For the families in Southport, the pain of losing a child is no longer a nightmare but a living and waking reality. In wrestling with such tragedy, the biblical writers present us with images of a God who steps into our worst days, the pain of our nightmares, and sits in solidarity with those who find themselves in the valley of the shadow of death and with those who mourn. . . The days of seeking answers about what happened in Southport will come, but now is too soon, the grief is too raw

Chine McDonald, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 31 July

The international co-operation, the close-knit solidarity, and the shared pursuit of excellence encouraged by sport all model a very different humanity from what we see in Gaza and Ukraine. Maybe these Olympics can show that, even in the midst of adversity, it is possible for those who want a different future to open their mouths and sing the hymn of love

Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 29 July

The Paris opening ceremony seems to confirm the notion that we are not so much living in a secular society as returning to a pagan one — or at least that is the direction of travel

Graham Tomlin, fomer Bishop of Kensington, X, 28 July

Watching the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, I thought first, what a splendid turnout of drag queens, and second, resist the temptation to hold festivities on rivers: they don’t photograph well. Remember the millennium river of fire and the Thames Diamond Jubilee pageant? Even in good weather, on television they look about as enticing as the M25

Richard Coles, The Sunday Times, 28 July

Just as churches have come to apologise for their entanglement with [historical] slavery, I can see a time when they will apologise for distancing and silencing queer people

Seth Pinnock, black Christian gospel singer, interview in The Guardian, 29 July

I’ve always known I was gay, and those that were closest to me knew as well. It was an open secret, a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation. But it took me five years to work out how and when I was going to do this, to be truthful to who I am

ibid.

This will end up being both an ethical debate — “Is this right in principle?” — and it will also go to being a practical debate — “Can this work in practice?”. And I think it’s contingent on us to help MPs and peers navigate those thorny issues in the most evidence-based and well-supported way as possible, recognising there’ll be sincerely and strongly held views on both sides of this debate. . . It is a debate I will wrestle with. I’m uncharacteristically undecided on this issue, but it is a debate whose time has come

Wes Streeting, Health Secretary, Today, Radio 4, 26 July

No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide. We believe that there would be unintended, serious and fundamental consequences for the whole of society, especially for those who are at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them

Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, 26 July

Despite her skirmishes with the church, she remained a faithful Catholic. But she said she preferred to confess her sins in foreign places, like Italy, where the priests barely understood English and granted absolution readily

Obituary of Edna O’Brien, The New York Times, 28 July

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