| Mark always loved magic. He dabbled in Eastern religions and then aged 18 he started attending a Pentecostal Church. It gave him a sense of the supernatural and the mysterious. If there is a God, it said, then he is here and now. But he also found it constricting. After three years, he went on a trip to Israel, almost to escape, returned transformed and decided that the Church of England was where he should be. Three years later he was ordained in Ludlow, Shropshire and quickly discovered that there was a place for magic in his new job. Magical effects had a power that words didn't have and a symbolism in themselves. He used magic as a bridge builder to get to know the community. He wrote "The Gospel of Falling Down" which was about how we can find our magic through our failures and brokenness rather than through our successes. In 2008 he left the church and is now offering himself for retreats. He has since written two more books, "The Wizard's Gift" and "The Magician's Tale". In this interview he talks about his life, the ups and downs, and also finds time to do some fascinating magic. |
