Scottish roles
Luke Randall
Bob Akroyd, Moderator of the Free Church, has commented on the new roles of John Swinney and Kate Forbes as Scotland’s First Minister and Deputy.
He says: ‘I want to assure all members of the Scottish Government of our ongoing prayerful support for their vital work. As a prison chaplain, I have repeatedly witnessed the devastation caused by drug deaths. I pray that not only will the Scottish Government seek to address the alarming number of deaths, but will also focus on the underlying causes of poverty, social deprivation, and hopelessness.’
Nicky Cruz: Keeping on keeping on at 85
Luke Randall
Nicky Cruz has revealed that his ongoing mission at the age of 85 is to bring people to Jesus in a world which sees many young people harmed by ‘loneliness’ and a ‘lack of ethics’.
In an interview with Evangelical Focus before he attended the ‘Fire in Your Bones’ conference in Madrid in early May, he spoke about how today’s world seems to have prompted an increasing number of young people to consider suicide as an option, as he did aged nine following a traumatic childhood, but that ‘transformation is in Christ.’
Dan’s Strictly Prom Praise
Luke Randall
TV presenter Dan Walker was the star of the show at Prom Praise 2024, when he not only hosted the online livestream for the event, but also danced with professional Strictly Come Dancing dancer Nadiya Bychkova, to the theme from Chariots of Fire.
The 2024 edition of Prom Praise took place at the Royal Albert Hall and, in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the Paris Olympic Games in 1924, took its theme from the 1981 film, which charts the story of Scottish Olympic runner Eric Liddell, who famously refused to run the 100-metre race on a Sunday because of his Christian beliefs, even despite being put under pressure by the Prince of Wales. Instead, he ran the 400 metres, set a record time and won the gold medal.
Ten years on from the Scottish independence referendum
Ten years ago, Scotland voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom on one of the momentous days in its history. The No Campaign won the vote by 55 per cent to 45, bringing an end to nearly two years of fierce campaigning on both sides.
The period in the lead up to the referendum vote on 18 September 2014 saw unparalleled levels of political engagement in Scotland; over 3.6 million people voted, representing a turnout of almost 85 per cent, which supported claims that it was Scotland’s biggest decision for hundreds of years. However, the legacy it has had on Scotland to this day is perhaps not so edifying.