Whenever I leave my building I immediately step into a street where between a hundred thousand and a million people walk every day. It is not just local people who walk along Istiklal but people from all over the world and all seem to enjoy the experience. The sights and sounds of Istiklal attract a wide range of different people adorned in a…

“What was the highlight of your visit to Turkey?” we asked a couple who was part of a team visiting us for two weeks. There time here had included visiting places like the amazing rocky landscape of Cappadocia, the spectacular travertines at Pamukkale and the fascinating ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus not to mention exploring the rich cultural history of…

I once read about a woman whose body was found in the streets of a busy Asian city. The woman had committed suicide and next to her body was a small piece of paper which read:  ‘Who am I? Tell me who  am I’. This poor woman died in loneliness.  Like many people living in big cities today she became estranged from…

In the Middle East it is very important to follow the right protocol. Almost every social situation has its own rules of what should be said and done and people can be deeply offended when this ignored. So it is important to learn the protocol so that you can approach each situation in an appropriate way. When we read the Bible it…

A few years ago UCI was running a Third Culture Kids seminar and on the first evening the attendees were asked where they felt most at home. One of them responded ‘At international airports!’ We all have places where we feel most at home, secure and competent. If the disciples had been asked the same question they would have probably responded: “On…

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”    (1 Tim 6) I haven’t met too many people in my life who have been truly content with their lives. Contentment doesn’t come easily to us but once…

‘Prayer is friendship with God. Friendship is not formal, but it is not formless: it has its cultivation, its behavior, its obligations, even its disciplines; and the casual mind kills it.’ George Buttrick Jesus said: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father…

You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world During a visit to the head quarters of the Salvation Army in London I listened to speaker talking about the vision and activities of the church today. They were involved in a campaign to prevent legislation that would allow casinos to be built close to vulnerable neighbourhoods. The Salvation…

During World War II more than 1500 foreigners living in China were rounded up by the invading Japanese army.  They were sent to a concentration camp where they stayed for  two and half years. The group included men, women and children from dozens of countries. Among the inmates were Eric Liddell of Chariots of Fire fame and Langton Gilkey, who later wrote…

Due to the fact that my home and office are in the same building I travel far less than most working people in Istanbul. This week though, on one day I spent more than six hours travelling. Finally on my way home, late in the evening, I found myself in an almost empty metro carriage until we reached a station where the…