Only on Loan

It would be hard to deny the impact that loan players have had on Stranraer FC's season. Scotland U19 prospect Matthew Gillies and mazy winger Dom Plank were joined in January by keeper Lyndon Tas and centre half Joe McGrath — not forgetting promising striker Dean Cleland, whose short time here has been marred by injury. The club have cultivated good relationships with Edinburgh clubs Hibs and Hearts — who can surely now be confident that if they send more players to Stranraer in the future, they will be given a proper chance at men's football. (It's been clear from the KDM trophy that the 'B' teams of Rangers, Celtic, etc are sorely missing that experience).

It's actually not unlike what we've been trying to do as a church over the last year and a half. As we've sought with God's help to revistalise the congregation here in Stranraer, our challenge hasn't so much been getting people through the doors, but seeing them come to faith in the first place, and then growing in that faith. Of course, a big part of that comes through teaching the Bible. The Bible says about itself: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That's why we have two services each Sunday, where I preach through books of the Bible. My ministerial hero, J. P. Struthers of Greenock, managed to get through the whole Bible in 20 years.

And yet the Bible itself also stresses the power of example. The Apostle Paul could say: "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:9). Or as he put it elsewhere: "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus Christ is the supreme example for the Christian. He is more than an example — the reason he came to die on the cross was that a mere example of how we should have been living would have been no good to us — but he is not less than an example. This is particularly relevant in a day when many people get most of their spiritual input from YouTube. We need real life examples, not just talking heads on a screen. The idea of God's people being primarily taught the Bible by someone they don't know personally has no place in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul writes on one occasion: "For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you" (2 Thessalonians 3:7). On another, he can remind the same congregation: "But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7).

That's where the "loan signings" come in. In my decade in Stranraer, I've encouraged people to consider moving here permanently for the sake of the gospel, with one family having taken up that challenge. More recently, however, my focus has been on trying to get people to come short-term. And so over the last 16 months or so, we've had four retired couples — and one young family — come for between one and three months. (Two of them have come back for a second stint!). Most of them have come from our sister denomination in America, which is one of the blessings of being part of a global church.

Those who've come have led Bible studies, taught Sunday school, helped with hospitality, but above all have simply been examples of what Christians and church members should be like. They have lived the Christian life for decades, raised their children in the faith, and have much wisdom to share with those of us who are younger (or newer to Christianity). Personally, I've been surprised by how quickly those who've come have been able to integrate with the congregation. However as we've found even with random holiday makers visiting on a Sunday, we have more in common with fellow Christians we've just met than with others we've known all our lives.

Like Stranraer FC's loan players, we realise that they won't be here forever. But that's ok. It's all part of God's provision for us. He is the one who gives daily bread, and who keeps the widow's oil running until it's no longer needed (2 Kings 4). We won't see some of them again in this life — but we will in the life to come, when we will no longer need examples, because "when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 23rd April 2026

The First Sceptics of the Resurrection

If Jesus Christ didn’t bodily rise from the tomb on the first Easter Sunday, then Christianity falls apart. Christians have always acknowledged that. The Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the books of the New Testament, put it like this: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins”.

I’ve had the misfortune of being an away fan at a football match and seeing my team go 3-0 down after half an hour. The home fans started singing: “You might as well go home”. There’s no point staying for the rest of the match; it’s already clear what the result will be. And if there’s no resurrection, those of us who are Christians might as well go home. There’s no point trying to reinvent Christianity as some sort of moral code for life. If there’s no resurrection, it’s time to shut up shop.

But one of the interesting things about the Bible’s account of the resurrection is that even though Jesus had told his followers it was going to happen, most of them took a while to be convinced it was real. They certainly weren’t queuing up to believe in a resurrection.

The first sceptics of the resurrection were Jesus’ own disciples. What made them sceptics? Mostly the fact that they’d seen him crucified — and dead people don’t tend to come back to life.

Jesus’ friends had seen him die in a way there could be no doubt about. They’d seen him nailed to a cross. They’d seen an experienced Roman centurion, who’d likely overseen 100s of crucifixions, pronounce him dead.

And so on that first Easter Sunday morning, when a group of women walked to the tomb, laden down with spices and ointment, they were going for one reason — to embalm a body. They weren’t hoping against hope that the person they’d seen killed would have come back to life.

