iChaplain

When Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:1–4), there is a really difficult line in it: “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” Wow. That is challenging. It’s one thing to ask God for forgiveness. Most of us know what it is to get things wrong. We all have regrets, mistakes, moments we wish we could redo. Asking for forgiveness can feel natural, even necessary. But then Jesus links it to something much harder. That same forgiveness must flow through us to others. Suddenly, this prayer becomes more than comforting words. It becomes a mirror. The Measure We Use Jesus isn’t suggesting forgiveness as an optional extra for especially kind people. He puts it right at the centre of prayer. Forgive us as we forgive. In other words, the way we deal with others becomes part of our relationship with God. That’s uncomfortable. Because if we’re honest, forgiveness can feel impossible. Some wounds go deep. Some words linger. Some acti...

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27 In a world that rarely slows down, where anxiety lingers and uncertainty feels constant, the promise of peace can feel distant. Yet in John 14:27, Jesus offers something profoundly different: not just peace, but his peace. This is not a fleeting feeling. It is a gift, deep, steady, and enduring. An Inspiration from Pentecost Recently, I attended a Pentecost celebration at Durham Cathedral, where people came together to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and God’s work in the world today. The speaker was Sam Ward from The Message Trust, and part of his message centred on the peace of Christ, which is something that stayed with me. This blog post is, in part, a reflection inspired by that message. When Peace Becomes Personal A few years ago, I went through a particularly difficult time. My dad was battling cancer. He had undergon...