iChaplain

Last weekend, as I watched news coverage of demonstrations connected to immigration and asylum seekers arriving on Britain's shores, I found myself increasingly troubled. Alongside the images of protest were reports of abuse directed towards RNLI crews for rescuing people crossing the Channel. What has stayed with me is not the politics of immigration itself, but the challenge it poses to Christians seeking to respond faithfully in an increasingly divided society. As a Christian, I found myself asking some uncomfortable questions. What should happen when a human being is in danger? How should we respond to those who arrive on our shores? How do we hold together compassion, truth and justice when public debate is often driven by fear, anger and misinformation? Christians can, and do, differ on immigration policy. Sensible, compassionate people can disagree about border security, asylum systems, integration, public services and the responsibilities of government. These a...

There’s a moment early in John’s Gospel that has always stood out for me. Two curious men begin following Jesus at a distance, unsure what to say, unsure what they’re even looking for. Jesus turns, notices them, and asks the simplest question imaginable: “What do you want?” (John 1:38). They mumble something about where He’s staying. And Jesus replies with three words that have shaped Christian invitation ever since: “Come and see.” (John 1:39) No pressure. No performance. No sales pitch. Just presence, honesty, and an open door. In my previous reflection, Beyond Evangelism: Becoming the Kind of People Who Help Others Find Jesus , I explored how our calling isn’t to “sell” Jesus but to become the kind of people through whom others can encounter Him. If you haven’t read it yet, you can find it here: https://www.ichaplain.uk/2026/07/beyond-evangelism-becoming-kind-of.html That post laid the foundation for this one, because the heart of “come and see” is the heart of becoming those kin...

T here are some words that carry a lot of emotional weight. Sin is one of them. For many people it comes with a lifetime of baggage: shame, fear, memories of being told off, or the sense that God is standing over us with a clipboard. It is no wonder people flinch when they hear it. But the heart of the Gospel is not about God pointing out what is wrong with us. It is about God wanting us back. Wherever you find yourself today, whether faith feels familiar or distant, this reflection is for you. It is for anyone who has ever wondered what God is really like, or what it might mean to turn toward Him again. When Sin Looks Less Like Shame and More Like Healing When we speak about sin, we are not talking about a list of failures. At its heart, sin is simply the name we give to the moments when we drift from the life God invites us into. It is the distance that opens up between who we are right now and the person we were created to become. Most of us recognise that distance. We feel it in t...