Hazel McHaffie
Hazel is a great believer in the value of stories, combining the power of emotion with intellectual and spiritual integrity. She has a PhD in Social Sciences and worked as a Research Fellow in Medical Ethics for over 20 years. She lives in Scotland surrounded by fabulous scenery and magical opportunities.
Articles
Ethics, Emotion, Empathy
"For me, it could well end in a kinder and more empathetic form of Christianity – less judgemental, gentler, more forgiving, more loving and caring. All the things that pervade the whole of the gospel message brought by Jesus.”
A Time to Die
“And as far as other people’s deaths and opinions are concerned, we should try to have open minds and listening ears, and a readiness to admit we don’t have all the answers. We won’t always know what the right thing to do is. Our personal history, beliefs, attitudes, circumstances, might well influence us. We need to have the humility to accept that others may reach a different conclusion. And that’s OK.”
On Being Right
“I’ve come to a new sense of wonder. I don’t need to have all the answers. It’s ok to say, ‘I don’t know’. I don’t have to be right. The world doesn’t stop revolving if I question or doubt. And I’ve found it so liberating to accept that reality. By locking myself into a religious fortress, I had somehow shrunk God to a size I could contain and comprehend. Trusting in him despite my doubts and wonderings, opens the doors to a better appreciation of the amazingness of his grace.”
Through Fresh Eyes
“Jesus came to show us how God loves everyone, including the oppressed, the marginalized, and the misunderstood. And how powerfully he did so. For me, his examples the most powerful reason for looking again at how we treat women today.”
“I am in awe of the miracle of conception. From the first moment an egg is fertilised, it contains a genetic blueprint for what the completed adult will be like. How amazing is that? In a former life I worked as a midwife, and the moment of birth never lost its wonder for me. How could that little person have developed all their parts in exactly the right order and position, all unseen and without assistance?”