This time of year is always special to me, the reason is that the darkness of winter starts to give way to the promise of spring and summer and I love that! I am not a winter person and I always look forward to the opportunities that spring brings, the chance to enjoy longer days and to get out and about.
Lent for me has always been connected to winter, the idea of wilderness and tough hard times breaks forth into the joy of Easter. I think that’s why I have always found it difficult to get my head around giving something up for lent, it seems to say to me that the in the midst of winter and cold we also have a sense of denying ourselves which is tough, this is maybe though the point!
After saying all this it has been interesting to see that many people in recent years have taken something up for Lent… and with that comes the thought of opportunities and new hopes and you know what… I LIKE THAT! I think it’s where I am.
When the concept of beachcomber FX was brought in to reality one of the first things I wanted to do was to bring something into the mix that would mean taking something up, not just for lent but also for the long-term. So the idea of pilgrimage and walking… or in our case wandering was an obvious one to make.
On our first walk we gathered in North Shields on the fish quay and I read our opening reflection from Kathy Galloway:
It was a busy day on the coast, there were so many people around and as we walked I was enjoying connecting… connecting on so many levels, first of all with the folk who had come to wander with us, some of whom I knew and others I didn’t, it’s always great to hear what is going on in people’s lives, the joys and the sorrows.
It was a busy day on the coast, there were so many people around and as we walked I was enjoying connecting… connecting on so
I enjoyed connecting with strangers as they were enjoying themselves walking, playing and cycling with family and friends. Big smiles all around, topped off by wedding photographs being taken, witnessing again the connection of two lives beginning a new adventure together.
And then of course there was the connection with nature, I love living on the coast… so much to see and it always changes… the sky was brilliant! All of these things remind me of the connection between my faith in God and God’s connection with me. I’m looking forward to wandering again over these next few weeks to see what other connections I can make.
I was meant to close with this prayer from St. Augustine at the end of our wander but it just felt right to just continue to be connected to each other and creation, so here it is to close this blog.
All shall be Amen and Alleluia.
St Augustine
We shall rest and we shall see.
We shall see and we shall know.
We shall know and we shall love.
We shall love and we shall praise.
Behold our end which is no end.
Rob Wylie is the founder of BeachcomberFX and guides its leadership team. He has worked in the North East for over 20 years and has vast experience from various roles he has held. He has a passion for Fresh Expressions of Church and Pioneer Ministry as well as beer, beaches and Miniature Schnauzers.