There have been moments when I have been self-righteous or just plain selfish.

As a young man being asked to open a bottle of beer with my belt for a drunken man we were trying to go home from someone’s house. Opening it would have been no skin of my nose but got him out quicker.

The worse example that I really regreet happened at church.I had finally joined the quee for lunch. I was hungry and had been busy with tasks after the service. A friend who had not been in church came in. He worked in the UK with his wife back home. SHe had come to London to see him. She had refused to come in and wanted someone to come out. I refused. I realised later why she had done this. If someone walks into a church we will be nice to them regardless. Yet if they are known then we would have come out. She did not believe him that he attended this church. In my meaness I had re-enforced her view by not delaying my meal.

I have not said sorry to him. He has now returned home. This behaviour cannot be undone. We can so easily undo good work with thoughtless selfishness.