Category Archives: Arts

Arts

A kinder treatment

WONDERFUL

LOUIS ARMSTRONG was well-known for his trumpet playing, famous even for his duets with Ella Fitzgerald and for his deep, rasping voice. But he was probably best known for singing “What A Wonderful World”.

As inspirational a song as it is, many people used to take him to task over it. With all the war’s happening, the racism, the poverty and so on, how could he say this world was a wonderful one?

The world wasn’t a bad place, he would reply, but how we treated it might be.

It was the same when it came to our relationships with each other.

We only needed to treat each other – and the world – a little kinder.

And what was the secret to doing that? “Love”. Isn’t that wonderful?

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Arts, Literature, Scotland

Making it a big thing

HELPING HANDS

THERE’S an old Scots proverb that many in Scotland are fond of. It goes, “Mony a mickle maks a muckle”.

The spelling varies, but in essence it translates as “lots of little things make a big thing”.

A man might make a decent income by being good at many little jobs; lots of people doing a little bit to help someone adds up to that someone being helped in a big way.

And then there is the Russian version of that old saying which also expresses it subtly: “If everyone gave a thread, the poor man would have a shirt.”

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Arts, Books, Religion

The ‘Home Preacher’

WITHIN REACH

THE second-hand book shop had a well-stocked “Religion” section. On the shelves, the books ranged from modern paperbacks within easy reach to leather-bound and possibly antique volumes on the higher ledges.

Craning my neck to look beyond recent titles, I made out titles like An Outline Of Christianity, Fleetwood’s Life Of Christ and The Bible Encyclopaedia. One book, however, stood higher and deeper than the rest.

It was The Home Preacher, with lessons, well constructed sermons and quotes for every day of the year, all of which are meant to be worked through at home.

It made complete sense. Home is where we are at our most authentic, often where we are most challenged, and where the example we set has a more lasting effect.

Few might aspire towards teaching directly from the pulpit, but every one of us blessed with a home and a family ought to aim to be a home preacher.

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