Dr Margaret's Treasure Chest

    Almost 20 years ago, I read an article about a boarder that I have never forgotten. I have not been able to source it, but the Lord knows the faithful woman who put together the original story. We shall give all credit to her. I hope that this edited version will touch you as much as the original one did me: Bill and Jane have a boarder in their home. He’s been with them for many years now. In fact, he joined their family soon after they were married. I could never understand why a young married couple would want to take a third party into their home, but Jane assured me that he was no trouble at all. It seemed to me that they quite enjoyed having him in their home. He was usually very quiet, speaking only when asked to do so, and yet full of the most interesting stories that you could imagine. It was easy to spend a whole evening listening to him. He was very imaginative and certainly knew how to keep his audience spellbound. As time passed, however, I couldn’t help won...

There are many sayings that connect learning to living. A Catholic 'priest' once said to my husband, "Give me a child until he is seven, and he will be mine forever." Many years ago, in my pre-Christian past, I worked with clinical hypnotherapy to help people with psychosomatic illnesses. It was then that I first realised how powerful the subconscious mind is, and how much it affects both physiological and psychological states and behaviours. Did you know, for example, that everything you see and hear in life gets stored? You might remember a night of unrest when your mind kept processing your late night's mental work in your dreams. Or you watched a very impressive movie before going to bed, and your mind kept dwelling on it in a jumbled up way. We may not be able to consciously recall every single detail of our past, but it is stored in our brain nonetheless. Some information may even turn into a heavy burden. During an emotionally tense moment, for instance, so...

Throughout history, the involvement of conscience in the affairs of mankind has been enormous. Many men and women suffered for what they considered to be right rather than taking the easy way out. They fought for justice and sought to help the oppressed. They spoke out against what they considered to be wrong and influenced the laws of their land. Some even gave their lives. And then there is each one of us. Don’t we expect our brothers and sisters in Christ to have a conscience when dealing with one another? After all, we are supposed to have the mind of Christ. Just imagine what the world would be like if people did not have a conscience! But then, what exactly is that conscience? Do all people have it, or only some? Is it a part of us from birth (nature), or is it acquired through our upbringing (nurture)? Why do some people have extremely sensitive consciences while others seem to have no conscience at all? These are interesting questions. Allport, for example, wrote of...