Humpty Dumpty

The word ‘prodigal’ does not occur in the Bible. It crept into a page-heading of the AV and has become part of the common language. More...

Well, of course he does. He’s studied the biblical documents, church history, ways of worship, moral issues. Most of the problems that...

Early in life we learn to read and write. Normally we go to school for this. But there is a prior language skill that we begin to learn...

We all know people who have changed their religion. This has always been a conspicuous part of human life. It happened 1500 years ago...

One approach to inspiration is to think of a tanker skipper handing over management of his vessel to a pilot. Another comparison is to...

With the death on 4 September 2021 of Greta Tomlinson, we have lost one of the links with a comic that in its day reigned supreme – the...

Meredith’s Lucifer looked up at the army of unalterable law and his heart sank. He knew he had bitten off more than he could chew. ‘The...

I have mentioned before the surprising boldness with which those who gave us the NIV Bible in English set out to improve the Scriptures...

‘Don’t worry at all then about tomorrow. Tomorrow can take care of itself! One day’s trouble is enough for one day, said Jesus’ (Matthew...

‘Does not nature itself teach you?’ asks Paul (1 Corinthians 11.14)? He is talking about hair-styles but he surely has at the back of his...

Napoleon used to say he looked for lucky marshals. Some say we make our own luck. In the days of Chaucer people believed in Fortune’s...

Paul was only human. That is why we find him saying (1 Corinthians 7.6): ‘In my opinion that is what should be done, though I don’t know...

If we were to see an oasis in the desert, we should be victims of an illusion. We should be seeing something that wasn’t there. It would...

If we turn to that extraordinary poem ‘Job’, we find in its closing chapters what might be a conversation around a hospital bed. The...

Keeping the lights on is a national preoccupation. It’s also a good idea. Candles are just not up to it. But darkness is something that...

You might have thought that the Bible – or at least part of it – would be titled ‘How to be a Christian’. Ah, somebody will say, that’s...