An Open Letter to Northern Ireland’s Political Leaders

(This open letter first appeared in Steve Stockman’s blog and is reproduced by permission) Dear Political Leaders As you go into intensive talks this week to save the political institutions and our unraveling peace process I want to assure you of my prayers. I...

Sacrificial Voting

“Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” -Proverbs 31:9 “Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” (Plato) My polling card dropped through the...

Sticks and Stones

Whether politics is an art or a science may intrigue the academics, but for many of us in Northern Ireland it is a deeply dispiriting and often quite ugly spectacle.  Let me balance that by saying unequivocally that our leaders deserve a great deal of respect and...

Elections 2015: any hope for an elusive quality?

The Virgin airlines 747 pilot who this week had to make an emergency landing said he was just doing his job and had expressed a preference not to be named. When reporting this fact, one radio presenter commented in a tone of admiration that he was also “obviously a...