麻豆约拍

Good morning

Fresh starts and new beginnings are a great passion of mine. When I was a teacher in my early twenties nothing thrilled me more than beginning of a new school year, new text books and a new pencil case. We recently moved house and after the expected chaos had settled, I treated the household to new bedding and towels, small things but none the less surprising how much a high thread count on some Egyptian cotton can make everything feel fresh and like the beginning of something new.

Of course starting something new usually means clearing out some of the old. And although that can feel cleansing and renewing, letting go of the stuff we have clung onto can be painful as well as liberating.

Today is the eve of the Jewish feast of Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement and one of the holiest days in the whole Jewish calendar. At the heart of the celebration are themes of atonement and repentance. Prayer, fasting and giving to charity are seen as essential to the repentance process. And afterwards, those who have observed Yom Kippur speak of the healing that follows after ridding themselves of the old burdens of failings and short comings they have carried, ready to face a fresh start and a new beginning. Far more so than just clearing out the airing cupboard.

God of forgiveness, may we acknowledge and recognise our own failings, seek forgiveness from those we have let down and have the wisdom to let go of the guilt we feel so that we might be renewed and reborn.
Amen