Thoughts

The year of 2020 will be remembered for the outbreak of Covid-19, social distancing, national lockdowns and sadly many more deaths than would normally be expected. It has been a very long time with little prospect of things changing soon. The hope of the vaccine seemed a long way into the future with no guarantee of an effective one. As I write today, Advent is about to start and there are now three vaccines awaiting regulatory approval. It seems both unimagineable and exciting at the same time. The prospect that in the first quarter of the New Year that the most vulnerable and frontline health workers will be protected against the potentially deadly disease is quite remarkable and wonderful. 

One of the themes of Advent and Christmas is a light shining in the darkness. Darkness can not stand against light. During this pandemic it has felt like we are trapped in a dark tunnel with little or no prospect of light at the end. In this situation you have no idea how far you have to travel to reach the light. The vaccine was the light and now we have an idea that things will be radically different in a matter of months for the most vulnerable! The panademic reminds us all that we need to support and help each other. We cannot or should not think we can live wholly independently. We are reminded of the importance of our families and friends. We are reminded to look out for those in need around us, so that we might offer help and support. These qualities should continue to grow and develop, and not be left aside for the next crisis. The amazing thing about Christmas is God comes to us and shares in our life experiences. He reaffirms the importance of serving and helping others. We are encouraged to be a caring community looking after each other and the created world.

The New Year promises real hope and a new order with freedoms restored. There is a real danger that we go back to how we were before the pandemic and forget the lessons of valuing our health care and looking out for vulnerable people. We should want to add some of the good things we have learnt into this New Year. There are some real challenges for our environment and the way we want to live that should not be lost in freedoms regained. 

The world has already changed and moved in a new direction, we need to find new ways of being and serving. The excitement of Advent and Christmas should help us to find a new way of life and being in a New Year of restored freedom and promise. God reminds us that how we use freedom is profoundly life changing. Selfishness restricts life, selflessness gives new hope.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

I think I managed only a couple of my monthly articles without talking about Covid-19. Sadly, it is very much back and giving us all real concerns and worries. There is already talk about what Christmas may be like with the restrictions of the rule of six or no households able to mix with one another. There may be travel restrictions and no overnight stays. It is hard to forsee what might be possible. What seems likely is that the way we have observed and celebrated Christmas in past years will be very different this year. For some people they want to carry on regardless, for others they are looking to find a new way of making Christmas special and sadly for others they are questioning whether it is worth the effort. You can see how people view the same event from very different perspectives. Taking one Christmas tradition, the turkey, will there be large ones? (will you be fined for ordering for more than six?), will people be able to buy smaller ones? Or do you break with tradition and try something different? I think it is important to remember the farmers for whom Christmas is an important time for their livelihoods. They cannot easily change the size of the turkeys at the last minute, we should stand by them as they work so hard to support us.

I was reminded that how we look at things can change our perspective. If we look at this coming Christmas as a disaster just waiting to happen, it more than likely that is what we will get. However, if we change our perspective and see Christmas as an oasis in these difficult times. We can look to make the most of the opportunity to have time with those we love within these difficult days, we can look to start new traditions and even ask people what they would like to have or do, rather than tread the well worn paths of Christmas past.

It is always a good idea to reflect on what happened at the beginning. We know that Mary and Joseph travelled to Joseph’s home town and there was no room for them to stay. After a long journey, they would have been tired and desperate for a bed for the night. It is through the kindness of a stranger, the innkeeper, they got shelter for the night. For many sleeping in a stable would hardly seem a kindness, yet Mary and Joseph gratefully received the kind offer of a place to stay. We know the baby is an unexpected arrival in the most unlikely of circumstances. It matters not where or when the birth occurred, it is eclipsed by the great joy and hope. We see this clearly in the celestial song of the angels that the shepherds witness on the hillside. They rush to see for themselves and are not disappointed but return home praising and glorifying God.

It is not how we find a situation that defines us, it is what we do with it that counts. Make happiness and share joy and Christmas will be special.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

British summertime is over and the nights are drawing in quickly.  The evening begins with sunset at before five o’clock.  The days are getting shorter during November. The shortest day is on 21st December when the day length is just under eight hours.  It is no wonder that I feel the winter blues at the end of November, December and beginning of January.  It seems nothing is changing very much until mid-January.   If the days are approximately eight hours, then the nights are 16 hours long!!  I certainly do not get any more sleep for the extra night time, I just work longer in darkness.

