The long road to the deep north, bees, common sense and honey for tea .....

We took the narrow road to the deep north last week.

Not so much following in the footsteps of Basho but in search of Beehives.

There were certain Haiku moments en route.

Stopping, shopping, losing our way and finding new ways and the sixteen year old Freelander with 160 000 miles on the clock ran like a ten bob watch.

We pulled off the narrow road, AKA the A9, and turned into Faskally Woods to release the dogs into the freedom of a walk after being cooped up in the back of the car.

Faskally Woods wind their ways around two lakes where ducks and moorhens share the water with Perch and patient fishermen.

The paths are well trodden by walkers and their dogs.

Our purposes were twofold, first a little of what might be called R&R, the stresses and strains of life in Shotley are not so great but nevertheless they are and the pilgrimage to the deep north represented a change of pace and a change of scene.

But we were also there for the more practical purpose of buying Beehives.

Telling the Bees is an ancient practise whereby family news is shared with the Bees, deaths and marriages, new births and new events in the fortunes and futures of families might be shared with the Bees and their blessing sought.

Our Bees appear to be settled and after the winter as we approach the spring we hope that our brood chambers will be settled and our supers full of honey.

I have spent some time sharing my current disquiets and discontents with the Bees.

Disquiet over the events that have led to the fracturing of our relationship with our European neighbours and despair over the turmoil in our national political life.

I remember the winter of 1972, the three day week, the power cuts. I recall sitting with a young family in my Vicarage in Bolton with a car lamp connected to a spare battery as the only form of illumination in the house.

Edward Heath called an election seeking support for his policy over and against the Miners on the question of 'Who governs the country'?

He lost the election!

Governments come and go. There have been a few elections in my time and, of course, parties change their leadership but I cannot remember such a huge degree of turmoil and such division in the country.

It would seem that the current Prime Minister has positioned himself, quite cynically,  as a proponent of leaving the European Union in order to achieve his personal ambition, which he has achieved but where do we go from here?

This week we will read Psalm 1 as part of the lectionary:

1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

However this is interpreted we are left with uncomfortable questions:

Who are the wicked? Who are the righteous?

In what ways is God looking out for us in these times of turmoil?

 What the Psalm reminds us is that whilst the 'righteous' advance, the 'wicked' are stagnant, they are the ones with no opinion, no belief, nothing for which they are willing to live, grow, evolve or fight for living as they do outside of community and accountability.

So I'm off to tell the Bees and hope that sense prevails and there is still honey for tea.

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