Over the last week, as details have emerged of the terrible tragedy of seven international aid workers killed by Israeli missiles as they attempted to distribute food to civilians in Gaza, I have been filled with horror. My heart breaks for the families and friends of those seven aid workers. John Chapman, James Henderson and … More The Tragedy of the Gaza Aid Convoy
For several years now, God has been teaching me about trauma. As I have accompanied our adopted children on their healing journeys from a background of risk, and as I have experienced various painful situations myself that could be described as traumatic, I have often had the sense that God is preparing me in some … More Faith in Times of Trauma
Living here in Israel in the aftermath of 7th October, I sometimes feel like a rocket has landed right in the middle of my own life and sent all my foundations flying. Of course, this is an exaggeration. When I really think about it, I can see that plenty of solid foundations remain very much … More Is Depression a Moral Failure?
Yesterday, The Israeli Opera released a powerful adaptation of the song “Somewhere” from West Side Story, sung in Hebrew, Arabic and English with lyrics re-worked to capture a heart-longing for peace between Jews and Arabs in the face of this devastating conflict. I wept for the duration of the video and felt as though it … More Human Life is Precious to God on Both Sides of the Border
I know I’m not the only one in recent weeks who has watched the throngs of demonstrators across the so-called-civilised world taking to the streets, demanding the obliteration of Israel, who has felt a deep sense of bewilderment at how on earth we got to this point. Disagreeing with the policies of the Israeli government … More The Frantic Quest for Scapegoats in a Topsy Turvy World
When news first broke of the terrible massacre that was unfolding in southern Israel and we suddenly found ourselves plunged into the middle of a war, I had no words to pray. All there was inside me was a deep sense of horror. It was too raw to even articulate. I didn’t want to look … More Underneath are the Everlasting Arms
Even though I’ve lived in Israel for nearly 15 years, conducting my day-to-day life in Hebrew and doing important things like buying a house and adopting children in the Hebrew language, I am still dismayed at how often I find myself saying, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand!” How, after all this time in the country, … More I’m Sorry, I Don’t Understand
As our plane took off on Saturday night – a chartered flight organised by the British government to rescue its citizens from the war in Israel – I broke down in tears. For the first time since the war began, I allowed myself the luxury of weeping – deep, heavy sobs from the bottom of … More Beloved Israel, My Heart is Breaking for You
We have been walking through some emotional difficulties with our 9-year-old son in recent months. He is a relatively high functioning autistic child who experienced significant rejection and bullying at school last year. Now he has just started a new school that seems like a better fit, but he is still carrying a lot of … More It’s Time to Stop Labelling Emotional Distress as Madness
I never used to realise just how radical and counter-cultural the Bible was in its treatment of women. God’s passion to set the captives free and to stand against injustice shines through the biblical passages about women both in the Old and New Testaments. What a different place the world would be today if women … More The Gospel Message Sets Captive Women Free
Higher Than Me 