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Superheroes. Special Effects. The angst of self-discovery. Corrupt government agents. Supervillains. Romance. Mind-boggling plot twists and turns. Humour. The Wandavision series is shaping up to be another Marvel classic. It certainly makes for great Friday evening TV viewing. Reimagining History The feel-good factor of the early episodes has gradually given way to a more dystopian tone with the last two episodes taking a much darker turn. We have just learned that Agatha Harkness is not a background character with larger-than-life levels of kindness. She is actually a witch who has been manipulating and deceiving Wanda in order to learn the secrets of her super-natural powers. Episode 8 begins with a flashback to Salem, 1693, where Agatha is being singled out for discipline by the members of her own witches’ coven. The historical background to this scene is the famous ‘Salem Witch Trials’ which occurred in Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693. Over 200 hundred people were prosecuted as...

Last night it snowed. We woke up to a good 4 or 5 inches of white fluff, a bit too powdery for snowmen but perfect for sledding. Of course the kids and the dog were extremely excited. It doesn’t happen often and when it does they want out. Confession . While the idea of playing in the snow is appealing when there is no snow, the reality of snow is cold. Usually cold and wet. Sometimes cold and wet and windy. Left to myself, I might well take one look out of the window, shiver (or shudder?), and go back to bed with dreams of staying under the covers until Spring.  But the kids really do have the right idea. They take every opportunity they get to have fun. And there are not many opportunities to have fun in the snow . So they are up and out regardless of the discomfort. A few days ago, I read a verse in the Bible which has been bouncing around in my mind ever since. In 2 Timothy 4:2 , the apostle Paul tells his right hand man Timothy to: “ Preach the Word; be ready in season a...

It came as a surprise to many people when religious leaders in England and Wales issued a challenge to the government about the closure of churches during the Autumn ‘firebreak’ lockdowns. Similar challenges are currently working their way through the Scottish court system due to the blanket ‘Tier 4’ restrictions which have been in place since Boxing Day 2020. Some churches did continue to meet, with social distancing measures in place, choosing not to comply with government guidance ( guidance not law - contrary to some exaggerated news reports).  A conversation with a friend yesterday set me thinking about this issue of religious freedom again. Let me tell you a bit about him. ‘Malcolm’ My friend Malcom (not his real name) lives in an Asian country where Christians are a minority. In recent years they have known active opposition from a nationalist government which aligns with the majority religion. The country has no ‘welfare state’ to fall back on so if you lose your job...