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The Derby Islamic Centre is very close to the Salvation Army in the centre of the city, and I’d been thinking of making a visit for a while. On hearing this, my colleague and friend David Howarth also expressed an interest in visiting, especially as he’d never been to a mosque before. So I emailed my friend Ibrahim Mogra in Leicester, and he facilitated contact with the centre for me.

David and I were very warmly welcomed and we sat (over tea and biscuits) and chatted for nearly an hour with three representatives of the mosque. There are prayer areas on two levels, although there were buckets in the upper area as they currently have a problem with rain getting in. Hopefully they can get this fixed soon. On the upper level there is a much smaller room for the women to pray (something my western cultural background finds difficult to accept, although I don’t mean that to be a criticism) as well as an area for teaching.

There’s much misunderstanding about Islam (especially via the media), and so I think it’s important to establish and maintain dialogue in order to understand better and build relationships. It’s about breaking down barriers and developing mutual respect. For those who may feel we were compromising our Christian faith or diluting its character, nothing could be further from the truth. We unashamedly visited as Christian leaders in our full Salvation Army uniforms and were pleased to be welcomed as such. There was no offence taken, and David and I deepened our understanding of Islam. We were also pleased to hear an unequivocal condemnation of violence done in the name of Islam.

All in all it was a very helpful visit, and I’m extremely grateful for the gracious welcome and hospitality we received. There’s a dangerous rise in far-right politics in Europe at the moment, that seeks to spread fear of Islam – not least the English Defence League. Clearly there are Islamist extremists (as there are extremists amongst those of other faiths and none), but I would encourage you to build relationships and seek understanding wherever possible – and maybe visit your local mosque. As in the words of Saint Francis: grant that I may not so much seek to be understood, as to understand.

Yesterday (on the last day of my spring holiday) I travelled up Middlesbrough to see the new appointment I’ll be taking up at the end of July 2012. I met the officers I’m taking over from, and shared lunch with them in what will be my new home. I also had the chance to see round the hall in the centre of the town. The photo shows the main worship hall. I also met one of the local officers, and we had a good chat about the vision the corps has for future. As a Salvation Army Officer I’m given changes of appointment by my leaders, following discussions with the corps and conversations with me. Following this process, I discovered where I was going in an early morning email back in February 2012. I’m already looking forward to this new opportunity for Christian leadership, witness and ministry, and count it a privilege to serve God in this way. I’m also grateful for the trust the Salvation Army has placed in me for the new responsibility.

The early hours of the morning can be especially dark and cruel when depression strikes.

My words written a few days ago in the early hours of the morning when depression descended like an uninvited guest. The depression eased, but only to give way to the frustration of insomnia. I must have dozed off for a few minutes, because I woke in sheer terror – hanging onto the duvet for dear life! I gave in and decided to get up!

My reasons for openly sharing my experiences of depression are to help get rid of the stigma that still surrounds mental illness and to help others, sufferers and those who provide support. But sometimes I need help and support myself (that’s nothing to be ashamed of) and I’m grateful for all my friends and family who provide this. I have bipolar disorder that is well-controlled, but sometimes depression becomes a struggle. Difficult personal circumstances and times of change don’t help. Stephen Fry and Russell Brand both suffer from bipolar disorder, and Russell Brand’s character and life well illustrates the manic aspect of this condition, as well as his addictive personality. We should cut him some slack!

The darkness of depression is exactly that, darkness. A darkness that excludes, and this includes the light of God. God’s presence is always with us (of course), but not always recognised. It’s a very dark place, one that those who haven’t been there can’t begin to imagine. So ‘well-meaning’ people can cause great harm, and ‘well-meaning’ Christians even more so if they suggest (directly or indirectly) that a lack of faith, trust (and the like) might be connected with the depression. The Church and some Christians can do guilt very well, so I seek to enlighten whenever possible.

Sometimes those of us with depression need to ‘pull ourselves together’. Picking yourself up and doing something is useful, going out for a walk is good, starting something creative is excellent (for example) for lifting the darkness of depression. Often the darkness is too deep though, the event horizon has been crossed. So telling someone in that situation to ‘pull themselves together’ or reminding them that ‘things could be worse’ (and the like) only makes things worse. Sometimes there are times when it just can’t be done, unfortunately this simply adds to the feelings of failure and hopelessness, and deepens the darkness. I’m learning when I need to allow myself to go with the flow and give in, and when to give myself a kick up the backside. Sometimes when I’m feeling very depressed I don’t feel like doing anything or going out, but I always feel better when I do.

For the person supporting, it’s having the sensitivity to know how and when to encourage moving towards the light. Just be there and support, it will be appreciated. Don’t pretend to understand if you’ve not been there, and NEVER tell someone to stop taking their medicine!

Often depression comes in the loneliness and darkness of the early hours of the morning, although depression can strike at any time, even in the middle of a sunny day! It can also last for long periods. The silence of the early hours can be a mixed blessing for me. At times I appreciate them, at other times they’re too much. It can be the time when the depression (that I may have been fighting all day) really hits. Sylvia Plath wrote (in The Bell Jar), The silence depressed me. It wasn’t the silence of silence. It was my own silence.

Fortunately, it’s not all dark. There is a positive life that can be lived with depression, and it’s possible to live a fulfilling life as well having the ability to help and support others. An important way forward for someone with depression is to build a network of people around them who understand and are supportive. It’s also important to seek appropriate medical help and (if possible) counselling. Insights from cognitive behavioural therapy can also help, as well as a better understanding of the causes of depression and things that help.

