People start the new year in all sorts of different ways, although I'm happy to agree ours is not quite normal for in the absence of parties and visits, we found ourselves chopping and pruning old trees in the garden on New Year's Day. And it was an activity which brought a surprising amount of satisfaction.
Partly due to physical activity having been a bit sofa bound with one too many Quality Streets, but also revealing. Revealing that so much is going on out there; buds beginning to break through, birds rustling around the newly dig earth and ivy blossoming around the tree.
Its good to see the unchanging rhythm of the seasons continue even when the world around us seems to be in such dark times.
I have been enjoying Carys Walsh's 'Frequencies of God' over Advent, which takes a close look at the poetry of RS Thomas, beautiful verse which sees God at work in the ordinary.
I particularly loved " The Moon In Lleyn" which begins with despair over empty churches and a sense of religion being in the past, but stops us before we write it off.
" Why so fast mortal? These very seas are baptized. The Parish has a saint's name time cannot unfrock..."
Walsh explains that God is reminding us not to be so fast to conclude that God has departed just because the familiar places we find him have changed? The world is still drenched in God's presence...
Spending time in the garden reminded me of this, that even although our church buildings have closed their doors again, even although our future is uncertain and our everyday frightening, the world is still drenched in God's presence.
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