Good Friday Message

A Pastoral View

On this holiest of days, forgive me for my happiness, for this morning I looked upon a scene such that Constable could have painted. My beautiful wife was planting in the garden surrounded by a flock of goats playing with my youngest two children. All the while, the highland cattle stood at the fence supervising the spectacle of life reborn in spring. Her trusty dog was never far, and the geese overhead provided the music of the end of winter. The world may be in suffering but in that moment, I came to see that I am indeed truly blessed.

This, dear friends is the vision that brought the spirit upon me this morning and has now caused me to return to this substack after many months of self imposed silence. The days this past year have been long and filled with toil, troubles, and strife of which, little needed to be said because our collective failure to defend our nation, our economy, and our culture were starkly evident to all those who chose to look even though many did not so choose. Moreover, consumed by labour and frustrated at unheeded words of previous missives, I have rarely paused to reflect and never to write but today, as sun provoked sap to drip from trees to buckets and my wife to turn the soil, the heaviness of winter lifted from me and now I wish the very same for you.

And so it was, standing with coffee in hand, sun upon my face, that I reflected on my four healthy children and marvelled at their successes without worrying about their challenges as I usually do. The two eldest have gone off to make their way in this world and their choices will be theirs to make. The two youngest will grow in the country air that they fill with their laughter and their bumps and scrapes will prepare them to follow their elders. I reflected on the woman who shares this life with me and on all the happiness she brings to me. I reflected on the home she has made for us and the love and wisdom she provides me. I reflected upon family who recently travelled hundreds and thousands of miles to share a meal and bring a laugh. I reflected upon the bonds of friendship that have lasted decades. I reflected upon new friends and the wit and wisdom that conversation with them brings. I reflected on those things that were closest to me, the things that were within my control, and in truth, the things that affect me the most, not the failures of nations or of their people.

In a world at war and with western civilization tearing itself apart for lack of moral compass, my pastoral view had come as a balm, reminding me of my personal blessings, soothing my mind, and bringing fresh joy to a hardened heart. My pastoral view was a scene so exquisitely perfect that only a benevolent God could have created it. It was thus fitting that my pastoral view came to me on Good Friday, the day where Christians remember that Christ gave his life so that we could be saved from our sins.

And so it is, that today, rather than opine on all that is wrong, that I pray and wish you all the beauty of a pastoral view, of the calm of a quiet moment , and the importance of reflecting on your blessings.

Be well.