The watch struck 9:30am, and we were standing on the curb of a main road through Bethlehem. A beaten-up Mercedes pulled in, out of which emerged Daher, a great beam across his mustached face. He beckoned us in and off we drove, Daher stopping a number of times on the way to collect pitta and fresh vegetables. Driving out of the bustling centre of Bethlehem and into the Judean hills, the road became increasingly uneven and full of potholes as we took in the beautiful views of

Of all human virtues, nothing inspires me quite like courage. Courage is contagious. As Billy Graham once said, "When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened." [i] If that is true, then someone has to be the first. What does it take to lead the way, to show courage when everyone else is faltering, to inspire bravery in others, to risk all? The remarkable life of Desmond T Doss, whose story was brought to light in the film ‘Hacksaw Ridge’, has answe

I wonder what Doss’s courage looked like from the point of view of the injured men in his battalion? Scores of soldiers were left for dead on that battle-field, clinging to their last moments of life, gritting their teeth as blood seeped from their wounds, holding onto memories of the families they left behind. In their dark night of the soul, they would suddenly glimpse the skinny frame of a fellow soldier crawling through the mud towards them, pockets bulging with bandages

Doss was born and raised in Virginia, the son of a carpenter, William Doss. The skinny country-boy with a slow drawling accent from a nowhere-town in the hills, showed up in Fort Jackson, claiming to love his neighbour and stand unswervingly on his convictions. It’s not hard to see why the men didn’t take him seriously, I guess that’s the trouble with first impressions. He built his life on the words and works of another carpenter’s son from a nowhere-town in the hills. 1st C