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[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] Rugadh mi is thogadh mi ann an Tobar Mhoire agus bha sinn a’ dol don Eaglais Shaoir Aonaichte. Nuair a tha thu a’ dol nad oileanach tha thu a’ dol air falbh bhon chreideamh a tha sin agus ’s e sin a thachair rium-sa aig an àm sin. Ach an dèidh sin, chaidh mi a-staigh don airm agus nuair a bha mi san airm, bha mi a’ dol thall ’s a-bhos, agus bha mòran rudan a’ dol air aghaidh feadhainn dhiubh a bha caran cunnartach. Bha latha ann a thuirt mi rium fhèin cha robh mi a’ faicinn ciallachadh idir anns an t-saoghal gun Dia. Chunnaic mi gun robh taic ann an creideamh, mar sin agus dh’ fhàs an creideamh agam gu sònraichte nuair a bha mi ann an àiteachan iomallach no uaigneachd, tha fhios a’d, far an robh mi, mar eisimpleir, bha mi ann an Ameireaga a Deas ann an British Ghana agus bha an t-ionad agam dìreach anns an Jungle. Bha hut ann an sin agus bha sagart Anglicanach an sin, agus bhiodh mi a’ dol do na seirbheisean a bha sin. Bha mi a’ faicinn gun robh, tha fhios a’d, bha an altair daonnan cho glan agus brèideach ghlan air agus bha na coinnlean ann agus bhiodh flùraichean mu chuairt. Agus bha e a’ còrdadh rium a’ faicinn gun robh iad ag ùisneachadh agus a’ cleachdadh liotuirge. Bhon bha e na thaic dhomh agus bha an ceòl a bh’ aca a’ còrdadh rium agus rud a bha sònraichte math air mo shon-sa, ‘s e gun robh an comanachadh aca a h-uile seachdain agus tha mise a’ smaoineachadh gur e rud cudromach agus car làidir a tha sin son creideamh oir tha thu a’ faotainn taic bho Shlànaighear, ge brigh càit an robh mi, bha mi a’ dol don Eaglais Anglicanach agus thòisich mi a’ seinn anns na còisirean ciùil agus bha sin a’ còrdadh rium cuideachd agus tha mi a’ dèanamh an aon rud anns an Àrd-Eaglais Easbaigeach a th’ againne anns an Òban.

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] Nuair a bha mi san airm, corra uair, bha mo chreideamh doirbh a chumail, bhon bha mi a’ faicinn rudan a bha a’ dol air aghaidh san t-saoghal agus a’ faicinn olc, gu sònraichte nuair a bha mi a-mach ann an Iorac aig deireadh Cogadh a’ Chamais agus bha sinn shuas anns na monaidhean a’ toirt nan Kurdach sìos agus gan cur air ais do na bailtean beaga às an tàinig iad. Theich iad à Saddam Hussain. B’ urrainn dhut smaoineachadh dhut fhèin “Uill, ma tha Dia ann ciamar a tha an rud seo, an seòrsa rud seo a’ tachairt?”. Ach tha thu a’ smaoineachadh sin, chan e Dia a rinn seo ach na daoine agus bha e math air ar son san airm a bhith a-mach à sin bhon bha sinn gam biathadh, bha sinn a’ toirt aodach dhaibh, bha sinn a’ toirt uisge glan dhaibh. Agus tha cuimhne agam uair, bha sinn shuas anns na monaidhean ann an Iorac a Tuath agus bha a’ ghrian dìreach ag èirigh. Agus bha sinn an siud air ar glùinean anns a’ ghainmhich agus bha bòrd aig an sagart an sin agus bha brèideach air choireigin air. Agus tha cuimhne agam a’ ghrian dìreach a’ tighinn suas air a chùlaibh agus am brosnachadh agus an taic a bh’ againne dìreach a’ cur ar làmhan mar sin agus a’ faotainn an arain agus a’ faotainn Dia ar fìon, mar sin, bha thu a’ siubhal thall ‘s a-bhos agus bha do bheatha ag atharrachadh fad na h-ùine agus an aon rud a bha a’ ruith romhainn coltach ri abhainn ’s e mo chreideamh agus an adhradh a bha sinn a’ dèanamh a h-uile Là na Sàbaid. Bha sin a’ toirt seòrsa de chiallachadh do bheatha aig an àm sin. Seo agad guidhe. Tha sinn a’ guidheachan anns an Eaglais Easbaigeach airson breith ar Tighearna no Là breith Chriosd.