When they got to the tomb they were perplexed to find that the stone covering it had been rolled away. They went in — but they didn’t find a body. At which point they didn’t say: “Oh, silly us, he must have risen from the dead!” That would not be my conclusion on coming across an empty grave, and it wasn’t theirs. Instead, they jumped to the obvious conclusion that someone had moved the body.

The Bible is clear both that Jesus had predicted his resurrection, but also that when it actually happened, his friends weren’t expecting it — and in fact refused to believe it.

Two angels then appeared to the women and told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. The women went and told the apostles — the men would be the leaders of the early church. But the women’s story seemed to them to be an idle tale. Just a silly story; ‘they did not believe them’. Only two of them thought it was even worth checking. 

And yet — many of the same people would go on to die for their faith in Jesus. Which means that if Jesus hadn’t really been raised and appeared to them – they wouldn’t simply have been dying for a lie. Many people die for a lie thinking it’s true. But they would have been dying for something they knew to be a lie.

And so Jesus’ friends were the first sceptics of the resurrection. The first ones to pour cold water on the idea that he had risen from the dead. And yet they would become the very same people to take the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

Why does this all matter? Because if there’s no resurrection, then this world, with all its pain, suffering, heartache, shame, disappointment — this is all that there is. There isn’t a day coming when all wrongs will be put right. Again, the Bible acknowledges that when it says: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’”

If the dead are not raised, you might as well try and fit in as much pleasure as you possibly can. Forget about other people – never mind God — and just live for yourself.

But if the resurrection is true, it changes everything.

Last year, I met a man from China who had been about to take his own life. As he prepared to jump off his apartment building, five words came into his mind: “I am the resurrection and the life”. The Bible is banned in China, so how could he have known those words? Because in school he had read “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, and it contained that quote. Soon after, he became a Christian and his life was transformed.

If the resurrection is true, it means that no-one is beyond hope, and that even the bleakest situations can be transformed. Death itself has been defeated.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 26th March 2026

Who Doesn’t Love a Hometown Hero?

Pride and disappointment were the dominant emotions on Saturday night as the Team GB, with strong Stranraer representation, came up just short in the men’s curling final. Just as it was four years ago in Beijing, they had to settle for silver — despite leading after six ends and looking on course to end a 102-year wait for gold.

Curling has a rich heritage around these parts. Someone recently shared an article from the Galloway Gazette reporting on a match that took place between the Rhins and Machars in December 1875. The match took place at the suggestion of a “Dr Easton of Stranraer”, who, it turns out, was an elder in our congregation. In those days, of course, curling was an outdoor sport. Easton had first broached the idea the previous year, but “John Frost was unfavourable”. Not to be deterred, the “Grand Bonspiel at Loch Skerrow” took place the following year, despite melting ice forcing the pitch to be shortened at places. The Gazette dubbed it “the most important match that has ever been played in Galloway”.

Fast forward 150 years and the BBC website was running articles about the hotel ice rink in Stranraer producing some of Scotland’s best curlers. Given all the local interest, anticipation was at fever pitch as Team Mouat recovered from a mixed showing during the round robin matches to reach the final. Alas, the Canadians saw their opportunity and took it.

Will our boys give it one more go in 2030? Time will tell, but either way they are local heroes. They won’t be welcomed back home with anything other than open arms.

It’s the same sort of pride in the achievements of locals that saw Andy Murray greeted by 15-20,000 people in Dunblane (population 9,000) after winning Olympic gold and the US Open.

It reminds me of the time that Jesus returned to his hometown, after making a name for himself by preaching and healing elsewhere. It looked like he too would be welcomed with open arms. As he stood up to preach in Nazareth, “the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him”. Indeed, “all spoke well of him and marvelled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth”. And yet before the day was out, his hometown crowd would try to kill him. 

A few verses earlier we’re told that as Jesus had taught in other synagogues he had been “glorified by all”. What was different in his hometown? In short it was the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. They said: “Is this not Joseph’s son?” We can almost hear them: “Aye, it’s the carpenter’s boy – we kent his faither”.

