A recent contribution about a lost purse reminded me of a BBC Radio programme from many years ago called, “Have a Go.” This was a hugely popular “people show” in which Wilfred Pickles (and his wife, Mabel) travelled around the country, turning up in village halls and asking ordinary folk up on stage to talk about their lives and memories. It included asking guests a few simple questions, and Wilfred would use his familiar phrase, “Give him/her the money Mabel!”
One evening, he was interviewing a young guest and posed the question, “Imagine you had been out for the evening and returned home to find you had been burgled. What is the first thing you would look for to see if it had been stolen?” Her reply was, “My Bible” and for possibly the first time I can remember, Wilfred Pickles was lost for words. Fortunately for the listeners, the silence did not last too long.
There was no reason given why she said, “My Bible” and it may have been because it had been a gift or presented to her. Possibly it had many notes written in the margins that she didn’t want to lose, or it contained scraps of paper with many helpful comments. (I am remembering a Bible I owned many years ago). Then, there were possibly only two versions of the Bible, and because of the cost, a person might only own one copy. Today there are so many versions and paraphrases, not only in printed form, but also available on computers and phones.
My wife and I have been known infrequently to leave the house with the back door unlocked and on one occasion noticed that our patio door had been left wide open overnight. Not surprisingly, I am often reminded of that question and challenge myself as to what I would check is still there. How would you respond?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, though our main concern should be our relationship with you, help us to be wise about our security and our possessions. Amen.