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] A Dhè uile-chumhachdaich,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] a thug dhuinn d'aon-ghin Mhic a ghabhail ar nàdair air fèin,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] agus mar aig an àm so gu bhith air a bhreith le Oigh fhìorghloin;

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] Deònach air dhuinn a bhith ath-ghinte,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] agus air ar dèanamh nar cloinn dhut fèin le uchd-mhacachd agus le gràs,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] gum bi sinn gu làitheil air ar n-ath-nuadhachadh led Spiorad naomh,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] trìd an nì cheudna ar Tighearna Iosa Criosd a tha beò agus a' riaghladh maille riutsa,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] agus ris an Spiorad cheudna,

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] aon Dia gu sìor, saoghal gun chrìoch.

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] Amen.

[Am Brigadier Iain Mac Phàrlain] Agus tha mise a’ smaoineachadh gur e seo guidhe agus ùrnaigh cho brèagha ‘sa ghabhas son Lè Breith ar Tighearna.

Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] I was born and raised in Tobermory and we went to the United Free Church. When you are a student you leave that religion and that is what happened to me at that time. But after that, I went in to the army and when I was in the army, I was going here and there were many things that were ahead of us, many of them dangerous. There was a day that I said to myself that I didn’t see anything in the world without God. I saw there was support in religion, as such and my faith grew when I was in remote or isolated areas, you know, where I was, for example, I was in south America in British Ghana and my unit was in the jungle. There was a hut there and there was an Anglican priest there and I would go to the services there. I saw that there was, you know, the alter was always so clean and there was a clean cloth on it and there were clean candles and there would be flowers around. And I enjoyed seeing that that they were utilising and using the liturgy. As it was a support to me and I enjoyed their music and something that was particularly good for me was that they had the communion every week and I think that is important and quite strong for faith as you are getting support from the Saviour, in spite of where I was II was going to the Anglican Church and I started singing in the choirs and I enjoyed that too and I do the same thing in the Cathedral we have in Oban.

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] When I was in the army, occasionally, it was difficult to keep my faith as I was seeing things that were going on in the wold and seeing evil, especially when I was out in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War and we were up in the and we were up in the mountains taking the Kurds and putting them in the small villages from where they came. They ran away from Saddam Hussain. You could think to yourself “Well, if God is there how is this thing, this sort of thing happening?”. But you think that, it is not God who did that but the people and it was good for us in the army to be out there as we were feeding them, we were giving them clothes and we were giving them clean water. And I remember one time we were up in the mountains in North Iraq and the sun was just rising. And we were there on our knees in the sand and the priest had a tab;e there and there was cloth of some sort on it. And I remember the sun just coming up behinf and inspiring us and giving us support and getting the bread and getting God our wine, as such, you were travelling here and there and your life was changing all the time and the one thing that was running before me like a river was my faith and praying like that every Sunday. That was giving a story of meaning to life at that time. Here is a prayer for you. We pray in the Episcopalian church for the birth of Christ or Christmas Day.

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Almighty God,

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] you have given us your only-begotten Son

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] to take our nature upon him

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin:

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] grant that we, who have been born again

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] and made your children by adoption and grace,

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] who is alive and reigns with you,

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] one God, now and for ever.

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] All Amen.

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] And I think that this is a prayer and praise as pretty as you can get for the Birth of our Lord.

This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2009.