To ere is human and to forgive is divine. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, will you in the spirit of the Yuletide, forgive that brother or sister of yours?

PETER was devastated when his doctor confirmed his worst fear – he had prostrate cancer. It could still be treated if he acted quickly. His wife, a nurse, made necessary enquiries and came up with the names of two respectable private hospitals who’d treated the disease successfully from time to time.

“Labi, her second choice, is a bit wet behind the ears. So what? He loves Joan with a passion and has a good job. She doesn’t love him because he wasn’t aggressive enough but I told her that was exactly the man she should get married to. He was also a British citizen which meant their children would automatically become British. What could be better than that? I reminded her that in life, there are some perks money can’t buy!”

He belonged to an evangelical church and sought the help of his pastor. He advised Henry to bring Gbemi to the church to stay a week, at least, for constant vigil and prayers so she could be weaned off alcohol. After arguing vehemently she wasn’t an alcoholic, Gbemi agreed to give the treatment a go to save her marriage. “After the one week,” Henry recalled, “she didn’t seem to be making much progress – she looked disorientated and I put it down to withdrawal symptoms.

Christmas is a season of joy and peace, sharing and giving to the less privileged amongst us. It’s also a time when some loved ones and relatives shy away from their responsibilities.