Vicars Letter - April 2021

My Dear Friends,

‘I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils;…’   (I wondered Lonely as a Cloud – poem by William Wordsworth)

Don’t worry I don’t do much wandering lonely as a cloud these days.  Stay with me dear friend, there is a link to the poem, well I hope there is!

Is it just me or does there seem to be more daffodils out this year?  The splash  of colour after a long and dark winter are a real tonic.  The daffodils look like a fragile flower but in reality they are hardy, I guess they need to be to survive a winter and burst out of the soil at the first sign of spring sunshine.  I have a particular fondness for daffodils.  They have always seemed to me to proud and confident with their bright yellows, contrasting with the deep green of their leaves and stalks.  They also remind me of my mother, as she used to plant them in her garden, and every so often a bunch would be cut and placed on the set of occasional tables next to the new colour television.  They bring a splash of colour amid the grey dullness of February and March. Also, like the royal heralds dressed in their splendid robes, they announce loudly that spring is here.  There are better things to come!

This made me think of the message from Christ.  Jesus' message was one of love and compassion to all people. He often spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, a place where all are loved and all are at peace. Jesus knew that the world was not always a place of love and compassion. He knew that many people were more interested in wealth, self-interest and were uncaring for others.  During his own life Jesus went out of his way to talk to those who thought that they did not deserve God's love, or who had been cast out by the local community.  He spoke with the poor, the lepers, the tax collectors and the prostitutes, he healed and told them that they too could receive God's love. The Kingdom of Heaven is a place where all feel and experience the love of God and Jesus wanted all people to experience what heaven was like here on earth.

After his death and resurrection, Jesus entrusted his disciples to continue his work, to speak with those on the outside of the community and to show them that they are loved by God.  Like the daffodils that herald the coming of better times ahead, Jesus wanted the Church to be heralds of the Kingdom of God. The Church does that by showing compassion and love to all, and by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. The question for all of us is how do we play our part in this? How can we act like heralds of better things to come?  Can we be as joyous, hardy and bold like the daffodils?

Your friend and priest.

Kevin