Celebrating the Countryside

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Reverend Doctor Stephen Wigley.

Good morning,

It’s the first full week of the summer holidays – at least in England and Wales – a time when children are looking forward to a long break from school, and parents are thinking of ways to keep them occupied. For some it will be a chance to go away on holiday; but for those remaining at home, it will be a case of seeing ‘what’s on’ around us – and looking forward, there’s no shortage of events about. Although the World Cup is over, there’s plenty of other sport to watch, from the Cricket Hundred to the Commonwealth Games. There’s a wide range of musical events planned from the Proms to outdoor festivals and concerts, and for something a bit more interactive there will be a range of holiday clubs run by local youth and community groups.
All good so far – but I hope we can do a little more than just keep young people busy. I’m conscious that these long summer weeks also provide an opportunity to relax and recover, and that one of the best ways to do this is to pay a bit more attention to the countryside which surrounds us. I’m a Trustee of a Care Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan, and so very conscious of the role we and organisations like us play in reintroducing young people and their families to the riches of our environment, whether in meeting the animals, walking the woodlands or just being able to run about in the open air. So, I wish you well in your holiday plans, and I hope that somewhere in them there will be a chance to reacquaint yourselves with the wonderful world that surrounds us, and upon which ultimately we all depend.

Creator God,
You have created all things and love all that you have made; help us to pay more attention to the wonders of your world, that we may come to cherish and preserve it for future generations, Amen.