In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric hordes of the north. So they built the Great Wall of China. It was too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around. Security achieved!

The only problem was that during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded three times. Was the wall a failure? Not really – for not once did the barbaric hordes climb over the wall, break it down or go around it.

How then did they get into China? The answer lies in human nature. They simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right through a gate. The final flaw in the Chinese defense was placing too much reliance on a wall and not putting enough effort into building character in the gatekeepers.

One of the aims of RE at Newington is to build the character of our boys through moral and spiritual development. Part of this of course, is to encourage them to be trustworthy and trusting of the right sort of role models. This term in chapel we are going to follow Jesus with Simon Peter to see if Jesus is indeed trustworthy, a man of integrity.