May  Letter 
Finding Hope in Troubled Times – A May Reflection    
Dear friends, 
As May arrives, we find ourselves once again in that beautiful turning of the year when life seems to burst forth all around us. Gardens begin to bloom, trees stand clothed in fresh green, and the days stretch longer into the evening light. It is a season that speaks, quietly but persistently, of renewal and hope.  Paul and I have been away for a week, walking in the Forest of Dean – surrounded by trees unfurling their leaves, sunshine and no mud to wade through! 

   And yet, if we are honest, it can feel hard to hold onto hope just now as we watch the world around us. We are living in times that often feel uncertain and unsettled. News of conflict and war weighs heavily on our hearts. We see suffering across the world, and perhaps closer to home too—in the struggles of daily life, in anxiety about the future, or in the quiet burdens people carry behind closed doors. It would be easy, in such times, to let discouragement take root.    

But the message at the heart of our faith gently calls us in another direction. Hope, in the Christian sense, is not about ignoring reality or pretending everything is fine. It is something deeper and stronger than that. It is the quiet, steady trust that even in the darkest moments, God has not abandoned His world. It is the belief that light is never fully overcome by darkness. 

We see signs of this hope all around us, if we pause to notice them.   We see it in acts of kindness—small gestures that often go unseen: a neighbour checking in, a helping hand, a word of encouragement at just the right moment. We see it in communities that come together in difficult times. We see it in the resilience of those who keep going, even when life is hard.    

And, of course, we see it in the season we have just celebrated—Easter.  We have seen it in our many different services, some deeply reflective, some fun and family focussed, all bringing new people to share in this hope at Easter, the joy of being together, in community. The story of Jesus’s resurrection is not simply about what happened long ago; it is a promise that new life can emerge even out of loss, that hope can rise even when all seems lost.    

May, with its blossoms and brightness, echoes that promise. Perhaps one way we can respond in these times is by becoming bearers of hope ourselves. During one of our recent church services we encouraged people to do 20 random acts of kindness, not looking for recognition or glory, just being able to make someone’s day a little brighter.  Is this something you could do? Not in grand or dramatic ways, but in the small, faithful choices of everyday life: choosing kindness over indifference, patience over frustration, generosity over fear.    

We may not be able to change the course of global events, but we can shape the spirit of the places we inhabit—our homes, our streets, our villages. And that matters more than we sometimes realise. So this month, I invite you to take a little time to notice the signs of hope around you. Step outside and enjoy the beauty of creation. Reach out to someone who might need a friend. Say a prayer not only for peace in the world, but for peace in our own hearts.    

In our church currently you can find prayer tree tags of ‘our world’ and pens so that you can write a prayer for our world and hang it on our prayer tree. And hold onto this truth: even in troubled times, hope is alive. It may be quiet, it may be fragile, but it is real—and it is ours to share.    

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) 
With every blessing, 
Alison Your Parish Priest