Edinburgh Christadelphian Church

We use cookies, just to track visits to our website. We store no personal details. What are cookies?

March 2026

Ever since we welcomed our first member from Iran, we have followed the news from there with great interest and almost disbelief. It is hard to see how anyone can do what those in power have been doing for many years, to their own people. But the events in January were truly dreadful. And now the situation is even more horrible. Our thoughts and prayers are very much with our Iranian brothers, sisters and friends. Just as it is almost impossible to imagine the sufferings of Jesus before his crucifixion, so it is very difficult for those of us born in Britain to know fully what it is like to be cut off from contact with your family at such a time; and not to know what will happen next, either to your loved ones or to your country.

The Bible is greatly concerned with social justice. The prophets in the Old Testament complained about the way people were being treated by the rulers and the priests. Too often their words went unheeded, but that didn't stop them giving their messages from God.

As the Psalmist said about God:

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

Or as God says through Isaiah:

Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Prayer for those affected is very important, and we look to God for the lasting solution of world peace. Meantime, we continue to hold all those affected in our prayers, both formally on Sundays and informally in the privacy of our homes.

Some of us have been able to join demonstrations seeking an end to the violence, and the establishment of a just government.
Stacks Image 942
Stacks Image 947

Demonstrating in favour of peace and justice in Iran

We have given a warm welcome to two new members, Milad and Murry, along with Murry's son, Amir. Winter's not the best time to move from down south, and especially so this year. But they are settling in well. However, it's amazing how many hoops you have to go through, when you come to a new city, even for something that you would have thought would be simple like enrolling in the local school.
Stacks Image 968
Spring has definitely arrived. But these two pictures remind us of the winter we’ve had. Above is the pond at Edinburgh Botanic Garden, frozen over. On the right, Haleh and Ebi visited family in Austria, but didn’t expect a frozen waterfall. Not too common in Scotland!
And below is a picture of the snow in Iran, courtesy of Murry. Over seven metres deep, and not unusual in that part of the country.
Stacks Image 971
Stacks Image 1013

New Year saw us go to Dalkeith Country Park, just outside Edinburgh, on the 2 January. Considering some of the weather we've had since then, it was a remarkably pleasant day – both from the weather viewpoint and from the company. The former was very cold, but dry, and the latter was warm and thirsty. Despite the cold, some hardy souls sat outside at the end for refreshments. One person didn't come because of snow warnings: unfounded as it turned out for that day.

To view the photos full size, click on any one then move through the series using forward or back arrows. And to exit, just click on the x, or anywhere on the black border.
On the subject of walks, we enjoyed some very good ones with Gordon Brown last year. Beneficial both physically and spiritually. We look forward to some more intriguing places to visit this year. The locations will be revealed nearer the time. But here is Gordon's poster with the proposed dates. And don't be put off by the big rucksacks – the rambles are always quite leisurely. And of course it never rains on the ramble (though it has been known to pour while we were in a shelter having lunch).
Stacks Image 1166
Stacks Image 1235
The Christadelphian Meal A Day charity is celebrating its 50th anniversary and asking people to make a special effort to raise much-needed funds this year. We have chosen to fund disabled children from the Nalondo School to access life-changing orthopaedic surgery. We tend to take our NHS for granted, but in Kenya absolutely everything relating to their accommodation, surgery, aftercare and rehabilitation has to be paid for. Christmas donations boosted the coffers, and we are already well on the way to the halfway point. Favourite recipes are currently coming in for an ecclesial cookbook which promises to lift the standard of all our meals in the future as well as raise more money through a fun joint enterprise.

Left: Before surgery
Right: The first ecclesial cookbook, from 2003
Stacks Image 1233
Stacks Image 1250
There are many challenges facing those who have sought asylum from a cruel and repressive regime. One is not being able to be with one’s family on special occasions, whether happy or sad. Reza’s sister was married in January, and he would have loved to be there, but of course it was impossible. Arrangements were made for a small gathering here in Edinburgh, at the same time as the wedding in Iran. As you can see, the menfolk dressed appropriately, though it must be said that the ladies showed much more variety in their special outfits. It was a lovely occasion, with live music provided by Salar, but not as good as being at the real thing. The internet however was working sporadically, and we were able to see some pictures of the happy couple.