Scott Peddie

There are many, many, things money cannot buy. Roy T Bennet, in his book 'The Light in the Heart' highlighted 15 of those. There are of course so many more. The key message is that there is so much we either take for granted, or we do not even notice in our day-to-day lives that are meaningful and valuable. It is worth thinking about. After all, sometimes the materially poor are the richest people you will ever meet. They can teach us much about what really matters.

There is a famous song by Sydney Carter is a powerful reminder that that being there for someone who is struggling, in whatever way we can, is an act of great beauty and love. That the song is a Christian one is a simple exposition of ethics and one that we can all subscribe to regardless of our faith or religious persuasion. It is universal, the key lines of which are as follows: When I needed a neighbour were you there? I was hungry and thirsty were you there? When I needed a shelter were...

I have been reflecting of late on Derek Walcott's 'Love after Love'. Maybe you have a picture in your mind of a person you miss and would like to meet again? Or maybe that picture is of the 'old you', or 'real you' that has been ground down by the vicissitudes of life? Perhaps you have been questioning your identity, or your self-confidence has taken a hard knock and you no longer feel like 'yourself'? To fully immerse ourselves in loving another, we have to love ourselves first. To do that...