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Life and Work - July

Holiday Dilemmas

Making an informed choice when holidaying overseas is vitally important to a number of 21st century Christians. This month, two Christian holidaymakers on 'ethical' breaks overseas relive their experience. Jeanette Allan, of Dunblane, who has holidayed in Cuba and Thailand on ethical breaks, said: "There were thought provoking holidays. You still got a chance to see all the interesting tourist things, but you got a real taste of who the people were, how they lived and how important the Fairtrade/ethical tourism is to them."

Sense of purpose

Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, President of the Boys' Brigade and the chair of the Commission on Scottish Devolution formed by the Scottish Parliament, this month looks back on his 50-plus years association with the BB.

He explains how the fellowship of the BB had helped him through the trauma of his father's death when he was only nine years old and instilled the values and team approach which have helped shape his life.

"It's absolutely true that the values the Boys’ Brigade instils in young men are values they can hold on to and use throughout their lives. Anytime I meet up with an old boy, I take the opportunity to urge them to get re-involved.

"The BB needs men to come forward and help create the next generation of leaders."

Whilst he would not be drawn on his thoughts on the work of the Commission, he said: "It is not clear why I was chosen for the post, but I was able to use the same analytical technique to approach the questions that the commission threw up as I had used throughout my career - ask questions, define the issues, use specialist expertise as required. Most importantly, at the end of the day, it is the people of Scotland who will decide."

Democracy: what is it good for?

In the aftermath of the general election, the Rev Dr Robin Hill highlights the need for the Christian voice to be heard in the political arena.

"People sometimes ask why the church keeps speaking out over humanitarian and international issues: arms sales, climate change, trade justice, HIV, debt and all the rest. Why can't it just concentrate on its familiar Sunday manifesto: that hour of worship which happily comes round once a week?

"The truth is that God is a 24/7 God and we too must be 24/7 Christians because that is our role, standing up for what God demands: a world, rather than merely a nation, that is at peace."

Ends.

Note to News Desks

For further information, please contact Lynne McNeil, Editor of Life and Work on 0131 225 5722 ext 207 or by email at lrobertson@lifeandwork.org.

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Thursday 17, June 2010

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