I find many of the things that Franklin Graham says extremely frustrating. Whether he is talking about Muslims, or Donald Trump, it seems like he represents a brand of religio-nationalism more than he does the teachings of Christ. However, I thought this post defending his work (through Samaritan’s Purse) in New York was very insightful… Continue reading Franklin Graham and Freedom of Religion
Enjoying quarantine: something for those with more time on their hands, and something for those with kids
There are some of you who have found yourselves with more time on your hands than you had before Covid-19 emerged. According to the media, some of you are finding this to be a hellish experience. As someone doing home quarantine with a high-energy 3-year-old and a 6-month-old, I find this difficult to imagine, but… Continue reading Enjoying quarantine: something for those with more time on their hands, and something for those with kids
A life online
Today our church met for the first time online. I don’t mean that we listened to a band, and then listened to a sermon as they appeared in a one-way ‘livestream.’ We met (via Zoom) and sang together, we learned a Jesus story, we discussed a Psalm, and we prayed together. It wasn’t quite like… Continue reading A life online
What I learned from my month without Twitter
At the start of Advent I decided to take month long break from Twitter, the last remaining social media platform that I use. During the autumn I had noticed myself feeling on edge, running towards distractions, and I wanted to see if I could spend Advent focussing on its original purpose: anticipating the coming of… Continue reading What I learned from my month without Twitter
Why I’m celebrating Advent for the first time by fasting Twitter
This December is the first time I’ve observed Advent. I mean really intentionally observed it. While I love this season as much as anyone, I usually don’t make the most of it. I’m usually distracted by whatever it is I’m working on and, by the time Christmas comes around, I get swept up in whatever… Continue reading Why I’m celebrating Advent for the first time by fasting Twitter
How anti-racism strategies can backfire
While reading about refugee children in Sweden, I came across a study by Ann Runfors which looked at the way that schools on the multicultural margins of Swedish society instil identity in those they teach. What Runfors found was that while the schools she visited worked hard to avoid emphasising the differences between people, with… Continue reading How anti-racism strategies can backfire
Sweden’s new class system
A short time ago I visited a Syrian family with a friend of mine. My friend is an engineer and had decided to help this family’s two sons with their maths homework. Our time with the family was lovely. We got there and the two sons were ready to get started right away. They started… Continue reading Sweden’s new class system
Why silencing Jordan B. Peterson does little for our public debate
I grew up thinking that universities were places where ideas could be discussed, challenged, contested, and ultimately improved. I thought that they were places where anyone was welcome and where rigour of thought and evidence were valued more highly than political biases. In this marketplace of debates, I assumed that populism and partisanship would be… Continue reading Why silencing Jordan B. Peterson does little for our public debate
Is identity fixed?
One of the interesting factors in the immigration debates that take place around Europe is how common it is that we end up making identity seem like something that is set in stone. Whoever you ask what it means to be Muslim, or what it means to be Swedish, they will usually describe something that… Continue reading Is identity fixed?
The one who got sent back
In my last post I mentioned the young men I spoke to who had converted to Christianity within the Church of Sweden. What I failed to mention was one young man, Amir*, who converted to Christianity, was then deported, but returned to Sweden a second time in order to seek asylum. Amir had lived in… Continue reading The one who got sent back