The news that a Barnsley Woman has re-mortgaged her house to offer a ransom for her stolen dog does not raise eyebrows as far as it should. In "Pet Barmy Britain" where people often seem to love their cats more than their children, such acts of extravagant expenditure on Fido or Tiddles is not uncommon.
But it's not just Money that Mrs Maw is spending in the hope of finding her German short-haired pointer. According to the BBC report, she has so far spent more than £13,000 in the hunt for the dog and has taken unpaid leave since the dog, Angel, was snatched on 6th December.
At the recent Youth Work Conference I was urging the workers there to prepare their talks well ahead of time. The reason? Well, first because it gives you more time to properly meditate on God's Word, and allow it to permeate your understanding. But secondly, because it means that you have better illustrations. Often we leave illustrations to choose after we have worked out the main thrust of a message, decided on the structure and worked out big plan for what we will say. We then try to grab any old illustration that we think fits. The result - often old and well-worn illustrations that many will have heard before.
But when we prepare early, and we spend time "living with" the talk for a couple of weeks, I find that the illustrations happen in my own experience, or in the news, and I spot them, because I am looking for them. The result. A talk with contemporary illustrations that will be fresh and more relevant to our listeners.
I'm prepping for a sermon this weekend on Zacchaeus (Luke 19) for this weekend - so the link is obvious. The Lord Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and in the eyes of Israel's finest, there was no-one more lost than little Zac, the traitorous tax collector. The big difference? Not a few thousand, and a couple off months of work. But a lifetime of sweat and toil, and the spilling of blood more precious than gold.
Mrs Maw, if you're reading this, I hope, and have just prayed, that you would be reunited with your lovely dog, who is loved and part of your family. And I hope, and have just prayed that you, and those who will hear me on Sunday will know how much the God who loves them was willing to pay to rescue lost people like me and you.
Tim Thornborough is the founder and Publishing Director of The Good Book Company. He is series editor of Explore Bible-reading notes, the author of The Very Best Bible Stories series, and has contributed to many books published by The Good Book Company and others. Tim is married to Kathy, and they have three adult daughters.