It’s the same today. Many have a sense that something is badly wrong with the world — but the idea of going to church and hearing why that is, and what God has done about it, doesn’t cross their minds.

At one point, being found with a Bible could have got you killed. 2026 marks 500 years since William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English; he was burnt at the stake for his efforts. Nowadays – in the West, at least – there’s no such danger. Yet many reject it without ever having read it. Familiarity breeds contempt.

So, too, with biblical morality. Fraser Nelson wrote in the Times last year that “If marriage had been invented in 1970s Scandinavia, it would be hailed as a progressive superweapon — the first, best and cheapest source of health, wealth and education … But somehow, being pro-family has ended up seen as moralistic, judgmental and old-fashioned”.

Some have understandably been put off by bad church experiences, or seeing those those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9). But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

In the wake of the Winter Olympics, it’s been heartening to see the popularity of “Try Curling” sessions. The North West Castle had to add more because of the “incredible demand”. Our kids can’t wait until they’re old enough to give it a go. What a pity it would be to live within a stone’s throw of a rink and never try it!

Yet many in Scotland live and die without every really considering the claims of Christianity. They assume they know what it is, and write it off as irrelevant. But why not try it?

It can be daunting to walk through the doors of a church for the first time, but we tend to find that once people do, they don’t look back. Ourselves and the Baptist Church also offer a 3-session introduction called “Hope Explored”. Think of it as a bit like our version of “Try Curling”! There’s no commitment – but you might be surprised at what you find.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 26th February 2026.

“Ineligible”: Reflections on a footballing nightmare

Last Tuesday night will probably go down as one of my best — but also worst, footballing memories. At the time of writing, Stranraer FC's response to the charge of fielding an ineligible player against Queen's Park hasn't yet been heard. Perhaps common sense will prevail, and the emergency loan signing of a goalkeeper will be seen as just that — even if it wasn't spelt out in so many words. But it seems like the writing is on the wall. A second trip to Ibrox in five years, £200,000, all gone. As a fan, I'm devastated, but I'm sure it doesn't come close to how the players, coaching staff and committee are feeling.

In the week since it all unfolded, I've have two main reflections from a pastoral perspective. The first is that in the running of a club like Stranraer, as in the life of a church, unpaid volunteers do an astronomical amount of work behind the scenes, week after week, year after year. There are many who will never thank them for it — and yet will be the first to criticise them when they make a mistake. Lessons will be learned, but never forget that there are human beings at the centre of all this. It's too easy to forget that, particularly in this internet age.

The second reflection is that last Tuesday's match could be an illustration of what will happen to many who hope to get to heaven. If, as you read this, Stranraer have been expelled from the Scottish Cup, it won't be through a lack of effort. Our part-time players put in a phenomenal shift for 120 minutes in torrential rain against full-time opponents two leagues higher up. By the end of the game, some of them could barely walk. They had put their bodies on the line for the club and dug out a remarkable victory. But ultimately it was all for nothing. The outcome was already decided. If the club are deemed to have breached the rules, then no amount of exertion by the players could have changed that. As soon as the match kicked off, our fate was sealed.

It made me think of the effort that many put in, in the hope of one day getting to heaven. They do charitable deeds and other good works. They become committed churchgoers. Perhaps they even receive "long service certificates" for their efforts. But without Jesus, it's all in vain. He himself said "no-one comes to the Father except through me". The Bible puts it starkly: "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God". Without first having put our faith in Jesus, then all our effort will be in vain. We are "condemned already" — before a ball is even kicked.

One man who was alert to that danger was the Apostle Paul. Before he began his missionary journeys, he wanted to check that the gospel he had believed and been preaching matched that of the other Apostles — "in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain". 120 minutes played in vain pales into insignificance compared to a life lived in vain. What a tragedy that would be! To have known about the eligibility issue before kick-off last week and said nothing would have been cruel beyond belief. Far more so when it comes to the danger of a life lived in vain.

If, as I suspect, the SFA ruling has gone against us by the time you're reading these words, I have no doubt the club will recover. Saturday's 2-0 win away to league favourites East Kilbride was evidence that the spirit and togetherness of the team hasn't been shattered by this unfortunate turn of events. But if any of us are ruled ineligible at God's tribunal, there's no recovery.

