Start:Stop - I wash my hands in innocence

Raw Material Washing Hands by Bruce Nauman, 1996

Hello and welcome to our weekly reflection from St Stephen Walbrook. You can listen to an audio version of this text here. 

“I pray that those of us who are white Christians repent of our own prejudices, and do the urgent work of becoming better allies to our brothers and sisters of colour."

"For those of us who are white Christians, I pray that we reflect and pray deeply and honestly on what it means to follow the teaching of Jesus to “love your neighbour as yourself””

Tweets by the Archbishop of Canterbury last week which were met with support but also criticism by some white Christians who claimed to be innocent of the charge; and had no need to repent for prejudice.

“I wash my hands in innocence” cries the psalmist. I wonder how many of us can say the same with integrity?

Start:Stop – Revisiting the legacy of Augustine of Canterbury

Hello and welcome to our Start:Stop reflection from St Stephen Walbrook, my name is Phillip Dawson.

This week we remember a man who set out from a deserted city on a dangerous journey north. No, not Dominic Cummings and his much dissected trip to Durham – but St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, who, with his mobile monastery of forty lay and ordained men, journeyed one thousand miles by sea, river and land from Rome and, on their second attempt, arrived in Canterbury, where they built a cathedral, a school and hospital and baptised thousands of new Christians; sowing the seeds of faith that would grow to become the Church of England.

BOOK REVIEW : Saying Yes to Life by Ruth Valerio

Saying Yes To Life - The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2020 by Ruth Valerio

Ruth Valerio uses the Days of Creation (Genesis 1) to form the seven chapters of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2020 Lent Book, which ends with a large bibliography and is accompanied by a website that contains five fifteen minute video clips and links to further resources associated with each chapter - which will be helpful for those using the book in the context of a weekly study group during Lent.