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I was in the Falklands, second in command

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

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'I was in the Falklands, second in command on a frigate. We got bombed and very badly damaged. I was in the Navy for 36 years. After that, I was chief executive of Sue Ryder.

That was the perfect job for me. I retired in 2007. I can’t be retired. That’s unthinkable really, doing nothing.

The verse that really reflects where I go in life is James 2.14, “In the same way faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead”. That’s absolutely brilliant. It’s unequivocal. I’m in for practical Christianity. 

After I retired I spent ten years on the Independent Monitoring Board at Winchester Prison. That’s practical Christianity. There was one chap who, like so many prisoners, had a split personality and a slight mental problem. He had wanted to go out on temporary licence and was having difficulty over it. I used to talk to him a lot.

He said that I helped him. So often, all you have done is listen, but people like him don’t have anyone to listen to them generally. My general approach to life is that I will roll my sleeves up, whether it’s at the prison, or on the parish council, getting the hedges cut back or putting the pavements straight.'

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