A grim start to the week and an even grimmer night for the world. Lord, have mercy.

North East Churches Acting Together (NECAT) – with members including the Church of England, Roman Catholic, Baptist, URC and Methodist churches as well as independent churches – has commissioned consultants to advise on potential sites for affordable housing development.

Schemes being considered include supported accommodation for groups including older people and people with learning disabilities.

The move comes after the group held two conferences on housing and homelessness in the region in recent years.

Revd Joanne Thorns, a Church of England priest and Regional Officer for NECAT, has been working with Chris Beales, a member of the Church of England’s Housing Executive Team.

“We know that in comparison to London and other areas, house prices are not as high here in the North East,” she said.

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https://t.co/WHy0Cg9tjE

— CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons (CENDD) (@WardenGill) February 23, 2022

Today, when Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of a major war, that idea of kinship may seem preposterous. Yet few conflicts are as deep and irreconcilable as family feuds. The omens are especially bad when one of the “brothers” believes in his natural right to be in charge of the whole family and the other is independent-minded and rebellious. Remember the Bible, where human history begins with a fratricide.

The family tensions between Russia and Ukraine are aggravated by a dispute over their heritage. Russia’s understanding of history idealises Kyiv as “the mother of all Russian cities”, and the source of Russia’s religion, culture, alphabet and a network of dynastic and military connections. The huge statue of the Kievan prince Vladimir, who baptised Old Rus, was erected in 2016 near the entrance to the Kremlin. If this claim on Kyiv’s past were to be renounced, not only would Russian history be shorter by at least a quarter of a millennium, but Russia would also, more importantly, be deprived of its European identity.

Russia’s historical narrative is to a large extent defined by miraculous transformations that turn even the most humiliating defeats into apocalyptic triumphs. The traditional stories of major Russian wars–be it against the Poles in the 17th century, the Swedes in the 18th, the French in the 19th or the Germans in the 20th–all follow the same pattern. After initial defeats that put the country on the brink of utter ruin, a strong leader mobilises the nation and imposes a devastating defeat on the enemy.

Mr Putin appears to be exploiting this tradition.

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When Russia and Ukraine are on the brink of war, the idea of kinship may seem preposterous, writes Andrei Zorin, a professor of Russian at @UniofOxford. “Yet few conflicts are as deep and irreconcilable as family feuds.” https://t.co/GP2rZc200E

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) February 23, 2022

For the first time, MIT neuroscientists have identified a population of neurons in the human brain that lights up when we hear singing, but not other types of music.

These neurons, found in the auditory cortex, appear to respond to the specific combination of voice and music, but not to either regular speech or instrumental music. Exactly what they are doing is unknown and will require more work to uncover, the researchers say.

“The work provides evidence for relatively fine-grained segregation of function within the auditory cortex, in a way that aligns with an intuitive distinction within music,” says Sam Norman-Haignere, a former MIT postdoc who is now an assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

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Singing in the brain: MIT neuroscientists have identified a population of neurons in the human brain that respond to singing but not other types of music. https://t.co/WdhAytoE06 pic.twitter.com/CSPlgsaIkk

— Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (@MIT) February 23, 2022

Do you have any final thoughts on the state of the Church? State of the diocese?

I would say that if we prevail, if the parishes prevail in this lawsuit, I think there will be an explosiveness of energy that we’re capable of experiencing. I think it can unleash a great season of missional and ministry ventures that has been put on hold. And along with that, we’ve been on hold because of COVID so most people don’t know where they will be on the far side of that.

If you had one book, not the Bible, you think every person, laity and clergy read, what would it be?

One book? I’m not sure I think in those terms. But if I could only have three books for the rest of my life in addition to the Bible, I’d say a good Introduction to the Old Testament, an Introduction to the New Testament and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. I would hope everyone could read The Confessions of St. Augustine before they die, but I’m not going to say that I want everyone to read that.

What’s the hardest thing about being the bishop?
For me, the hardest thing about being a bishop is not being rooted in a congregation.

You see, there are different styles of teaching and preaching. The kind of teaching I like best is expository teaching through the Bible or a book of the Bible, teaching a sequential class in a congregation on theology, basic Christian theology, or teaching a class on the history of the Church in England or history of the Anglican Church.

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As our diocese transitions towards a new season of leadership, it’s a good time to glean some final reflections and advice from Bishop Lawrence. What wisdom would he want to share with us? Read https://t.co/G6e7dovN4I to find out! #BishopLawrence #WordsOfWisdom #ADOSC pic.twitter.com/Hs3aFx4Vfv

— Anglican Diocese of SC (@anglican_sc) February 23, 2022

Now, as Polycarp was entering into the stadium, there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, “Be strong, and show thyself a man, O Polycarp!” No one saw who it was that spoke to him; but those of our brethren who were present heard the voice. And as he was brought forward, the tumult became great when they heard that Polycarp was taken. And when he came near, the proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp. On his confessing that he was, [the proconsul] sought to persuade him to deny [Christ], saying, “Have respect to thy old age,” and other similar things, according to their custom, [such as], “Swear by the fortune of Cesar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists.” But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude of the wicked heathen then in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, “Away with the Atheists.” Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, “Swear, and I will set thee at liberty, reproach Christ;” Polycarp declared, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”

—The Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp, Chapter IX.

Polycarp of Smyrna was one of the first Christian martyrs, dying #otd in 155. When given the option to renounce his faith, he responded "I have been Christ’s servant for eighty-six years and he has done me no harm." @oxforddiocese @churchofengland pic.twitter.com/lSo8Cm5E5k

— University Church (@SMVOxford) February 23, 2022

O God, the maker of heaven and earth, who didst give to thy venerable servant, the holy and gentle Polycarp, boldness to confess Jesus Christ as King and Saviour, and steadfastness to die for his faith: Give us grace, after his example, to share the cup of Christ and rise to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Today the Church of England celebrates Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, c.155 https://t.co/vV9kXLM7Ns

Image: Detail of stained glass depiction of St Polycarp in @TruroCathedral. Photo: Lawrence OP, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0, via flickr pic.twitter.com/6OV4a7qSR1

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) February 23, 2022

Praise to you, O Lord, for the jewel of sight, the treasure of hearing and the glory of speech. Open our eyes to your glory, our ears to your word and our mouths to proclaim your goodness; now and for ever. Amen.

Good morning everyone wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday, take care 🙏❤️💚greetings from the beautiful Sandymouth Bay #Cornwall #geology #photography #landscapephotography #seascape #StormHour #ThePhotoHour #beaches pic.twitter.com/zMvcITEJDI

— Gary James (@Gazpics76) February 23, 2022

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life.

–1 John 5:1-12

My fabulous morning by the river today in Ely, Cambridgeshire 🧡@StormHour @UKNikon #sunrise #swans #TheFens #FlatNotBoring pic.twitter.com/7xTNm1Jdeu

— Veronica in the Fens 🧚🏼‍♀️ (@VeronicaJoPo) February 23, 2022