editor’s note

The image on the right is from a deserted refugee camp in Calais, France. The crisis in Calais has disappeared from the news; the ‘Jungle’, the largest camp, was removed five years ago. When the visible symbol of the humanitarian crisis on the UKFrench border was destroyed, much of the media attention disappeared. Instead, coverage now highlights the numbers of boats crossing the Channel, not considering what takes place before. It’s worth broadening our focus further. Today, the Human Rights Watch estimates that there are still 2000 migrants in the area – including approximately 300 unaccompanied children. Often forcibly moved each morning, they don’t have the opportunity to choose to settle (in France or the UK) or rebuild their lives. Especially as the UK makes its immigration laws tougher, the freedom of these migrants is being slowly squeezed away, creating a perfect storm for a future crisis.

Freedom has also been on our minds this year in much more mundane ways. Whether it’s the possibility of spending Christmas and other moments of celebration with our families (lost in 2020, still at stake for 2021), the legitimacy of vaccine passports or even wearing a face mask, we’ve had to reckon with our culture’s demand for personal freedom, balancing this with the need for compassion and the possibility of the eventual freedom of our wider communities. What is – or what should be – our duty to others? How will this continue into the future? It’s tempting to push these questions from our minds, focusing on the next major news topic or crisis as a distraction. Instead, it’s worth taking the time to reflect and consider how our expectation of, and demand for, freedom intersects with our wider values. For Christians, these questions are more pertinent than ever, especially as Western conceptions of freedom grow further from Biblical conceptions. Freedom is ultimately won through the sacrifice of Christ and the opportunity given to all to put their faith in Him. As a result, those who believe are free from sin and fear. Instead, they’re free to live their lives in Christ, offered the opportunity to grow closer to Him. As the Apostle Paul declares, “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free”. Especially when taking into account our callings to be stewards of the natural world, defenders of the poor and vulnerable, and to tell others of His glory, it’s worth considering the constraints and contradictions inherent within our and God’s (often differing) conceptions of freedom.

Throughout this issue, writers have explored a multitude of topics relating to freedom. From poetry to polemic, they’ve considered the difference between freedom to and freedom from, argued for the importance of discipleship, reflected on God’s power while on a trip to the Lake District, and so much more. Whether they’ve been writing, editing, photographing or managing social media, I am incredibly proud of everyone’s contributions to this edition. Thank you for your time, enthusiasm, and incredible skill. It has been an absolute pleasure to edit this issue and I am so excited for the future of Through a Glass Darkly.

Abigail Howe Editor-in-Chief