RECTOR’S LETTER

Dear Friends and Parishioners,

This is an exciting part of the year in any part of the country.  Thomas Hardy writing about Dorset in ‘The Darkling Thrush’ compares winter desolation to all that has gone before: ‘Century’s corpse outleant; His crypt the cloudy canopy, The wind his death-lament.’  Winter has a poor effect upon many.  But suddenly Thomas Hardy sees ‘An aged thrush, frail, gaunt and small, In blast-beruffled plume,’ who sings ‘thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom.’  The poet, moved, admits

‘That I could think there trembled through

His happy good-night air

Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew

And I was unaware.’

Here is hope, not so far removed from the great Hope and Pledge of our resurrection tied to that of Christ Jesus.  Our hope in the Spring is a natural swish to our eternal Hope; and hope springs eternal in the human heart.

May I wish you delight in these months of beauty and promise, and may we deal with each other and all humanity with the same urge to care, to protect, to be vigilant and to be bold.

Yours very truly,

Ian Whittle

The Rectory, Langham 01328 830246