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Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr Philip Blackledge of Holy Trinity Scottish Episcopal Church, Melrose.
Good morning. The church season of Creationtide that we are now in contains two of my favourite feasts – it ends with the feast of St Francis, on the 4th October, but nearer to hand is the wonderful feast of Michael And All Angels. I used to say I didn’t really believe in angels, but now I think it’s truer to say that I don’t really know what an angel is. I changed my mind about angels when I moved down here to the Borders. I know it sounds a bit fanciful, but the sky does things here that just make the earthly reality fade and heaven come through a little.

There are times when I just have to stop, and listen, and look. The charcoal grey clouds, looming with energy, are pierced with light, some yellow, some golden, some deep russet red, the hills casting shadows that delve deep into the valleys, and the rich red soil from this part of the Borders seems to echo the sunset. The possibility of angels seems very real. I don’t know what angels are, but then again, the more I discover, the less sure I am about things I used to be certain about.

The more I study astronomy and the quantum world the less certain I am about anything, and the less sure I am that existence is even something we can define. But my firm belief is that God made the Universe, and God is love. That makes every atom of this creation an act of love, and if that is all I ever know, it may well be as much as I will ever need to know.

God of the turning earth, the deep seas and the highest pinnacles, God of the mysterious quantum forces and rushing hurricanes and volcanoes. May we feel your love for us as your precious children, and may that love flow from us to your children who need it most. Amen.