It’s not a problem now. Our children are that bit older. But for years we had to threaten them with dire penalties as Christmas approached. They mustn’t say it. They mustn’t even hint at it. Whatever anyone said to them, they mustn’t let it slip. They don’t believe in Santa. I well remember the…
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Vote for the least-worst candidate, and pray Depending on your point of view, the last few years have either seen parliamentary democracy at its best, or its worst. Whatever view you take on that, we are nevertheless privileged to live in a democracy. Let’s not give in to the cynicism and apathy which blights…
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Outside the snow has just fallen. It looks so lovely and white when it first falls to the ground. But I can also see that it is not pure on the street, for it mingles with the dirt and grime and becomes a mushy mess. Many years ago, a young lady saw in her…
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‘If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear’, wrote George Orwell. Nearly 75 years ago Animal Farm was published. Famously, its author, George Orwell, believed that real liberty must involve the freedom to call out lies. We live now in an age…
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As we approached the new millennium in December, 1999 there were concerns that computer systems would crash, causing mayhem around the globe. Some feared that it may usher in the end of the world. The first pictures from a new year generally come from Sydney, Australia. The new millennium in 2000 was no exception.…
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What would Christmas be without Christmas trees, Christmas dinner, Christmas carols, Christmas cards or, more recently, the Christmas jumper? Christmas gives us the opportunity to wear clothes we would never normally be seen dead in. What other time of the year would we wear to work an elf’s outfit or a jumper which lights…
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With Barnardo’s 330 charity shops, 400 social projects and care of thousands of children, most readers will be familiar with that name. But who was Tom Barnardo, founder of this remarkable charity begun in 1867? ‘A bit of all sorts’ was Tom’s own description of himself as he thought of the blend of Spanish,…
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One of the saddest days of my life was the day of my father’s funeral. It was a dark, drizzly and murky winter’s day. The weather outside seemed to mirror our mood inside. We had a service in church, giving thanks for my dad’s life, and then went to the cemetery to bury him.…
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The Gospel of Matthew records how wise men came from the east to the land of Israel to search after the King of the Jews. The wise men were led to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem by a bright star in the sky. We don’t know exactly how far east the men had come from,…
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The birth of Jesus Christ is the greatest reason for joy in the history of the world. Today people all over the world are seeking true and lasting joy. It was the same in the first century. The night Jesus was born, an angel appeared to some hill shepherds and announced, ‘I bring you…
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Some people are smug about being prepared early for the biggest public holiday in the year: Christmas time. There are people who, at the time of writing (early October), have already made their puddings, prepared their fruit for the cake, bought their presents, made their lists and started the wrapping. I know: I am…
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‘I hate Christmas’ John responded. I felt guilty. I had been making small talk with him before I departed to see my next patient (I see patients in their own homes). I should have remembered that he had no family, at least none in regular contact. I might have noticed that not only did…
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I was brought up to go to a Church of England church in North Yorkshire, but stopped going when I was about ten to play football. Although I do not remember the gospel being preached there, I did believe in God, and God was good to me. He allowed me to experience various things…
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I was born into a Christian family and each week I went along to church. I was not interested in what was being said, although there were times when it would suddenly hit me that I was not living in a way that pleased God. This would trouble me for a while, but I…
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My name is James Tredgett. I was born and raised in northeast Essex. Life was good at first: I was the biggest kid in primary school, my family lived in a big house and every day seemed fun. As a teenager, life started to fall apart. My parents divorced and my mum and I…
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I was born into a family of four, with two brothers and one sister. My mother was a Christian and my father an atheist. We were taken to church by my mother and her parents, who were both strong believers. Through my teenage years, I continued to attend church. When I went to university…
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My name is Gary Currie. I was born in Chatham, Kent, in 1957. My upbringing wasn’t the best, with parents who did not care and were quick with hand, fist or stick to control us. There were four kids: three boys and one girl. We boys went through it with the beatings, so we…
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Having grown up attending Sunday school and church, I never really doubted that God existed. I knew what was involved in becoming a Christian, but I also knew that I wasn’t one. I grew up living in a ‘Christian’ way, happy to go to church every week and even talk to my friends about…
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