It was freezing cold the day Neil Laybourn saw a man in a T-shirt sitting on a high ledge on Waterloo Bridge and made a split-second decision that would change both their lives for ever. “It’s hard to pin down what it was that made me stop… but it would have played on my mind Read more
In March 2020l, Lockdown happened so fast, it felt like an emotional earthquake. Nothing like it had happened to this country. We didn’t know how to react. Understanding this, our leaders knew they needed to give daily broadcasts. Those updates held us together. We tuned in each day to Covid news that finished with a Read more
Pope Francis Social Encyclical: ‘Fratelli Tutti’ was launched at the Vatican, Sunday 4 October, 2020. The document focuses on fraternity and social friendship as the ways to build a better, more just and peaceful world – with the contribution of all: people and institutions. The official summary follows, with a link to download the full Read more
October 4, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti during a visit to Assisi. The encyclical calls for a new kind of politics and emphasises social friendship as a way to build a more just and peaceful world. It encourages the contribution of all people and institutions and seeks to build a global movement Read more
Back in 2017, before Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as prime minister, she said she wanted the new government to be “empathetic and kind”. We’re all familiar with the “be kind” mantra, but I question its ability to achieve… well, anything. Ardern asked landlords to chill with raising their rent when the kind thing to Read more
Bushra Alkhafaji and her daughter Nada are New Zealand citizens who arrived in Iran in February for an annual trip, with flights paid for by Bushra’s Iran-based daughters. On a short visit to Isfahan during the holiday, Iran announced inter-city travel restrictions so Bushra and Nada were separated from relatives and had to find temporary Read more
God shows his love, not with great speeches, but with simple, tender acts of charity, Pope Francis said. “When Jesus wants to teach us how a Christian should be, he tells us very little,” the pope said, but he shows people by feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger. Celebrating Mass in the chapel of Read more
Manuella Andersen was waiting in line at the Huntly Countdown when she noticed the woman in front of her was tentatively putting items through the checkout. “She was picking her groceries out of her trolley one by one at the same time as having them scanned to see what the total was and if she could afford Read more
Worrying about possible drug use, alcohol abuse and drunk driving; concerns about smoking and vaping; pushing kids too hard to succeed in school and at sports; providing a home and financial support; paying attention to grades and schoolwork; getting them to eat healthy and go to church or temple or simply disconnect and get outside… Read more
A St Peter’s College, Auckland, student has been handing out positive messages to commuters because he wants to change the culture of isolation on Auckland’s trains and get people talking to each other. Tainui Singh-Clark, 16, has been giving the handwritten messages to strangers since earlier this year, leaving smiles in his wake. Read more