Somewhere in my youth, I was called to play the flute at a grand function. To my surprise the desired music did not come from the pipe. The sounds that came out were shrill and sharp wails. I looked closer at the beautiful flute and discovered it had developed a…
Robert Clements is a journalist and newspaper columnist. With an estimated 6 million readership, his column, Bob’s Banter is published in over 30 newspapers and magazines in nearly every state in India, as well as in the top newspapers of Bangladesh, London and Dubai and is also translated into Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
Someone Tougher Than Me..!
With Christmas cleaning going on, which includes much needed house repairs, I decided to go through some of the many books I had and right down the pile was Robert Schuller’s book, “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!” I knew there was something in the book that had…
Carry the People with You..!
Just a few weeks ago, Chinese Prime Minister Xi, managed to get unlimited powers from the members of the party he belonged to. Today, he fights rage and anger, causing unprecedented riots all over China! Obviously, members of his party don’t have the backing of the people, which means he…
The Old Man on the Rocking Chair ..!
It was the silver wedding anniversary celebrations of a Punjabi couple I went for. As I watched them both, I realized how much the husband relied on his wife. I walked to the bar and as usual the men folk were gathered around their drinks and there was laugher as…
Get Back to the Manger..!
It’s the beginning of December, the Christmas month, and as I think of the birth of Jesus in a lowly manger, where cows and goats and horses were kept, I find on that exact spot in Bethlehem, a cathedral’s been built. Something, some of our leaders love to talk about…
Finding We’ve Got Goodness Inside..!
It was a few years ago I landed at the hospital where my wife is a doctor to meet the mother of a baby who had been born with a physical deformity. The child’s grandmother was sobbing, “Why?” she wept, “did God do this to my granddaughter?” There was really…
Balance Your Life..!
A friend called me the other day, and I pleaded I was too busy to meet him, “Balance your life Bob,” he said, and proceeded to tell me a story: “A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse…
Fuel for Death..!
He called me the other day, “Bob,” he whispered, “my blood pressure’s gone up, I feel my head’s going to burst. I listened and advised him as best as I could. He was a successful businessman, but I had met him years ago before he got into business, what had…
Golden Calves..!
The little Jewish boy sat with his mother inside their tent and both listened to the sounds of revelry and drunken laughter that floated in from the outside. Suddenly the tent door flew open and his father stood framed against it, his eyes red with drink and his clothes wet…
Taking Him As He Is..!
A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Their domestic tranquility had long been the talk of the town. “What a peaceful and loving couple they are,” everybody said. A local newspaper reporter was inquiring as to the secret of their long and happy marriage. “Well, it dates back to…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.