A View from the Vicarage…

Dear Friends,

TAKING A WALK
As the long, light days of spring and summer spread out, many people are enjoying the walking in our beautiful district. those of us who like to walk throughout the year enjoy longer trips and the fair-weather walkers and campsite visitors are here in abundance.

It’s amazing what you can see, hear and become aware of during a long day’s hike. You can notice things you don’t have time for during other hurried days. You can think things out (as long as there isn’t too much mental energy being expended finding the route!) and you can talk with your friends if you’re walking in company.

TAKING TIME TO THINK
The story of Jesus’ life – and the stories of many of his first friends and followers- show us how journeying was a major part of life then as it is now. The difference, of course, is that there were no cars, buses, trains or planes then. So people didn’t try to fit in quite so much in their lives. Along with the knowledge that travel from one place to another took a long time, went the knowledge, I suppose that there would be time for noticing things, thinking things out and talking to others.

I wonder how much ‘stress’ we would save ourselves if we really took more of those opportunities to notice, think and talk between activities, instead of hurtling from one thing to another. I know it’s not always possible, but maybe it would be interesting to try a few days when we went everywhere on foot, and see if it helped us work out the places we really need to go to, the things we really need to do and the benefits of time on the journey as well as the arriving.

Your friend and Vicar,

Hilary A. Edgerton