Someone with depression is more likely to compare themselves with other people and criticize themselves more harshly. Mind you, we all do it, and could benefit from silencing the inner critic sometimes – he/she can be a very harsh critic! Sometimes I feel like a failure, a waste of space and completely unloved. I know that’s not true.

Speaking directly to the person with depression: Remember that your feelings are just that, feelings. I understand that they become your reality, but that’s false! In the depth of your darkness, try and hold on to that truth. It’s not always easy, and just because I’ve been a Salvation Army Officer for over 30 years doesn’t mean I’ve got everything in my life sorted out, but I can live with that!

Note: the image Broken Flowers has been used within the terms of a Creative Commons license.

Many English people are ambivalent about, and reluctant to fly, the English flag. This is for a variety of complex reasons, and I’m not going to outline or analyse them here. One reason though, is it’s association with the racism of the far-right in politics, represented by the English Defence League. This is why I’ve posted on Facebook and Twitter today: I’m proud to live in a rich and diverse multicultural England. The racist, far-right do not own the flag and do not represent me! and Happy St George’s Day! Reclaim the flag! It doesn’t belong to the racist far-right, it belongs to a rich and diverse multicultural England!

When you start to look into his background and history, you begin to realise that George is a perfect patron saint for our wonderfully rich and diverse multicultural country. His paternal family was Turkish and his mother Palestinian, so this is already becoming a little awkward for the EDL! As a sideline, their leader got the date of St George’s Day wrong yesterday!

George is the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Genoa, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Istanbul, Lithuania, Moscow, Palestine, Portugal and Venice! He’s widely respected by Muslims. So what better saint to represent England’s unity in diversity? Fly the flag with pride, and celebrate all that’s good about England today! Inclusive patriotism, not exclusive nationalism!

And remember, hate, racism and inequality are the dragons St George needs to slay today!

This is a great video that captures the true meaning of Easter. Even if you’re not a person of faith or agnostic in your outlook, do give it a look as it has something to say about our world today. Best in full screen view. Oh, and there’s a great soundtrack – so turn the volume up! Happy Easter!

The phrase ‘up north’ depends where you live in the British Isles! Many people in the south of England think that anything above London is ‘the north’. Indeed, a ‘southern softie’ friend of mine jokingly commented that he gets a nose bleed after Derbyshire! I was born in the Midlands, and currently live in the Midlands (near Nottingham) – this is NOT the north!

Anyway, I received a change of appointment today to Middlesbrough Citadel Corps, effective from July this year. My current appointment was only ever going to be temporary one for personal reasons, whereas this will be a permanent appointment as a Corps Officer again (rather than as an associate/support officer). I’m feeling positive about the new appointment, although it’s a long way from my elderly (late 80s) parents. Middlesbrough is most definitely the north, but there’s still a long way to go before you reach Scotland!

The start of a New Year is always a time for resolutions, even though any day of the year can be a new beginning if we choose it to be! One resolution which lends itself to January 1 is reading the Bible in a year. This sounds like a simple enough task, but in reality it’s very difficult. One reason is that you reach a difficult part of the Bible in February/March time, another reason is that some of the material is duplicated (and told from different perspectives), and the arrangement of the Bible is not chronological. These three difficulties conspire to confound even the most dedicated reader, as I know from experience!

An answer to this problem is to read the Bible in chronological order, and there are a number of Bibles which set out the material in this way. One year I read the Bible through in the New International Version, although I didn’t find the associated commentary helpful as it was written by a very conservative scholar. This year I am using the Bible pictured above, which has minimal notes as you progress through. The translation is the inclusive language New Living Translation. And so to Genesis chapter 1…

This is a guest post from colleague Salvation Army Officer Jason Davies-Kildea from Australia. I’m grateful to Jason for allowing me to reproduce it here.

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia. It might be a good day to reflect on how much simpler my life could be if I would only stay quiet about the ‘issue’ of homosexuality and the church. Yet, I don’t think silence is the vocation that I’ve been called into.

I’m sure people wonder why a heterosexual man would spend the time and energy that I have done campaigning for greater understanding and acceptance of gay and lesbian people within the church and more specifically within The Salvation Army. The answer is pretty simple really – I keep witnessing people being hurt by ignorance and prejudice and I refuse to allow this situation to continue unchallenged.

I’ve lost count of the number of people that have told me how they used to be a part of the church but when they awakened to a differing sexuality, they were excluded – some quickly and cruelly and others slowly frozen out. My heart breaks when I hear of the violence inflicted on gay and lesbian people because they are different. I wonder why followers of Jesus, instead of welcoming these marginalised folk, seem to be the chief proponents of highlighting their difference, legitimising prejudice and ‘othering’. I am deeply saddened when I hear of occurrences of self-hatred, self-harm and suicide amongst LGBT people, many of whose misconceptions of their own self-worth have been driven home by ‘well-meaning’ Christians.

So, while LGBT people continue to be the victims of intimidation, bullying and violence, I’ll fight. While Christians hide their prejudice behind a handful of out-of-context scriptures, I’ll fight. While the church remains closed to my gay and lesbian friends, I’ll fight. While love comes second to man-made rules, I’ll fight to the very end.

I posted this morning about the Walk to Emmaus that’s often recalled by Christians on the Sunday after Easter. The Risen Jesus comes alongside two followers and walks with them, and when they arrived home they invited him in. The painting (showing the moment of realisation) is, like the sketch this morning, by Rembrandt and you can read the story here!

The story of the Walk to Emmaus is often recalled by Christians on the Sunday after Easter. Two followers of Jesus are walking home, and the Risen Jesus comes alongside and walks with them – a reminder that he walks with us on life’s journey. The sketch is by Rembrandt and you can read the story here! A painting by Rembrandt is featured in my next post, Supper at Emmaus.