Back to the big skies

In this part of the world, the sky is either hemmed in by hills and forests or huge, stretching out over vistas of sea and scattered islands and green fields inhabited by black cattle ... and that's where we were today, again, and where I too this photo primarily because of the sky. While we were on this stretch of road, it felt warm in the sun because of a total lack of wind; by the time we rounded the corner to the Ardyne it was totally different with the wind from the north-west.

The main feature of today was our church service. Because we were observing St Luke's day - Luke the healer - it was a service of healing and anointing, and it felt especially significant as healing not only for individual wounds but also for the wounds of the world. I don't think anyone in the congregation didn't participate, and the silence was profound. We also sang the hymn For the healing of the nations to one of my favourite hymn tunes, Picardy.* In the light of the news that a hospital in Gaza has just been bombed, I thought I'd leave you with one verse of that hymn:

Lead us, Father, into freedom, 
from despair your world release;
that, redeemed from war and hatred
all may come and go in peace.
Show us how through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase.




* I have to say this is a pretty dire performance of the tune, but as a simple reminder it'll do as the only version I can find without the other words that are more commonly used.