It is often the length of darkness and shortness of light that makes us suffer winter blues.  For some people, this becomes full depression (SAD seasonal affective disorder) and they have to top up the light with a lightbox each day.  Darkness also brings with it the fear of the unseen and unknown. Inevitably the greater the darkness the greater the anxiety! I am a little comforted that darkness is defined as the absence of light.  It is light that is transformative and not darkness.  Light in darkness can be seen for miles.  I imagine a lighthouse warning of the danger of rocks to ships many miles away, or on a practical note a torch finding the keyhole on the car!  I am amazed by how a little light can affect the darkness.  A green LED power light can be used to navigate in an otherwise dark kitchen. A full moon transforms darkness into a magical moonlight landscape. The moon is just reflecting a fraction of the sun’s light towards the earth.

At the end of November, Sunday 29th marks the beginning of Advent; the countdown to Christmas. The season of Advent uses the picture of God’s light shining through people in history. Advent has a second dimension where we are called home to God’s light. We are reminded that we only get glimpses of God and heaven and only at the end of our earthly life do we fully know about heaven as we become part of it.  November has a bittersweet feel to it. We remember those who have gone before us in life and in death. It raises a mixture of both happy and sad memories.  It reminds us also of our mortality which we very conveniently ignore or forget most of the time.  As we talk about the kingdom it is easy to think of earthly kingdoms which can model themes of overwhelming power, an unequal division of wealth and opportunities.  These kingdoms reward a few privileged people at the expense of the majority.  Jesus models a radically different notion of inclusiveness and generosity. The challenge for each of us is what sort of kingdom are we building, one just for us, or are we trying to encourage and include others?

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

As I write it is still very dry and hot and some of the trees have yellow leaves, or have lost their leaves because there is a shortage of water.  Nearly all of us are enchanted by the vivid reds and browns that emerge from the leaves.   I know several people who travel to forests to see the Autumn colours.  For many years I wondered how the trees knew when to shed their leaves.  I always assumed it was something to do with a fall in nighttime temperature.  The trees sensed it was getting colder.

 Apparently, it is ‘Photoperiodism’, that is the tree responds to the length of daylight.  I always marvel at the complexity of nature and how so often what appears to be simple is a complex mechanism perfectly suited to its task.  As we watch the leaves changing colours, we are witnessing the tree shutting down for winter.  The leaves are slowly dying as the water and nutrients are being withdrawn.  The beauty I notice in the leaves happens more subtly in spring with fresh green colours,  and more vibrantly in autumn with yellows, oranges and reds.   At both these times, a rapid change is occurring before our eyes, and the eyes notice that change.  What we witness is the ability of the tree to sense the amount of daylight and respond appropriately.  

What is less apparent is what happens between spring and autumn, as the tree is in constant leaf.  I am reminded that while things remain pretty much unchanged we take little notice.  When change happens rapidly we are often surprised or shocked by it.  Yet if we remember the tree, it measures the daylight each day and acts accordingly. The problem is when things do not change much, we often forget to do the important things and take things for granted.  For me, I forget to say thank you or how much I value someone precious.  Then when things change rapidly it is too late to do the things you should have done.  Often there is no chance to make it up.  We are often guilty of failing to appreciate what we have before we lose it.  When I read in the Bible that people become comfortable, often their need for God diminishes and He becomes irrelevant.  Unsurprisingly they quickly drift into trouble and expect God to rescue them.  The teaching of the Bible is that a constant relationship with God should shape our everyday existence.

The cycle of boom to bust is not a good model and to expect God to be the one who gets you out trouble, free of charge, is not realistic. When things go wrong there is always pain and hurt which are never easily overcome or forgotten.

