There are some centuries of Scottish history that are overlooked in favour of other ones. This morning I was at a meeting of about 30 senior men who were asked to name the main events in Scottish history. The list of options went all the way from the battle of Bannockburn (1314) to the Highland …
Category: History
Memory lane – 40 years on
A self-select band of 1978 Graduates visiting the Wolfson Medical School Building, the University of Glasgow, on 5th October 2018. On Friday and Saturday this week I met with 'old' medical colleagues whom I had not met for 40 years. It was the 40th anniversary of the 1978 Gamma Year Club, the Medical class who …
Military might, political revolution or Christian love?
Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Hitler and a host of other people sought to aggrandise themselves and build an empire by military might. Karl Marx and his followers want to change the world by political revolution. Jesus Christ is doing it by Christian love, and has been doing it for two millennia, with many more to …
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The politics of compromise
The UK cabinet met for most of today in Chequers to finalise a common document to put before the EU as the basis of the UK's future relationship with the EU after Brexit. It is a historic day, which may yet prove to be a watershed in the process of the UK exiting the European …
Identity politics and perceived racism
Identity politics and perceived racism are combining into an explosive mix. Racism should not exist because there is only one human race. This is one example of the poor use of language in our poorly educated society. Rather, the issue is different ethnicities and how much emphasis one puts upon these. Kenhinde Andrews, the author …
When did the Gospel first reach Europe?
It is common to hear preachers say that the Gospel first came to Europe when Paul responded to the Macedonian call, ‘Come over into Macedonia and help us’ Act 16:9. This is wrong, and it is one of many examples of the readiness to copy ideas without checking out if they are true. The Gospel …
Even the Royals need the Gospel
The royal family need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the King of kings, because they need the Gospel as much as any of us. It is probable that some of the royal family do not know what the Gospel is, which may explain their reaction to the sermon at today's royal marriage between …
Israel seventy years on
The 70th anniversary of the birth of the modern state of Israel was marked by the opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem. The US embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem today, signalling the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, following the US President Donald J. Trump's decision on 6/12/2017 to do so. …
North Korea coming in out of the cold
Kim Jong-un likes his video games and the internet. He also likes nuclear weapons. He has decided that he wants to enjoy more of western technology and the joys of life. So he made a significant policy change and today he met with the Prime Minister of South Korea in a historic, choreographed meeting. For …
Seven days that changed the heavens
408 years ago today, Galileo's discovery changed our understanding of the solar system forever. His astronomical observations supported the hypothesis formulated by Copernicus 100 years earlier that the Earth was not the centre of the solar system. This was an Earth-shattering discovery. Between 7th and 13th January 1610, Galileo discovered and observed the four Moons …