Palestinian men queuing behind bars at Bethlehem checkpoint

Biblical imagery and Palestinian reality in Bethlehem

Posted Posted in People & Politics, Place & Travel, Religion & Spirituality

Every year, at some point during Advent, I remember. Having re-established itself in my mind, the thought recurs throughout the Christmas season before fading away as the festivities come to an end. The thought goes something along these lines: ‘It was not like this.’ Or: ‘That’s not right. The reality is different.’ What I’m experiencing is […]

Compostela for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage

Certifiable? Another pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago gets her compostela

Posted Posted in Place & Travel, Religion & Spirituality

I’ve finally fulfilled a long-held desire to be a pilgrim and got my compostela (official certificate) for having completed a section of the Spanish pilgrimage route the Camino de Santiago. I’ve long wanted to do the Camino, a contemporary form of pilgrimage which is undergoing a resurgence, attracting 21st-century pilgrims of all faiths and none. […]

Cover of the book 'Exploring Doubt' by Alex Wright featuring a row boat beached on a boggy landscape

Exploring doubt and evolving non-fiction

Posted Posted in Religion & Spirituality, Writing & Publishing

  Alex Wright’s short book Exploring Doubt is bang on zeitgeist. Situated firmly in the terrain between religious faith and unbelief, it turns on the thesis that ‘it is in hiddenness, not transparency, that life’s meanings may most eloquently be expressed.’ Along with a growing number of voices pointing to the limitations of a society […]