If we return to the trees and their measurement of daylight.  We quickly realise that the light of the Sun is pretty much constant.  What changes is the proximity and angle of the earth to the Sun and that determines how much light the tree receives and how it should respond.  If we make the parallel comparison, God is constant.  What changes is how close and to what extent we are turned towards God.  God can only work with what we allow Him to do in our life.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

It seems impossible that we are already coming to September, the beginning of Autumn. It feels to me that Spring and Summer have rolled together, they have flown by. This may not be same for you and this lockdown might have seemed unending. Time itself can be an absolute measure, there is a specific interval of time which calibrates all time. However, our perception of time can vary greatly. When you go to sleep it can feel like a blink of an eye between night and day. On the other hand, if you struggle to go to sleep and stay asleep the night can feel like the longest hours of your life. When you are late no matter how hard you try, you struggle to catch up. You are more likely to get later, as things conspire against you.  On the other hand, if you are early waiting around takes ages and time appears to move especially slowly.

 It is interesting to imagine how God sees the same time. Two ideas emerge from the bible. Firstly, God is happy to wait for years for things to change and come to fruition. We need to be aware that our idea of time and God’s might be quite different. We are more interested in days and weeks and maybe a year. I am reminded of the forward-thinking of someone planting a tree that will take at least ten to twenty years to develop and maybe fifty to a hundred years to mature. It is often the case, that people will not commit to long term measures because there is no immediate benefit. Secondly, God patiently waits for us to turn towards him. We are not coerced or tricked into a relationship with God. When we think how difficult we find it to wait to be invited to help and offer an opinion, we get some sense of how difficult and painful it is to wait to offer help. This is often compounded by having to watch and let people make mistakes that hurt them and the people around them.

Returning to this period of lockdown and isolation, we are reminded of the importance of patience and waiting. For some, it is easy to motivate and manage this time. For many, it is been a hard and very uncertain time. People have missed out on important life events and missed significant milestones. Looking forward can be very difficult as there is so much uncertainty, a fear of a rise in infection and reintroduction of restrictions.

Although we may be changing seasons in the world around us, the fear and worries of COVID-19 show no sign of changing and disappearing. We are reminded that God waits patiently for us to respond and to ask for help and guidance. We are also reminded to make the most of this time as it will not come around again! It does matter, whether it goes quickly or slowly,  use it wisely.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

It is amazing how COVID-19 has dominated so many things and changed so many plans. The issues of infections remain and there is still great anxiety and fear. The most vulnerable group of people, the people advised by the government to shield, are allowed to ease their isolation in August. These people will be allowed to return to work, to go out to the shops or return to school. They still need to be very cautious and take all the necessary precautions. The shielding advice is only paused and can be reintroduced if the infection rate increases. This presents a real dilemma, people are torn by the prospects of leaving isolation and restarting parts of their lives which have been paused. On the other hand, the threat of COVID-19 has not disappeared, just the threat has diminished. It will be a very hard choice to make for many people. This is still a difficult choice for many people who may not have been in the shielding category. There is safety in isolation and minimising the risk. However, for many people, the necessary issues of earning money and restarting their commitments outside of their homes is now a real and pressing issue. These issues add more worries and anxieties to an already difficult situation.

This is not unique to the difficulties we encounter with Coronavirus. If we reflect on other difficult times in our lives we see the same pattern of difficult decisions and anxieties building up and creating very real stress and anxieties. It is usually the combination of several different issues at the same time that we struggle with, it overwhelms us. We usually can not necessarily change the situation but instead, look at how to approach it. As we look at the Bible, we see many people struggling, they look to God for wisdom and strength to persevere. There are usually no easy solutions or miraculous transformations. It is something to be engaged with and worked at. As we look at Jesus’ life he found himself in the middle of conflict and an overwhelming demand on his time. The one clue that Jesus offers us in difficult times, is to make time to be still and quiet and talk to God. It helps us focus on what is important. The bible constantly reminds us to focus on the important things and not to be distracted by unimportant distractions. Many of us would rather do something that we enjoy instead of doing something difficult and important.

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6 vs. 34

We are very much reminded to live in the present and to focus on what we can achieve today. We should grasp difficult issues and not leave them for another day. They have a habit of building up to something bigger. One of the hardest steps is to admit we are struggling and need some help. We can ask friends, family and God for help. It is often that help that makes all the difference!

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com