young, honest, normal, middle-class, honest, open, honest

People want to identify with the person they choose, and this often means finding the person most similar to them. On the descriptions above, and my own misconceptions about myself, I identify most closely with Nick Clegg.

Of course, this is only a small part of the motivation for voting, and the rational part of the brain will kick in for many people, but a lot of people will vote on the basis of this kind of instinctive judgement.

This makes my think (rather cynically, but probably accurately) that the LibDems had better debate coaching, and that perhaps Nick Clegg is more gifted in this particular art and therefore more receptive to the coaching. It doesn't necessarily mean that he would be any better than the other 2 as a Prime Minister.
Bring on the next one - I like seeing them squirm!