蜜芽传媒

Good morning,

I鈥檓 going to risk the wrath of the nation and anticipate the great Festival of Robert Burns, the National Bard of Scotland. We might call this Burns Eve. For all that nowadays we indulge in the shortcomings of so-called personalities, it鈥檚 not Burns the man who is deserving of praise (because I鈥檓 pretty sure he would have been named and shamed) but more appropriately Burns the poet. In his works we see a raw humanity which makes his poetry famous the world over. The poetry gives, as all good poetry must, an expression of our deepest longing. Burns gives voice to remorse, to love and longings, and who can be faulted for that?

It鈥檚 a high calling to encourage others to love as we wish others to love us. In the liturgies of the church we are told that we should love one another for Love is of God. And so anything and anyone who gives voice to a world which so needs love and compassion is surely welcome. We are very good at bringing down the 鈥渕ighty from their thrones鈥� but today (and tomorrow) let鈥檚 welcome all that is kind and promotes beauty. All that speaks of love and enables us to see the red, red rose, the beauty, in our fellow human beings.

Compassionate God,

purify us from our unjust opinions of others

Help us to better understand each other and the stranger in our midst,

and dare to love the least of us.

We say this in the name of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.