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As this year’s General Assembly of the Church of Scotland gets underway, Cathy Macdonald meets The Right Reverend Dr Shaw James Paterson, the newly appointed moderator who will be the Kirk’s ambassador for the next twelve months.

Despite not having a faith, travel writer Phoebe Smith turned to the UK’s ancient pilgrim paths to help her through some difficult times. She plots her adventure and search for healing and transformation in her new book, 'Wayfarer: Love, Loss and Life on Britain’s ancient paths'.

Cathy shares a conversation with poet Jackie Kay, discussing family, loss, adoption and activism; just some of the themes in her new poetry collection, 'May Day'.

Cathy is joined by Reverend Bryan Kerr from Greyfriars Parish Church in Lanark, academic and broadcaster Mona Siddiqui, and Rabbi Pete Tobias of the Glasgow Reform Synagogue, to discuss some of this week’s stories through a religious and ethical lens.
Rishi Sunak’s speech about living in scary and dangerous times is a starting off point, as the panel explore the impact of global existential threats on our emotional wellbeing.

With the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland gathering to focus on church business, the issues that are important to its members and the various challenges it faces, the panel consider how religions keep evolving and reforming in order to stay relevant.

And they talk friendships – what makes a good friend and why are they important?