Pilgrim

 The world must seem a scary place at the moment.  Russia is a growing threat, the current leadership in USA appears to be unreliable, there is an increase in hatred and violence all over the world.  People are threatened by the impacts of Climate change, migration levels and financial inequity.   I was talking with a good friend yesterday and we got onto the topic of how crazy things are and they mentioned something that their daughter had said.  Essentially, they were asking a valid question of why did God allow the Bondi Beach shooting to happen.  It is a question that has been asked before of course over time.  But it remains a good question and one that on the surface would appear to be difficult to answer.  Certainly, the God who is all powerful and all seeing and yet stands by while innocent people are killed is definitely not a god who I would bow down to, or even accept.     It got me thinking of how I would answer tha...

As I’m sure many of you have seen in the media and on social media, April was Autism Awareness Month. It’s not just a month of plugging awareness but also educating others and opening discussions. I myself was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 1995 so thought I’d write a small piece on being ‘autistic’ and having faith. In a short and simple definition, Autism is a neurological difference meaning people perceive the world differently. This can involve senses and communication (in- and outgoing). It’s a spectrum so no one person is the same as another and can go from ‘mild’ to ‘severe’. Autism is also a hidden disability: you cannot tell someone is autistic by sight alone. This can cause a plethora of difficulties and prejudgement from supposed friends, family members and the further community who do not understand or accept the way you perceive the world. Having a faith and being autistic is another conundrum: those who are autistic can often be seen as lacking in empathy ...