THE clergy, especially those in senior positions, are sometimes regarded as remote figures with little grasp of how ordinary people live their lives.
But the Dean of Birmingham Cathedral, the Very Reverend Dean Robert Wilkes, shattered that notion when he went out for the night on Broad Street, meeting a lap dancer, visiting a casino, chatting to revellers and enjoying a glass of Champagne.
Here was an example of how religion is not simply about services and sermons, but about men and women of faith mixing with people from all sorts of backgrounds so they can better understand how the world works.
Faith should not create barriers but seek to break them down.