What do we do when the world seems a dangerous or unhappy place, when we are anxious even about opening the Herald? It’s so easy to join in with the cries of despair, the choosing of sides, the growing apathy around us or the general angst over traffic, and yet…

Last month June Fenn, a 91-year-old woman from our church, abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower to raise money for Dementia Friendly Alton and the Brambleton Hall Project.

She looked at me last week and said, “would you do it, would you abseil down that tower? It’s 100 meters from the ground!” I said a fervent prayer in the moment that such a thing wouldn’t be necessary…ever. And yet, June has raised over £1,800.

In three weeks, father and son George and Will Spencer will begin a bike ride to Venice… from Farnham, over 1,000 miles cycling sleeping in a tent as they go. I cannot imagine this even on my electric bike. They are raising money for Lunch Bags for Children, a local charity supporting Farnham children in need during school holidays.

Five weeks ago, over 20 children from our choir performed their favourite solo and duets singing, on oboe, cello, saxophone and piano with such intensity and talent and joy it made most of us cry.

Over the next three months I have the privilege to marry four gorgeous couples so in love with each other, and to say goodbye to three people who have left the deepest most inspiring trails of love. Each a testament to what living fully can be.

This is a small cross section of inspiring happenings in one community among many in this place. I suspect each of us could come up with a similar list if we would stop and give it some thought. These actions of courage and love give us hope in a time when hope ostensibly seems to be in short supply.

People are simply amazing. I wonder what would happen if we could all seek out and share those actions of love, of hope, happening all around us? There is no limit to how much love or hope can exist in our world. If we each bring more, our communities and perhaps even our world will change. May God bless us all. Have a wonderful summer!