Does God play hide-and-seek?
I had forgotten how loud the sound of a wood pigeon can be, but waking to its insistent cooing is what reminds me that I am in Walsingham. A less digital-sounding alarm I cannot imagine. It invites me to begin a couple of days’ retreat with friends and co-workers from Rachel’s Vineyard and Grief to Grace, ministries which bring deep spiritual psychological healing to those traumatised by abortion, and sexual and emotional abuse. These ministries are run by teams of dedicated volunteers, and an annual time of prayer and reflection together is important to renew us in the conviction that, unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do the builders labour.
