The Printer’s Problem
A Printer’s Problem
Over a century ago a man asked a printer to print for him his autobiography.”I shall call in a month’s time to collect my book so I can have it published as soon as possible”.
“I shall do my best to have it ready by then” replied the printer.
We must remember that at that time printing was very irksome and time-consuming. “A printing press, in its classical form, is a standing mechanism, ranging from 5 to 7 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 7 feet tall. The small individual metal letters known as type would be set up by a compositor into the desired lines of text. Several lines of text would be arranged at once and were placed in a wooden frame known as a galley. Once the correct number of pages were composed, the galleys would be laid face up in a frame”(Weikie Encyclopaedia).
After a month the author arrived to collect his book.
“I am sorry to say your book is not ready”, said the printer.
“Why not?”asked the author angerily.
“It’s because I have run out of capital “I”s”.
The moral, of course, is that one should not be proud or think too highly of oneself. The Bible often speaks of God’s displeasure with proud people. To gain favour with Him, one must realise their sinfulness and ask God to forgive them of it. He will forgive because Jesus, His Son, died on the Cross, for them. If they don’t, they will remain unforgiven for ever.
Social Distancing
“Social distancing” has become a buzz word. It sums up the restrictions that have been imposed on us by the UK Government. We must stay two metres apart from each other We can only have one exercise a day outside the house locally..We are only to shop when it is essential. We must not buy electrical goods except on the internet.
All these social distancing rules appear harsh but they are necessary for our wellbeing and the future of the NHS, we are often told. The Government wants to delay the spread of the coronavirus as best they can so our hospitals won’t be overwhelmed with sick folk.
There is a penalty if we don’t comply with these rules. Normally a fine, or be arrested by the police for persistent offenders.
In the Bible God imposed His laws on the nation of Israel. They were for their wellbeing. There were laws on diet. which prohibited them from eating certain animals and fish. There were social laws against stealing, murder and infidelity in marriage. There were religious laws telling them that the Sabbath Day (Saturday) was their day of worship. There were penalties for those who broke any of these laws.
Most of these laws apply today. Dietary laws are not compulsory . The religious laws have changed somewhat; for Christians, Sunday is the day of worship. The social laws have certainly not changed, such as the law of loving our neighbour as ourselves. Unfortunately, we cannot keep all God’s laws because we are biased towards them. Therefore we are at a distance from God, that is, we do not have a relationship with Him. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He has made it possible by allowing His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross at Calvary in Palestine. We must believe in Him or perish forever.