The picture is taken at The Shack coffee shop at beautiful Marble Hill Beach in Donegal, Ireland. Sun shining, coffee in hand, Irish Times on knee – life and retirement look good!
This blog deals with the ‘back story’ behind that picture. Issues of identity and belonging are constants for me. Born in Dublin, I grew up in Enniskillen and Belfast and spent 29 years in ministry in Northern Ireland. It was a ministry spent mainly in troubled places – challenging and fulfilling in equal measure. That’s one strand of our belonging – but another one began with our move to Scotland in 2005 when I become Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and then Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Those years brought fresh challenges stretched me in all sorts of ways. Scotland is now our home – as it is for our three adult children and four grandchildren.
So questions of faith are always there – politics and culture too. And there is cycling, travel and the Burmese cats with which we live. I don’t represent anybody now. So I’m writing for myself and for anybody who is interested.
I enjoy writing – it’s one of the best ways of clarifying thinking. I hope you will enjoy reading!