There’s no need for me to tell you that the world is in crisis! Wars are raging on many fronts; poverty and homelessness are rampant; the climate crisis is responsible for extreme weather events and their accompanying devastation; hatred and cruelty are destroying the world order. In such times it is challenging to stay positive and to hold fast to the hope we find in Jesus.

There is a general feeling of helplessness about what is happening, which deepens with every newscast. As Christians we are called to keep praying and attending worship, and do what we can to help others. We are challenged to stand firm in our faith, but no one said it would be easy.

One way I have found to alleviate this stress is to escape into the world of books, both in print and audio. Some books are like a cozy duvet, evoking a world which is safe and kind. A few years ago, I discovered one such work. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a unique and beautifully illustrated story for readers of all ages, by British artist Charlie Mackesy. The message is simple: love, kindness, friendship and self-acceptance. A sequel, Always Remember, was published last year. Every page tells a truth in its own right…here are few examples:

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Kind”, said the boy.
“What do you think is the biggest waste of time?” “Comparing yourself to others,” said the mole.
“Everyone is a bit scared,” said the horse, “But we are less scared together.”
“Nothing beats kindness,” said the horse. “It sits quietly beyond all things.”
“What’s your best discovery?” asked the mole. “That I’m enough as I am,” said the boy.

These books sit in my living room to be dipped into any time I feel like a hug. Charlie Mackesy is an extraordinary artist, who was a confirmed atheist and skeptical of Christianity until the mid-1990s. He describes his conversion following the death of his best friend as a quiet journey, feeling guided by Jesus to see the beauty in people. His mission is to spread the news that all people have God’s unconditional love. He lives in the UK, helps run a homeless project in London, and is an ambassador for Mama Buci, a beekeeping social enterprise in Zambia.

According to Bear Grylls, “Love, friendship and kindness. This book speaks a universal language.”
And finally, from reviewer Alice Vincent, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse may not be able to solve the world’s problems, but it has reminded thousands of people of the qualities that can.”

I am thankful for this opportunity to find comfort and solace between the pages of a book. Of course, there are other ways to find joy: appreciating the natural beauty of our surroundings and the creatures who share our earthly home; building relationships with friends and family; small acts of kindness we do or receive; sharing a meal with someone special … glimpses of God are all around us. May it be so!

PRAYER (Excerpts from the 24/7 Global Call to Pray for Peace)
Lord Jesus, we dare to believe that you are the Prince of Peace. Faced with the horror of war, we are confident that you still reign and are in control. You are the only answer to the turmoil of nations.
We pray, come Lord Jesus, come and reign in peace at this time. Lord, we pray that in nations where conflict abounds, you would raise up righteous leaders, leaders who care for the people they serve and who are willing to pursue peace over power. May your kingdom come on earth. AMEN

Thought & Prayer

By the Rev. Geoff Lloyd

 When I was growing up in Truro in the UK I was a Wolf Cub in a troop from Highertown C of E. At this time of the year we celebrated St George with all the other Boy Scout and Wolf Cub troops in Truro. We had a great parade through the city and a big service in Truro Cathedral. Being not long after the victorious Second World War there was a real sense of triumph and patriotism in the service and we listened in awe as we heard about St George slaying the dragon and possibly also the sea monster. What an exciting time it was!

You can imagine my dismay, therefore, when a few years later I and my fellow Wolf Cubs were told the true story about St George. He was not English at all and was probably a soldier living in Palestine at the beginning of the fourth century. He was martyred at Lydda in about the year 394, the beginning of the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s persecution and became known throughout the East as the ‘Great Martyr’. There were churches dedicated to St George before the Norman Conquest.

The story of his slaying the dragon is probably due to his being mistaken in iconography for St Michael, himself usually depicted wearing armour; or it may be a mistaken identity representing Perseus’s slaying of the sea monster, a myth also associated with the area of Lydda.
George replaced Edward the Confessor as Patron Saint of England following the Crusades when returning soldiers brought back with them a renewed cult of St George. Edward III made St George patron of the Order of the Garter which seems finally to have confirmed his position. He commanded his tribute day be April 23^rd every year.

From my boyhood days I still love celebrating St George’s Day and I much prefer him to have been a real person living in Palestine than a doubtful English historical figure. Long may we and the Church celebrate him and his contribution to the Gospel through his martyrdom!

Prayer:

God of hosts, who so kindled the flame of love in the heart of your servant George that he bore witness to the risen Lord by his life and his death; give us the same faith and power of love that we who rejoice in his triumphs may come to share with him the fullness of The Resurrection. Amen.

Thought and Prayer for the Day
by
Rev. Dr. Gary Gannon

We find ourselves now at the time known as Passiontide. Traditionally, it is when we commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ during the two weeks prior to Easter Sunday. Certain days during this period are more familiar to many of us – for example, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But what about Holy Saturday – that day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday? I’ve been recently thinking about this question.

Holy Saturday marks the day Jesus lay in the tomb after his crucifixion. In that original pause between his death and resurrection, his disciples were apprehensive about what their future might bring and whether they could continue to have faith in the person they had been following for several years. These apostles were unsure whether to believe that Jesus would rise from the dead, as he said he would.

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, Oriental Orthodox (Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac) and Moravian churches all observe Holy Saturday with various practices. In the Anglican tradition, this day (also called Easter Even or Low Saturday) is a time of transition and quiet anticipation. There is no celebration of the Eucharist during the daylight hours of Holy Saturday. It is a solemn time when we await the Resurrection of Jesus following his suffering and death on the cross on Good Friday. The church remains this day in a state of watchful waiting and prayer.

Many churches today offer an Easter Vigil after sunset on Holy Saturday. Congregations often gather around a fire outside a darkened church, from which the Easter (Paschal) candle is eventually lit and brought inside. This depiction of new life and light represents Jesus’s resurrection on the first Easter morning. Parishioners then light their own candles from this Easter candle to symbolise their own coming into new life as followers of Jesus.

I highly recommend to you, (1) Read Psalm 27 – (particularly v. 14) which in this year’s Lectionary is part of Evening Prayer on Holy Saturday; and (2) Watch the following YouTube video The World Holds Its Breath: An Easter Vigil message from Bishop Andrew Asbil, recorded by our own Bishop Andrew Asbil, of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto: .

Prayer
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–The Anglican Compass