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A reflection and prayer to start the day with Beverley Humphreys.

Good morning.

As Spring arrives I’m often woken by the dawn chorus. While the sky is still dark, a lone voice – perhaps a robin or a blackbird – begins to sing, and one by one the others join in: wren, chaffinch, sometimes a song thrush.

This beauty has a purpose – the birds sing their hearts out before sunrise to communicate messages about territory and courtship . And the essence of their mystery has inspired poets like Shakespeare and Keats and composers like Ravel and Vaughan Williams. Even the Beatles sampled the song of a blackbird.

For some people, birdsong is a gift from God – the composer Messiaen felt that it was part of God’s purpose – and his fascination led him to record and analyse the sounds and use them in his own music. For him birdsong was like a prayer - an intimacy with the divine.

During this past year, on our daily walks in towns, parks or countryside, or listening through an open window - for many of us, birdsong has lifted our spirits, it’s helped to restore our mental health, and provided a sense of constancy.

While our lives have been disrupted and turned upside down, the rhythms of nature have continued seemingly unaffected, as they have for millions of years. Perhaps we’ve discovered a new and deeper connection with this aspect of life that we’ve previously taken for granted.

Spirit of God - help us to protect and nurture the natural world, inspire us to listen and sing with the whole of creation. Even in pain, loss or confusion, help us never to lose our sense of wonder, as we are touched by the beauty of this world. Amen