Sherlock Holmes (source: PhotoBucket)

This is the 2nd installment of the Adventure of the Elected Man.
You can read the first installment here.

“Ah, yes what is a paradox”, said Spurgeon as he took a deep drag on his cigar and shifted in his chair settling himself in for the discussion, “defining that is certainly a good place to start”.

“A paradox”, Spurgeon explained, “is two things that are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. They are not actually contradictory because these two things are both true. For certainly two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. It is just the fault of our weak judgment and our folly that leads us to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. In this we have the makings of a paradox”.

Holmes, without opening his eyes, drew his legs up toward his chest, then asked, “interesting, and might we have a simple example to examine”?

Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, I offered up the simple paradox known as the Hooded Man. It goes something like this – Continue reading →

As I look back upon my life it is with great pleasure that I think about the good fortune I had being acquainted with one Sherlock Holmes. Not only because he was probably the greatest detective who ever lived but because he was among my dearest of friends. Life was never boring. We worked together on many cases and shared many adventures. Many of which you no doubt might be very familiar with, as I have taken up the task of writing up the more interesting of these paying attention to those that challenged Holmes great analytical skills and power of observation. However as I sit back and reflect I can’t help but recount some of the conversations and visitors we had in our apartment on Baker Street that did not make it into these various accounts.

Not all our visitors came seeking Holmes involvement in solving some crime or predicament which they often brought with them. Some came just to talk.

One of the more interesting visits came early in our friendship when we had just met and started sharing an apartment. Our guest on that day was none other than Charles Spurgeon. Yes, the Charles Spurgeon, the very popular preacher at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, a large church in South London near the river Thames. It was approximately 10 km from our flat on Baker Street.

Do you find it surprising that Sherlock would entertain the Prince of Preachers. While not the most active of church-goers, Holmes was no stranger to God. Remember the account about the Blue Carbuncle when he sought to help Mr. Ryder remarking that he likely “saved his soul” by letting him go rather then letting him rot in prison. Continue reading →