These things stimulate, challenge and hearten me:

• the gospel of Jesus Christ: perplexing at times, ever fresh in its stimulus

• the Franciscan tradition: St Francis was a poet and radical, a prophet and songster, a clown and a troubladour. As a member of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis, I am ever discovering his relevance and challenge

• the Orthodox churches: I have studied the Orthodox tradition of spirituality in Jerusalem, Russia, Armenia, Syria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Romania, and am a regular visitor to Mount Athos, Greece

• pilgrimage: spiritual journeys hearten and unsettle me: they open me to fresh springs of spirituality

• classic spiritual writers: I take much inspiration from the treasury of Christian spirituality which has built up through 20 centuries

• interfaith encounters: I enjoy engaging with other traditions, and have met regularly with Jewish and Muslim folk in Jerusalem, and also with Buddhists in Sri Lanka

• fellow pilgrims: I love to meet pilgrims on the road, reading widely, and try to rule nothing out as I progress on the spiritual journey  

• the practice of ministry: serving as a priest for 40 years in diverse settings, enjoying the daily sharing of life with a community

• my family: last but definitely not least, my wife and four grown up children are a source of boundless inspiration and challenge!