Jason Robinson’s moto: “‘Personal glory is not what it’s all about. The team is everything and my duty is to do well for the team.'” Read more

An independent interview states: “Clearly, Robinson can run rings round me theologically as effortlessly as he could with a rugby ball tucked under his arm. Interestingly, like other born-again Christians I have met, his usual level of eloquence, which on a scale of one to 10 is about five, increases to eight or nine when he is talking about his faith. Certainly, the whole subject of his conversion, chronicled in his book, is a fascinating one. There was nothing very... Read more

“Hilary Benn : is to follow in his father Tony’s footsteps and join the cabinet, replacing Baroness Amos as international development secretary, it was announced today.” I wonder what his extremely left wing father makes of him joining a governement that is arguably more right wing than Mrs Thatchers? Read more

Argument: “A Talmudic rabbi asked, ‘Who is truly penitent?’ and answered, ‘One who, when the same opportunity for sin presents itself, refrains from sinning’ – adding succinctly, ‘The same woman, the same season, the same place.'” Read more

The founder of the Samaritans explained why despite being a vicar he deliberately made the organisation an entirely secular one. “‘Many people were driven to suicide because they were too gentle and loveable for the rat race,’ he says in Before I Die Again. ‘And where could they find refuge? Who would understand them, and not make them feel inadequate? Not, on the whole, the church. In fact, in a different way, the church’s standards were as destructive as the... Read more

From The Obvious?: “The soul of culture is conversation. This can be extended possibly to: the quality of our culture is shaped by the quality of our conversations, as in, at the heart of superficial cultures are superficial conversations … at the heart of creative cultures are creative conversations.” Read more

The Obvious? also stated “Every interpersonal e-mail message creates, or sustains, or alters the membership of a group. It happens so naturally that we don’t even think about it. When you’re writing a message to Sally, you cc: Joe and Beth. Joe adds Mark to the cc: list on his reply. You and Sally work for one department of your company, Joe for another, Beth is a customer, and Mark is an outside contractor. These subtle and spontaneous acts of... Read more

The Obvious?: Fascinating: “Just last night I was thinking how the world mostly divides into half full and half empty people. The former tend to see opportunity in things while the latter tend to see scarcity and hold onto what they have got. One represents growth and change, the other stagnation and eventually death.” Read more

This is why the AA and similar groups do so well as people can say honestly (and no doubt truthfully) as hear by a Post-Modern Pilgrim: “I have never found any group of people anywhere that gives me the love and support that I get here. Nowhere. Not even in the groups that think they do. Not at church, in the military, sports teams, in the bars. Here is where community is really lived.” O for churches that are true... Read more

Its quotes like this that make me love the Real Live Preacher “I don’t know what goes on, really. The world is such a big place and we are such small people. Who knows how everything fits together? I want to say that this is how The Creator works in our lives. With small moves and a very light touch” Read more