Thought for the Week

Plenty to talk about

We all like to talk about the weather, don’t we?

Well, these last few months have given us plenty to talk about!

Rain, wind, snow, frost and the odd bit of sunshine, we have seen it all. I wonder how many of the readers received damage to their home or garden or car? I hope any damage was minor and easily repaired.

Nature is wild and dangerous and around the world is causing mayhem for many people in many places.

Our understanding of nature has dramatically increased over the years, we may still say an event was “an act of God”, but we now know what causes most of these events and, in some cases, have been able to create systems to help us predict and give warning of them ... such as the tsunami warning system in Japan which has helped save many lives.

Sadly, human nature is also wild and dangerous and when not held accountable can run out of control.

We all long for peace and for people to have what they need.

We need people to speak out and challenge dangerous behaviour. Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, Ghandi, Mother Theresa and many more have been the voices to help bring peace. Who are today’s voices?

We like to talk about the weather, but what about talking about life and the events in our world?

We don’t like talking about them so much and yet we must talk and we must listen to different voices and make informed decisions.

There are no easy options, but there are options and like those who have gone before us, sometimes we must take the difficult options to ensure a better world for all.

Reverend Lyn Peden, Church of Scotland minister for North Kintyre.