The last couple of months have been nuts so I've not even had the chance to crack on with new treasure maps. Various links have been piling up so here's a mega-bumper stash... Sacred Treasure Philip Yancey tells the story of Ernest Gordon, a British officer a Japanese POW camp in Miracle on the River Kwai. Historian Martyn Whittock considers…

Sacred Treasure Jeremy Begbie on cracking form on what makes JSBach's music so revolutionary: the feeling of life in this world as a believer Remarkable letter from Albert Einstein to his 11 year old son about the secret to learning. Jessie Tang on why 'colourblindness' doesn't help the church. (HT Chris Howles) Just love this: practical missiological applications from the archaeology of the 7 Churches of Asia Minor…

In the air; on the ground; under the water - some sights, wonders, joys and fascinations of the world in the June Treasure Map

What happens when a desperately ill new mother encounters Paul Simon's Rock, and ends up fully immersed in a remote Scottish fishing village.

When dystopian Soldiers in Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, come face to face with Love after Love, and environmental collapse in Making Do

What happens when WH Auden informs Vassily Kandinsky about a trip to a Belgian Art Museum and then meets Snarky Puppy... it all kicks off here!

Sacred Treasure Harvey Kwiyani is always worth reading. He's on a roll; perhaps start here: We have a new Constantine in Town; and then US Imperialism, Evangelicalism and Christian Mission (pt1) What a breathtaking testimony: 40 days in God's Dojo with a Nagasaki Survivor  Michael Kruger on whether the Resurrection of Jesus is likely or unlikely? Inspiring account of…

Sacred Treasure Iintriguing: obviously guesstimates but a fascinating exercise. How much did Paul's Missionary Journeys cost? (HT Chris Howles) Speaking trade languages when working cross-culturally? Why Tolkien hated Frank Herbert's Dune Ian Paul offers a good overview of why there is growing consensus that Jesus regularly taught in Greek Speaking of language, my friend and fmr boss Paul Windsor has some Maori language lessons for us. The 21 is a remarkable short film about the 21 Coptic Martyrs beheaded by ISIS in 2015. Here's a short trailer:

What ensues when a classic Jamaican group covers a Randy Newman song and then chats with Serbian artist Marina Abramović and an East German Stasi officer...

What sort of conversation would ensure if Tchaikovsky encounters a Jamaican photographer and Douglas Coupland's GenXers...

Bit of a bumper list this month, having dropped last month's (oops). Sacred Treasure This will be of interest only to a few, but Ian Paul's analysis of Justin Welby's legacy as Archbishop of Canterbury is hard-hitting and (from my rather remote perspective) convincing. Caitlin Flanagan on Seamus Heaney and her father Tom's close friendship. V moving - and hopefully still outside the paywall. Graham Tomlin is on cracking form these days: spot on about the recent spat between VP Vance and Rory Stewart fascinating on Trump is the new Constantine but he's no Saviour…

YouTube video by MarkMeynell

Triptych Ep 2 | Billie Eilish: What was I made for? Francisco de Zurbarán: St Luke at the Cross Star Wars' Andor: Series 1

3 friends (@quaerentia @perishandfade @joel.a.bain) + 3 unrelated artistic masterpieces = insights for modern life (hopefully!)

On 27th January 1945, the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated. Nobody could have had any illusions about Nazi anti-semitism because its policies had been explicit about it long before attaining power in 1933.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is ongoing. We're almost 3 years in, unbelievably. And Ukraine is still holding on... just. Who knows what the impact of Trump's election will be?

Classical music to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Mark Meynell walks us through a short classical playlist for Advent. These pieces deal with the theme of light and darkness.