In Depth:  Graeme Shanks

the four soils

Graeme Shanks

This is the second of a mini-series of articles looking at the four soils in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13v1-23).

There’s a phrase often used in our culture today. Apparently it derives from life in the American mines in the mid-19th century. Saltpetre (the common name for potassium nitrate) was an ingredient in the gunpowder used by miners to create explosions and make fuses. Dampness or wind often caused the spark to fizzle out before it reached the explosive. That experience became commonly known as “petering out”.

subtle idols

Graeme Shanks

“We surpass the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet Earth. We do so in honouring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. To the next generation, make sure this record is not long-lived.”

Those were the words of one of the Artemis astronauts upon returning to Earth, having broken the Apollo 13 record.

subtle idols

Graeme Shanks

One of the most loved and longstanding BBC dramas is Death In Paradise.

For those who have never watched it, it’s a very light-hearted murder mystery set in Saint Marie (real-life Guadeloupe) in the Caribbean. A stunning backdrop, a loveable cast and the occasional, "I recognise their face from somewhere" guest actor. It’s been a winning formula for 15 series straight.

subtle idols

Graeme Shanks

I have often had a chuckle at the word "subtle." Truth be told, it’s for rather nerdish reasons.

I love it because there’s a silent b sitting snugly near the middle illustrating perfectly what the word means. It’s there all right but it’s doing its best to remain hidden in plain sight. Ain’t that cool? Look deep enough in the English language and you’ll find it often conjures up little gems for the beholder.

Graeme Shanks

I do always love the New Year. Given that I’m naturally a glass half full kind of guy I always enjoy the blank-page sense of anticipation that this time of year brings.

For many of us the year ahead will be full of as yet unknown adventures. For others it will be tinged with unexpected sorrows. But here’s another possibility. It may well be full of… well, the same old. Same classmates. Same school run. Same commute to work. Same relational difficulties. Same bills. Same health complications. Same daily routine.

Graeme Shanks

“The answer to speech we do not like is more speech.” ^[1] Over recent days, I’ve been reminded of those words from Douglas Murray in light of the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk.

It was one of those world-stopping events when we all tangibly felt the weight of the darkness of evil. If ever there was a "Houston, we have a problem" moment for the West concerning our current inability to do amicable debate and disagreement then this would appear to be it. Our world feels increasingly, and at times aggressively, tribal and disconnected. It’s a heavy thought indeed.

Graeme Shanks

"Nothing is stronger than the will of the human heart"... Words famously spoken by Indian novelist Nalini Singh.

It might not surprise you to learn that Singh is a romance writer and a "paranormal" one at that. Cue the gags about "Men being from Mars and Women from Venus". (Sometimes these jokes just write themselves.)

Graeme Shanks

Approximately 150,000 people die each day worldwide. Death really is all around us, and yet every now and again there is a death that grips the world. That proved to be the case with former Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota who died recently in a sudden crash crash at the age of 28 along with his younger brother.

A talented footballer. A family man. An infectious personality. A role model. Here was a young man with his whole life ahead of him taken in his prime. Everything about his death was tragic. There was a moving tribute from Jota’s Portuguese teammate Christian Ronaldo who summed up the feelings of many when he simply posted on X, "It doesn’t make sense."

Graeme Shanks

“I think my role has been and will continue to be Chief Explainer Officer or Chief Repeater Officer. I would just have to keep repeating the vision or mission. ‘Why are we here? What are we doing?’”^[1]

Those were the words of David Cancel, the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of software development company Drift.

Graeme Shanks

‘The concept of work-life balance was invented by people who hate the work they do. So if you love what you do, you don’t need work-life balance - you need work-life integration.’

That was the advice that James Watt, the captain and co-founder of drinks company BrewDog, gave in a recent Instagram video.

Graeme Shanks

I have a friend who pastored in the North West coast of the United States for many years called Randall. He recently told me the story of an older man in his congregation who left a sum of money in his will to the church.

It was a sum that would equate to a low six figure amount in today’s economy. My friend was naturally ecstatic and deeply grateful for the man’s gospel heart.

Graeme Shanks

'Nicola and I are no longer on speaking terms’. Those were the chilling and frank words of Alex Salmond in the recent BBC documentary¹ exploring the breakdown of the long-term political partnership between him and Nicola Sturgeon.

She in turn spoke about the uneasy feeling that she lives with, when considering that some of the best moments of her life feature the man with whom she is now at odds. Certainly no love lost in this textbook impasse.

Graeme Shanks

Working nine to five? What a way to make a living. Working life has moved on a lot since Dolly Parton first released her catchy and timeless 1980s hit, 9 To 5. Indeed, fast forward a few generations and it would appear that flexibility has trumped security as the key thing that Gen Z’ers are prioritising when it comes to employment.^[1]

Have you noticed that recruitment firms are now fronting their adverts with their ability to perfectly match people to a job that fits with their lifestyle? Have you read about the companies experimenting with a four-day week, complete with flexible start and finish times, a nine-day fortnight, and compressed hours?^[2] The desire for flexibility with our employment, it would seem, is here to stay.

Graeme Shanks

There’s been a word doing the rounds up here in Scotland recently. I wonder if you have noticed it - or even caught it (wherever you live)! Optimism. That was the strapline to the well crafted adverts for the drink Irn-Bru that were plastered up and down the country in the run up to the men’s football European Championships.

As a nation we embraced the message. Let’s toast to the future being brighter than the past and believe that this time round things might turn out differently. Did they? Well, as we watched Scotland fail to qualify from the group stages of the tournament, it didn’t take long for my can of Irn Bru to taste of tartan tears and for optimism to turn to realism.