Just over 12 years ago, on 9 November 2012, I walked down the wooden stairs from the Archbishop's flat, towards Lambeth Palace’s largest function room, the wood-panelled Guard Room, which was heaving with journalists. We were about to announce who would be the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.
With me walked Justin and Caroline Welby. Justin made his oft-repeated joke, that he felt like the eyes of the figures in the paintings on the Palace walls were somehow watching him. He was full of energy, enthusiastic, almost tigger-ish at the task ahead of him. And he was evangelical.
As he finally reached the microphone the first thing Justin did was to lead a prayer: ‘Come Holy Spirit to the hearts of your people and kindle in them the fire of your love.’ He spoke about his optimism for the future of the church; ‘we will certainly get things wrong, but the grace of God is far greater than our biggest failures’.
Boris Johnson blames the Church for UK obesity - is he wrong?
Advent is finally upon us. In just a few weeks we will celebrate Christmas, with all the fun and feasting …