We like to think of ourselves as some sort of special culture but the fact of the matter is that the world has always been full of hardship and human civilisation is built on the irony that in a universe that would eat us alive the biggest danger can come from our own species.

Even if it turned out that Jesus wasn't who he said he was the core message of kindness, love and dignity to the very bottom levels of society is not only always universally relevant but also a very strong counter-culture in the face of a dog-eat-dog world.

Jesus said 'what is faith without deeds?' but the deeds still exist even if the faith does not.