Author: John Stuart

In my study at home, on top of a shelf, is an aquamarine painted pot that contains loose change, paper clips, and pins. Anyone looking at it would call it ugly and worthless. When I see it, I think that … Read more

I remember waking up one Sunday morning in December, and everything was quiet and still. No cars were heard outside, no buses were running, no people were making a noise. The sun was shining, but when I looked out of … Read more

I love old movies, and at this time of year, I get to watch one of my all-time favorites, "The Wizard of Oz". The colours, the music, the story, and the characters all blend together perfectly, and my television screen … Read more

My mom suffered from schizophrenia for 25 years. During most of that time, she was kept in a locked hospital ward for many months, and sometimes she was sent to an asylum. Usually, nine months out of any given year, … Read more

Lennon and McCartney once wrote a song called "All You Need is Love". I remember watching them record it live on television. It was written as a European anthem to celebrate the first inter-continental European satellite. It was an amazing … Read more

Many years ago, a paramedic showed me a soldier's knapsack Bible. It belonged to his uncle, who had been killed in World War I. The Bible, along with his other possessions, had been returned to his grieving family. As they … Read more

I once went to a Halloween party at a church where I attended Sunday School. My brother was supposed to come with me, but he was sick that night, so I asked a friend to come along. He was delighted … Read more

You've probably heard this verse before. It's a great favourite at funerals, that sacred time when our loved ones are entrusted into God's everlasting care. It's a remarkable piece of Scripture, and over the many years that I have been … Read more

Before I came to pastor in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, I had been a part-time chaplain, as well as a full-time parish minister, at a local hospital in Scotland. I used to go around my assigned wards — cardiac, oncology, and … Read more

My mother was schizophrenic, and she suffered from that mental condition for 25 years. It was a torturous illness, and a terrifying experience for all of my family. I remember that most kids in our subdivision went off joyfully to … Read more