Do principles change?

Walking up the valley this morning under an overcast sky and damp underfoot, the bright green of new growth stood out.

And I was pondering whether our principles change…

At the core, I don’t think they do. They are so deep-rooted in our being that even if they get completely hidden and layered over with stuff, they are still there.

But I do think they emerge. As we walk through life, facing whatever comes across our path then we have the job of reinterpreting our principles. So they make sense for now.

We give them space to grow. To come to life and display their clearer colours.

Like the fungi now sprouting up from the woodland floor. Or the bright new growth emerging from the base of trees and other vegetation. What now has the power to guide us is connected to its rootstock. It’s always there.

That’s why Bernadette Jiwa’s question ‘Why next?’ – why is this the next best move – is so powerful. It forces us to look…