E. Stanley Jones was a key figure in the church in India in the early twentieth century. My father’s own heart was drawn to giving his life to India by reading The Christ of the Indian Road, published in 1925. But some years before that book was even published, E. Stanley Jones and Barby’s grandfather were learning Hindi together in the Himalayas. They became good friends. In recent years Barby and I have been based in the E. Stanley Jones Apartment.
We kinda like it like that.
In South Asia, one of the essential pieces of kitchen equipment is the water filter. Drinking straight from the tap is an unpardonable sin. Our water filter in the E. Stanley Jones Apartment had been dripping for some months. Earlier this year, finally, we had someone come and fix it for us. He followed directions to the E. Stanley Jones Apartment where Barby was waiting for him and he did a great job of fixing our filter with its case of the drips. As he left, he kindly wrote out a receipt (ever so conscientious, I might add) … but look carefully … it is written out to ‘Mrs Stanley Jones’, assuming that this was who Barby was.
After we recovered from the initial bursts of laughter, we realised that it was a highly pardonable error. Nevertheless, it has not prevented me from announcing, to all who are willing to listen, that I am married to Mrs Barby Windsor on Mon-Wed-Fri and to Mrs Stanley Jones on Tues-Thurs and the weekends.
I’ve also been called a few names over these years of living in South Asia. One of my favourites is when we were wandering around this same campus where the E. Stanley Jones Apartment is located. Barby is well connected with the women and it often takes us an age to get to the gate, as she bumps into this one and that one and chats for a bit. On this occasion a woman who Barby knew well was wandering around the campus with visiting family members. She was excited to introduce them to Barby, but I could see that she wasn’t quite sure what to do with the tall guy standing alongside Barby! In the end, being unsure of my name or what to call me, she blurted out her own special introduction of me to her family: Mr Barby.
I like it. I use it often. It opens many doors.
On another occasion—now almost ten years ago to the day —I was returning to Delhi from Northeast India, with a very early flight home to New Zealand the next morning. I elected to stay at an airport hotel and they offered to pick me up from the airport. I wandered out of the terminal to face that overwhelming wall of faces holding up their different names. Up and down I went, back and forth … I just could not find my name anywhere. Eventually I called the hotel to enquire about what was happening—”But sir, our driver is there. He is waiting for you.” Back I went to the wall, which now had a few holes in it. Up and down. Back and forth. Finally, my eye caught a sign with the right flight number and the right hotel, but with this Kiwi-lad, Paul Windsor, turned into a Punjabi-businessman, Mr Parwinder.
nice chatting
Paul
PS1: Speaking of marriage, I do realise that using Me & Mrs Jones as a title for this post is a bit risky. Afterall it is a song about adultery. I decided to persist because it dredged up another favourite story.
My son, Joseph, was 11 or 12 years of age at the time. He had started discovering his Bible. One day he came across a verse that he thought was just right for his Dad. He played with his own paraphrase. He wrote me a card with the verse in it: “You are da man”. He even included the Bible reference! 2 Samuel 12.7. At the time, in the way he spoke and with the words he used, he could not have expressed his love and admiration for me any more meaningfully. I was touched, really touched. But once the intensity in the meaningful moment passed a little bit, I quietly took the opportunity for a teaching moment as well. I loved the way Joseph was discovering his Bible and so, as with any book, I wanted him to see the importance of reading the Bible in its various contexts. And so, quietly, I alerted him to the fact that this verse was given by Nathan to David at the end of a subversive little parable about a lamb in which Nathan was confronting David with his sins of murder—and adultery.
PS2: And yes, being a little uncomfortable introducing a wife with her husband’s name … lest we forget, E. Stanley Jones did have a wife. In fact there is a book with that as its title, to help remind us: E. Stanley Jones Had a Wife: The Life and Mission of Mabel Lossing Jones.
About Me

the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
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Reading this prompted a mini-flood of thoughts. One the first weighty books I read as a Christian – and perhaps too early in my walk to fully appreciate it – was E. Stanley Jones' book "The Unshakeable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person." Nevertheless – the title alone was enough instill a wondrous truth.
Also – in reading your beautiful blog – my mind strayed towards the final name you/we will be given: "The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name" (Rev 3:12).
And a few weeks ago I taught a workshop on Preaching the Parables. We were engaging with Nathan's parable. I couldn't resist. I told the "Joseph story." Got the biggest laugh of the day. I will be teaching that workshop a number of times yet. You can be sure this story will be well-known in NZ by the end of it. 🙂
Was a bit confused at first by the 1 Sam 12:7 reference which is the start of Samuel's farewell speech to Israel. So I looked up 2 Sam 12:7. That made better sense 🙂 Welcome home to a brave new NZ in isolation!
Thanks, Ken. I wish I could say that it was deliberate – but, alas, it was not!
It is a strange new world, isn't it?!
Hope and pray that you family and church are adjusting well.
Blessings
Paul
Hey, Geoff
I did not know that link you had with E. Stanley Jones. Fascinating. You should do some google-searching on him, as he is an interesting guy. Started a whole lot of Christian ashrams, or meditation/contemplation centres. I pretty much fell out of my chair when we discovered the link with Barby's family, just a matter of months before Barby's father died.
The 'Joseph story' is a winner – I love telling it. The reaction in a classroom is right up there with reading the Rachel/Leah story in Jesus Storybook Bible … and when I get to the comment about electricity, students in India always go nuts.
As for new names for us, I wait in hope – sustained by friendships like yours.
Ten years ago TODAY was the date of that first meeting in Guwahati…
Paul