Charles Darwin

Thursday 22nd April, 2021

Another lovely day. Sun from 5.30am and beginning to descend as I write. The long days are nearly back. The rain is needed but until it comes we will enjoy the perfect Spring temperature and weather. Yet life goes on as it ever does...a friend was cremated today, another has asked for prayers as she has had a routine health check and found she has cancer in her liver, brain and backbone, another prepares for her operation on Tuesday and yet another has expressed a deep fear of going out and about and seeing all the activity. I managed Mass and put all this in to the hands of the God I so wish to love, trust and know.

After Mass I met my beloved artist friend and we went to Wormit Bay to see the tides and mud flats and the birds and smell the water. We ate sausages and drank coffee and talked of freedom. Yes, freedom on all levels...freedom to believe, to move and to speak one's mind, freedom from fear, freedom in God and hope and faith, freedom to chose. She has recently had some distressing news from a grand child who works for an International Charity. The grand child had asked her Grand Mother to pray and listed in a long letter she showed me the horrors of much that people suffer. Poverty destroys freedom, political powers also, ideologies and even traditions as does health break down and most of all fear, fear of abuse, of hunger, of ridicule, of so much. We recalled Martin Luther's great speech and the need for prophets and seers. It was a marvellous breakfast and a wake up call, as ever, to responsibilities and privileges and appreciation of so much one has and has had.

Back at home I decided to cast my postal vote. I was astonished at the number of political parties contending: Abolish the Scottish Parliament party, Alba, All for Unity, Freedom Alliance, Reform UK, Scottish Conservative, Scottish Family, Scottish Green, Scottish Labour, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish Libertarian, SNP, Scottish Renew, UKIP policies, Independents....wonderful as democracy is alive. Yet at the same time I read of sleaze and corruption issues in Westminster as well as reading the horrifying insights of Johnny Mercer, MP, and his accusations of the Cess Pool of lies.

Then I walked. Glorious...right over the hills with the perfect views. I met the pharmacist's son who is back to work at a five star hotel in St Andrews on Monday and relieved to be going. " I want to see my friends and not just be distanced....it has been hard yet I love to walk these hills so...." he commented.

Otherwise just two bags of litter.

I am reading a book on fear. It is based around Charles Darwin's writings and I find it fascinating. Animal atavistic and evolutionary reactions are with us. Yet I hang on to that saying I heard recently from the Bible " Love casts out fear". Yes, we can overcome fear and many do and they are the heroes and saints. They make the sun shine!