The Lent Factor

Forty Lenten reflections on forty remarkable people whose character and history is illuminated by scripture.Human character is best described by telling stories about people. The Lent Factor describes forty very different people - one for each day of Lent - who have a special quality about them, and uses their stories to reflect on how faith and character are connected.A theme from each brief story is illuminated by reflection on a scene, passage or word from the Bible. The appropriateness of the use of a cross to mark out the 'X' factor within human beings becomes the more pertinent as the journey through Lent approaches Holy Week and Easter. The cast list includes Edith Cavell, Philip Toynbee (father of Polly), U.A. Fanthorpe, Dorothy Sayers, Charles Wesley, Rabbi Hugo Gryn, Julian of Norwich, Kathleen Ferrier, Eva Peron and many others from different backgrounds and diverse periods of history, some famous and some entirely unknown.

Introduction1 Blessed are the Pure in Heart, Charles Causley2 Vessels of Grace, Michael Stagg3 The Vulnerability of Love, John Miller4 Resisting Temptation, Stanley Green5 Transforming Love, Monica Furlong6 Prophets with Honour, Lionel James7 The Scandal of the Incarnation, John Everett Millais8 Blessed are the Poor, Eva Peron9 The Tenderness of God, U.A. Fanthorpe10 Meanness and Mercy, Luke the Evangelist11 The Prince of Generosity, Phyllis Simmons12 Patience and Grace, James Paget13 Living From Others, Charles Williams14 Courtesy and Character, Robin Ferrers15 The Indwelling Spirit, Charles Wesley16 God Looking on Us, Douglas Feaver17 The Woman at the Well, Elsie Chamberlain18 Friendship in Christ, Launcelot Fleming19 All Things to All People, Robert Runcie20 Uncovenanted Mercies, Kathleen Ferrier21 The Architect of Salvation, John Loughborough Pearson22 Seeing God, Edith James23 The Mind of the Maker, Dorothy L. Sayers24 Restlessness, George Borrow25 God, Forever Young, Enid Ralphs26 Integrity and Justice, John Lyttle27 Thanksgiving in Troubled Times, Edward Reynolds28 Praying and Believing, W.E. Orchard29 Faithfulness Under Pressure, Joseph Hall30 God's Heart of Love, Julian of Norwich31 Courage in Ministry, Susan Cole-King32 Broken for Christ, Bernard Walke33 Learning to Die Well, Philip Toynbee34 Weeping over the Holy City, John Aves35 Unjust Suffering, Hugo Gryn36 Patriot of God's Kingdom, Edith Cavell37 God's Exhausting Love, W.H. Vanstone38 Priestly Sacrifice, Michael Evans39 A Suffering God?, Geometry Studdert Kennedy40 Grief and Love, Victoria James ConclusionAcknowledgements