Archive
Category: Practice
-
Preparation Is What Separates Discussion From Chat
I remember sitting in a cramped university library years ago, watching a circle of students surrounded by highlighters, expensive tablets, and enough caffeine to…
-
Ask Someone Ten Years Ahead of You
I spent thirty years in hospital wards, sitting in the quiet, heavy spaces between life and death, and if there is one thing I…
-
One Honest Friend Is Worth More Than Ten Encouraging Ones
I remember sitting in a cramped hospital consultation room, the air smelling of stale antiseptic and floor wax, listening to a man weep because…
-
The Need Nearest You Is Usually Unglamorous
I remember sitting in a cramped hospital waiting room years ago, listening to a well-meaning volunteer explain how “community engagement” was the silver bullet…
-
Contentment Is Trained, Not Discovered
I remember sitting in a small, dimly lit room in the hospice during my final year of chaplaincy, listening to a man who had…
-
Owning Less Is Easier Than Wanting Less
I spent most of my years in hospital wards, sitting in the quiet spaces between a patient’s breath and their inevitable questions, and I…
-
Decide the Proportion Once, Not Every Time
I remember sitting in a dim hospital corridor in the late nineties, the air thick with the sterile, metallic scent of antiseptic and old…
-
Hospitality Is Ordinary Food and Undivided Attention
I remember sitting in a cramped, fluorescent-lit hospital waiting room thirty years ago, watching a well-meaning volunteer attempt to “provide comfort” by offering a…
-
A Plan Removes the Daily Question of Where to Start
I remember sitting in the hospital chapel during a particularly heavy winter, watching a young man stare at a thick theological tome as if…
-
Two Different Readings of the Same Page
I remember sitting in a cramped hospital chapel late one Tuesday, watching a young man pore over a leather-bound Bible with a ferocity that…