The Vicars wife entered his study, with his Saturday evening treat of a measure of sherry and biscuits of the finest Belgium variety. As she motioned to set the tray down, he looked up, earnestly, at his wife and implored a response to his enquiry, ” Millie, do you think me a humble man?”

Vicar Dean was in the throes of drafting his Sunday sermon, in which he was to extol the virtues of the meek and humble Christian, whom he was to assert would inherit the kingdom of God. His wife, Mildred, gathered herself together and knelt down by his side. “My dear, what on earth makes you feel you require my approval for such a statement.”

The Vicar shook his head despondently and looked vacantly into his beloved wife’s eyes “oh, it’s just I feel such a hypocrite in working on my sermon and I feel that I hold true to very little of the true teachings of the man I profess to follow, as he had renounced all worldly attachments and taught the word of God wherever he was led by his heavenly Father; what do I do?” At that he grasped his head in his hands and murmured “I preach to the ‘well heeled’ congregation a radical message of liberation for the soul in such a diluted fashion so as not to upset the church collection plate, I’m as guilty as the thief that steals money from the wealthy man’s pocket. “

He completed his exhortation, and Mildred composed herself from the shock of his confession. She earnestly picked up his hand into hers and looked deep into his eyes, saying quite adamantly, “William, Daniel, Dean, I did not marry a thief. ” she then thrust herself into his arms and wept.

The Vicar soothed her lovingly and gave thanks to God for bestowing to him such a caring and loyal wife.

The church service was due to commence at 11.30am that Sunday morning, yet when the parishioners began to arrive they were greeted to a notice on the door of the church hall: “I am abstaining from the church service this morning, instead my wife and I are helping out at the local homeless shelter. Jesus doesn’t need a minister to parrot and dilute sacred texts he needs godly examples of Christ- like behaviours to truly tend to all Gods children. Have a blessed Sunday – Vicar Dean!”