The TV studio set for a prestige production br of the sort that wins renewed network contracts br if not viewers, late on Sunday night: br the subject, a weekly series on br The History of Christianity - br worthy discussion leader, impressive panel br mingling ecclesiastical robes of br a glowing spectrum of faiths with the br open-necked, for open-minded, br dress-down of young freethinkers, but br respectful of their elders, with it; br subtle lighting on the semi-circular panel br and the background, tastefully designed br with hints of the history of otherworldliness br br and among the assembled voices br of faith and reason in their polite battle, br the great intellectual guru of the Western world br himself – would his searing intellect, his daunting br global dimensions of mind, dominate br this gathering? br br Life can have its glorious surprises even br on a dozy, precious-last-weekend-hours br of a Sunday night – George said his piece, br then, challenged by the other speakers, br sat there listening: as if, without a resistant, reacting, br or self-regarding thought in his head – br listened rapt in full attention, as if expecting br to listen to a further, deeper truth from br those who argued against him – his face br benign, almost smiling br br I have never seen such intellectual humility – br as if, way, way beyond the personal, a mind br was listening constantly, for truth, to truth itself.. br listening to that listening, br I felt proud to be br a human being.