Tower and Town, May 2026 (view the full edition)Clergy Letter"How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?" "If you can see the hills then rain is coming, and if you cannot see the hills it is because it is already raining". So goes an old joke in parts of the British Isles and sometimes Marlborough. We live in a temperate climate, often wet, generally mild and without extremes of weather. But "Climate Change" can alter it to bring hot seasons, icy cold ones, and of course the weather is always changing as it comes mostly from the Atlantic, occasionally warm weather from the south, and then from the north and east when it is cold. The weather is a constant topic of conversation. Reading the signs of the weather, and the "Shipping Forecast" is not too difficult, but we are very slow when it comes to reading the signs in human behaviour. We are content to be blind to our own faults and to forgive ourselves too easily. We can let bias and favouritism blind us to the faults of our friends while we castigate our enemies. We stubbornly refuse to see the good in others while turning a blind eye to the sins we commit. The signs that Jesus gave, His healing work, and His teaching were never enough for people who did not want their entrenched attitude or their settled prejudices to be challenged. The rigidly righteous know nothing of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Saint Paul knew himself to be a prisoner of sin and that self-knowledge paved the way for the goodness of God to work in him. Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see clearly the beauty and goodness of Christ Jesus, Your Son. Help us to see and know our own faults and so seek Your forgiveness. Teach us the ways of mercy and generosity of heart that Easter gives us. May we interpret these times and not waste them. Every new day is a gift. Fr John Blacker |