What if your loneliness disappeared for ever?

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One of the most undesirable experiences that we can have is loneliness. Some folks look back to childhood days when they were surrounded by family members. However, eventually the great enemy, death, gate-crashed the family circle and, one by one, loved ones were taken and loneliness ensued. Others feel the emptiness that comes with loneliness especially when their spouse is taken away after many years of marriage. How hard it is, not least in the long winter evenings, to be alone in the house that formerly was alive with conversation.

Anti-bullying Week - 15-19th November 2021

 

This week is anti-bullying week. It's an annual event since the problem never goes away. Different bullies, different victims, same old story each time…

Reasons why you can trust the Bible.

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I spoke to a man a few days ago who said that he was not sure that we could trust the Bible. It was an interesting point of view. I wondered what it was that made him have that point of view. I asked him the ultimate question, ‘Have you read it much?’ He suddenly looked very embarrassed and changed his tone completely. He admitted to me that he had never read it and, in fact, knew little about it apart from some of the more famous Bible stories. I was intrigued. What would make you comment in a derogatory way about something that you knew next to nothing about? If someone asked me my opinion on a topic that I knew nothing about, I would have to say that I could not comment. We had a lengthy conversation, and as a result, the gentleman now is at least slightly better informed. 

Armistice Day

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The Armistice of 11 November 1918, signed at Le Francport near Compiègne, ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their last remaining opponent, Germany. It came into force at 11:00 a.m. Paris time on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a defeat for Germany, although not formally a surrender. Sadly 2,738 men died on the last day of the war. 

In November 2014, when I was in London with my wife and daughter (who incidentally celebrates her birthday today), we visited the major art installation "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London. We viewed in the early evening when the floodlit display of poppies was at its eeriest. It marked one hundred years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies had progressively filled the Tower's famous moat over that summer. Each poppy represented a British military fatality during the war. The poppies encircled the iconic landmark, creating a spectacular display visible from all around the Tower and a location for personal reflection.