21st June 2021

21st June – the longest day! At 4.31 this morning the sun reached its furthest point north this year in its annual to-ing and fro-ing (yes – I know, the sun isn’t really moving!) That’s why today is the longest day of the year. Mind you, other days sometimes seem longer! Some days seem to drag on and on. The well-known lines from the hymn: ‘A thousand ages in thy sight/are like an evening gone’ sometimes provoke the irreverent thought – ‘Yes – I’ve had evenings like that and indeed days that seem to go on for ever!’ Other days seem to flash by – the same with weeks and even months and years! ‘Was it really a week ago that we last did that? It seems like only yesterday!’ Both our sons and their wives celebrate their silver weddings this year – can it really be 25 years?!

During the successive lock-downs many people, especially those living on their own, have experienced many days which seem to last for ages. We have all been looking forward to the easing of the necessary restrictions and the chance to spend less time stuck at home and to be able to resume normal social contacts – not least the regular fellowship of the church. It was very disappointing last week when the restrictions were extended further. But we have to continue to be patient. Other words in that hymn offer comfort: ‘Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come’. Not just the years, of course, but the days and weeks to come as well.

David T Roberts