Isn’t electricity a wonderful asset to our modern world and how did we manage without it? Gas light homes and streets, no radio or television, no microwave ovens, no computers and best of all no mobile phones or text messages to plague our boring lives.

Yes! how did we cope with the stress of it all?

In centuries past, when many of our historic churches and magnificent cathedrals were being built, people’s lives revolved around the sun. When the sun rose, they got up and started work and when it set, they went to bed. Of course they did have candles, but any other source of light and colour was more than welcome. The beautiful stained glass windows we see in our churches and cathedrals today, not only provided the worshippers with extra light and colour, but they also depicted saints and bible stories for the illiterate people of the time so they could learn some of the contents of Holy Scripture.

We are very fortunate to have some of the finest examples of stained glass windows right on our doorstep, in York Minster. The beautiful “Rose” window is particularly stunning with the sunlight streaming through it. Created centuries ago it was unfortunately badly damaged during that terrible fire that engulfed the minster some years ago, but it was lovingly restored by a team of highly skilled and dedicated craftsmen.

Even with all our modern technology, we find that we still have to rely on the sun for our wellbeing, much as we still rely on Jesus the Son to bring the light of God into our homes and into our Lives.

“Learn to live now in the nowness of time and when death
finally comes, you will be ready for it.”