Spring is sprung

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See! The winter is past;

    the rains are over and gone.

 Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come.

(Song of Solomon 2:11-13)

Spring is just around the corner. Depending on who you ask, the first day of spring falls either on the first or the twenty-first of March. Looking around at the flowering of the spring bulbs, this year the earlier date seems the best guess.

As the late winter snow has melted away, woodlands and gardens are showing signs of new life. Snowdrops and crocuses (or is it crocii?) are in bloom. Daffodils are in bud. Spring is on the way, bringing with it the hope of new beginnings. 

The first signs of spring this year are accompanied by a mood of cautious optimism. With the worst of the most recent wave of COVID-19 infections receding, there is now a 'roadmap' on the road to recovery. Like the spring buds, the hope that is beginning to flower is fragile. So much depends on the course of nature and the prevailing climate. 

The winter may have passed. The season of singing has yet to come.

  

 

Milestones and musings

Credit where credit is due. On Sunday the Government vaccination programme reached a milestone. 15 million people in the UK have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Three weeks after the 'grim milestone' of 100.000 deaths, this milestone is positive news. 

Response to the news is inevitably mixed. As politicians begin reviewing lockdown rules, a group of MPs are pressing for the removal of  restrictions within a couple of months. At the same time, scientists and medics urge caution. High infection rates and the ongoing pressures on hospitals treating COVID patients give cause for concern. Prime minister Johnson and his cabinet face difficult decisions as they meet this week.

This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time of preparation for what lies ahead on Easter Sunday. There are difficulties of all kinds to be met on the journey but great joy to be found at its end. In the days before Jesus made his way to Jerusalem for the last time he sought to reassure his friends that whatever challenges they faced, God would be with them at all times. This Lent, as we face the uncertainties of our time, Jesus words as recorded in John's gospel strengthen us to face the journey ahead.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Be still and know

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God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1-3

Snow hit most of the UK this week. Vaccination centres and schools were closed in Essex and Kent as Storm Darcy arrived. Due to the current COVID restrictions, the snow perhaps caused less disruption than is usually the case in Britain. Home workers and home schooled children had no excuse to take a 'snow day'. Work continued for many in spite of the inclement weather.

Another consequence of the wintry weather was the cessation of  building work. Loft extensions and garden landscaping paused for a time. Lorries, skips and scaffolding ceased to be delivered...but only for a couple of days. Here in London, the peace and quiet was as short lived as the snow. Life in all it's noisy complexity goes on whatever the weather.

As the snow melts and vanishes there are signs that the current wave of coronavirus has passed it's peak. Change is in the air...but the future is at present as uncertain as the British weather. As the writer of Psalm 46 reminds us, neither weather events nor wars need give cause for concern. With the Lord Almighty with us what is there to fear? 

Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

 

Beacons of hope

Yesterday's big news centred on the life of one man, Captain Sir Tom Moore. Last year, ninety-nine year old Tom Moore became famous for raising huge sums of money for the NHS by walking around his garden. Tom's efforts were widely covered by the media. By the time he reached his 100th birthday he was something of a celebrity and became a beacon of hope in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tom Moore achieved fame right at the end of his life. His positivity, good humour and gentle manner brought hope and encouragement to many in what was a most difficult year. Right now, when little has changed, Tom's insistence that 'Tomorrow will be a good day' appears to resonate with many. In death, as in life, Captain Sir Tom Moore encourages us to seek light beyond our present darkness.

Tom Moore died at on 2 February. Each year on that day many Christians celebrate Candlemas. The reading for the day is Luke's account of Jesus being brought to the Temple by his parents. They are met by Simeon and Anna, godly people who also achieved fame towards the end of their lives. Simeon's words that day are well known. 'My eyes have seen your salvation...a light for revelation to all nations.' 

For those with eyes to see, there is always light beyond the present darkness. Tom Moore knew it. Simeon and Anna knew it. 

Tomorrow will be a good day.

Puase, pray and remember

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This week Britain became the first country in Europe to record more than 100,000 COVID-related deaths. Politicians and medical advisors spoke of a 'grim milestone' for the nation. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York noted that the number of deaths is not just an abstract figure. Each number represents a unique human individual whose death leaves many thousands of others grieving. 

Reflecting on the sad news my own thoughts turn to those not numbered among the 100,000. Most, if not all, of who died during the year were in some way affected by the consequences of the pandemic as were their families and friends. They too will be remembered by those who knew them.

Beginning on 1 February, Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cotterell invite us to join them in pausing to reflect on the enormity of the pandemic and to pray for each other at this time. Their message is one of consolation but also of hope. Because of Jesus, death doesn't have the last word. In God's kingdom, they remind us, every tear will be wiped away.

Gracious God,

as we remember before you the thousands who have died,
surround us and all who mourn with your strong compassion.
Be gentle with us in our grief,
protect us from despair,
and give us grace to persevere
and face the future with hope
in Jesus Christ our risen Lord.
Amen.

To everything there is a season

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This Wednesday Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the new President of the United States. Many months of campaigning and several weeks of wrangling over the result will finally come to an end. With concerns over violent protests already overshadowing the event the inauguration of the 46th President seems set to be like no other that the 'land of the free' has known.

Since the election in November, Senator Biden has spoken often about the need for a healing process to begin. 2020 was a difficult year for Americans. As elsewhere in the world, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic heightened tensions over social inequalities and ingrained prejudice. Conspiracy theories and mistrust led to rioting in many cities las summer. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris face significant challenges as they seek to heal rifts and the nation in this new season of political life.

Similar challenges lie ahead in Britain, in Europe and across the world. Few countries have escaped the impact of COVID-19. Businesses and public services alike have struggled to manage the consequences of the pandemic. Either unemployment or extreme pressures in the workplace have affected millions of individuals and families. Existing inequalities and longstanding resentments continue to produce social tensions in many local communities. Healing rifts and rebuilding nations could be the most significant worldwide challenge in 2021. 

As Wednesday's inauguration takes place many will be praying that 20th January 2021 marks not just a new presidency but also a commitment to healing and rebuilding in the season that is just beginning. 

To everything there is a season; a time for every purpose under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3)

In such a time as this

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I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

We live in 'interesting times', as the Chinese proverb puts it. One the one hand, COVID-19 is spreading at an alarming rate. Recent restrictions imposed on daily life in the attempt to halt the progress of the virus have yet to have any measurable effect. On the other hand, the rapid roll out of the vaccination programme is encouraging. There is at least some hope that in the coming weeks or months the relentless spread of the virus might be slowed down to a manageable level. 

At times such as this it is difficult to know what to think...how to act...what to do...what to say? 

Psalm 121 suggests we might do worse than to try raising our eyes from our immediate surroundings to the hills above and beyond. These ancient words that have inspired hymn writers and composers down the centuries offer wisdom as the journey of 2021 unfolds.

We are not the first generation of humans to face the dilemma of times such as these.