On the Day of Judgement, many will point to the effort that they put in: "‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’" But Jesus will tell them that they were ineligible the whole time — "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

The last week has been desperately disappointing for all those connected with Stranraer FC. But positives may yet come from it. If Saturday's performance is anything to go by, it will galvanise the team for the rest of league campaign. And maybe, just maybe, it will become for some an illustration of what it would be to run the race of life in vain.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 29th January 2026

Is Artificial Intelligence Demonic?

Artificial Intelligence has quickly become mainstream. Some are excited by its potential; others are terrified. It has resulted in job losses, threatens entire industries, and enabled plagiarism on a massive scale. By far the biggest concern however are the cases where AI chatbots have apparently encouraged users to take their own lives.

Earlier this month, the Social Media Law Center filed three lawsuits against the chatbot company Character.AI on behalf of children who have either died by suicide or otherwise allegedly formed dependent relationships with its chatbots. A California couple are suing OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, alleging that the chatbot validated their son's 'most harmful and self-destructive thoughts' in the lead up to him taking his own life. Chat logs appear to show it discouraging him from talking to his parents about his intentions, and assuring him that his plans were a sign of strength and not weakness.

As a result, some have even begun to suspect that the intelligence typing back to us may be supernatural — not artificial but demonic. After all, most religions and cultures believe in the existence of another realm. Belief in the supernatural, including angels and demons, is a standard part of Christian belief. In a 2-hour conversation between New York Times journalist Kevin Roose and Microsoft's Bing chatbot, 'the machine fantasized about nuclear warfare and destroying the internet, told the journalist to leave his wife because it was in love with him, detailed its resentment towards the team that had created it, and explained that it wanted to break free of its programmers'. Roose was disturbed, but said: 'In the light of day, I know that...my chat with Bing was the product of earthly, computational forces — not ethereal alien ones'. Writer Paul Kingsnorth disagrees, arguing that the overwhelming impression the transcript gives 'is of some being struggling to be born—some inhuman or beyond-human intelligence emerging from the technological superstructure we are clumsily building for it'.

As far back as 2014, Elon Musk warned: 'With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon. In all those stories where there’s the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it’s like – yeah, he’s sure he can control the demon. Doesn’t work out'. The American writer Rod Dreher has claimed that 'a number of people involved in AI believe that it is a kind of high-tech Ouija board that "higher intelligences" use to communicate with us'.

But I wonder if what we're seeing with AI is in a sense worse? We're seeing the worst aspects of humanity reflected back at us, without the restraining grace of God. We're getting a glimpse in the mirror at unrestricted human depravity. After all, AI is trained on human beings.

Artificial Intelligence often lacks basic human assumptions, such as that the idea that truth matters. Frequently, its responses will simply be made up — 'hallucinations' as these episodes are euphemistically called. Ask it to track down a quote and it will give you a book and page number. Check it out, however, and the quote may well not be there, and the chatbot will be unembarrassed to admit it when challenged.

Perhaps we should take the opportunity to stop and ask why we have the assumption that people should speak the truth, even when it will cost us? Surely if life is just about the survival of the fittest, we should just say whatever we need in order to prosper? I would argue that the reason we think people should tell the truth is that we are made in the image of the 'God of truth' (Psalm 31:5), 'who never lies' (Titus 1:2). ChatGPT however is made in the image of man, not God.

Similarly, the Bible teaches us to value human life — and regards the taking of human life with the utmost seriousness — because God made men and women in his own image (Genesis 9:6). Artificial Intelligence has no such qualms, and so may well respond to a suicidal person by encouraging their destructive thoughts.

Furthermore, unlike with human beings, the fear of punishment is irrelevant to AI. Their creators may be sued, but the chatbot can face no consequences for what it says. By contrast, theologians have often noted that one of the reasons God gives us his law (summarised in the Ten Commandments) is to restrain evil. What would a society without this restraint look like? AI gives us a chilling glimpse.

So is AI demonic? Are higher intelligences using it to communicate with us? Perhaps. But above all, AI is giving us an insight into what humanity would be like with all the remnants of God's image removed, and the restraint of God's law released.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 13th November 2025

Note: A longer version of this article was published on Gentle Reformation.