I'm always trying to find something positive in even the direst of situations (something that I know tends to annoy some folk) and one of the good things about this period is the sense of humour and creativity that is shining through it all. I have made an effort to limit myself on social media and the Internet in general these days as I think – for me, anyway – it's good just to read enough news to keep me informed without the threat of me turning the corner into despondency. So my forays into the Internet tend to be for entertainment, and I haven't been disappointed by the sheer wealth of things I have found that make me smile.
My friend Shawn – a lover of limericks – challenged people to write a limerick about some aspect of the experience of life as we now know it. I don't think I've ever written a limerick in my life, but I just loved that, when I could have been worrying about so many things, I was instead trying to come up with a limerick to put on social media. It was a lovely momentary escape, and I couldn't help but think that is exactly what the psalmist needed when he wished for wings like a dove to flee away and be at rest.
In the midst of a rather unpleasant world scene, I hope we take the opportunity to laugh and be creative. It's so very important for our mental health, but I also think it is a fitting way to praise the Creator, whose obvious sense of humour and creative prowess are both beyond compare.
There once was a rector in Norwich, who loathed British foods such as porridge. To the tea and the crumpets the poor Yank said “Lump it!” and in the wine cellar didst forage.