I was listening to “Desert Island Discs” the other day, a programme in which a famous person is interviewed about his life. He is asked to choose his favourite eight records, which he would take to the island, and these were played at landmarks during the interview. In this programme, John Cale, a composer and performer, who is American based, was the star. He hales from a village thirty-five kilometres from where we live, and is Welsh speaking. 

Though having lived in America for thirty to forty years, he had not lost his Welsh accent. He told of his early life, and how he had gone to London and then to America to escape from his village, and to get out of Wales. But he confessed that he could not get Wales out of him. By going to America, he was trying to dismiss this hold upon him, but he had totally failed. His nationality, culture and origins were so deeply rooted in him, that they still continued to colour his thinking and his life. He could not change. 

Is not that the same with ingrained sin? Man is born under its influence, power and impression, and as much as we try to resist it or dismiss it, we cannot change our nature. Can a leopard change his spots? Thank God that another can change us through his blood that washes and cleanses from sin, and gives us citizenship of another and better country.