Glimmers of hope

"Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land." Song of Solomon 2.12

As I reached the top of the Heaste road dawn broke over Broadford, while a full moon still hung over the bay - dìreach boidheach! Yesterday morning, Radio nan Gàidheal re-played a recent broadcast by Lyse Doucet, in which the Canadian broadcaster was asked about the building behind her, whereupon she spoke movingly about the cathedral and how the bells continued to ring out in witness of the rhythms of life which we so often take for granted and yet, to the citizens of Ukraine, have become the stuff of dreams.

For believers, these evocative manifestations - a stunning dawn, the peel of bells - possess an added dimension of significance. They testify to the glory of God in creation and summon the faithful to fall to our knees in worship. This may sound glib in the context of the war in Ukraine or/ and indeed the ongoing suffering in Afghanistan, Syria, Tonga and countless other nations and regions around the world. Yet, in our darkest places and most despairing moments, hope - and the faith which underpins it - may be all we have.