A walk on a beach, a swim in the sea – sandcastles and kiss-me-quick hats. Summer! Hot and not so hot, calm and also windy. Breakfast in the garden, or on the balcony, or in a café. Ice cream. Family time or on your own. Holidays or stay at home. Playing in the courtyard or on the computer. Suntan lotion, swimming pools. Olympic Games.
Whatever it is that reminds you of this time of the year. Enjoy and relax. You may be fortunate to be able to have a break, from the daily rounds, from a job, from the children; or you may be fixing a boiler, keeping the NHS afloat, struggling with excitable children.
Whether you can take a break or whether you need to keep earning, whether you can rest up or busy with taking the children on outings, in the sunshine everything feels happier, sometimes.
But can we take a break from thinking about the collapsing of the world, global emergency, illness and grief. We might like to, but sometimes life simply gets in the way.
Our God, in spirit, in creativity, in human closeness and concern, keeps loving. And love is, as they say, what keeps the world turning. In other parts of the world, it is winter, it is stormy, it is harsh. But God’s love is for everyone and for all times and in all places.