2 Sam 20:1-26 A week or so ago, I heard on the radio about the death of Marianne Faithfull, a singer associated with the Rolling Stones in the sixties who sang the song ‘As tears go by’. Although I have…

2 Sam 19:24-43 One of the sad realities of a leadership crisis in a church is the damage it does to relationships within the congregation. When there is tension or conflict over a leader’s behaviour, a congregation may split along…

2 Sam 19:16-23 A friend had a colleague who was hard-working and focused but had little sense of humour and was rather rigid in her interactions with others. Lacking in social skills, she was often left out of spontaneous social…

2 Sam 19:8-15 I once overheard a travel agent deal with a disgruntled customer who missed her flight through no fault of her own. The woman was outraged at how she had been treated and poured onto the agent a…

2 Sam 19:1-8 During an outreach in my twenties, I was in a team with a young Christian who was a bit of a know-it-all. He was forever correcting others on their theological views and generally giving the impression that…

2 Sam 18:19-33 Some years ago, the mayor of a New Zealand city had an extramarital affair, which got into the media. The distraught family members asked for privacy, and one can readily understand their concerns. However, they behaved as…

2 Sam 18:1-18 A Christian leader I know about grew up in a faithful Christian family and became a gifted interpreter of the Bible, which was a great blessing for many. As the years went by, however, things began to…

2 Sam 17:15-29 During my long years of theological study, I often did not know where the next year’s funds would come from. I received some grants or scholarships along the way and was supported by church or friends for…

2 Sam 17:1-14 Back in 1950s Hungary, my father was barred from entering university for political reasons. Every year for 15 years, Dad sat the entrance exam, but was rejected at the oral interview, which assessed a candidate’s ‘political reliability’.…

2 Sam 16:15-23 Long before Communism fell in Hungary, my Dad used to say that a corrupt government built on oppression and lies cannot stand forever. He was convinced that eventually the regime would fall and spent his life preparing…