It seems that as humans we have always expressed our creativity through the buildings we construct. In a dales cottage, a country house, a village church or a great cathedral, can be seen, not only the builders skill, but an aesthetic that warms our hearts and lifts our souls. They connect us with generations past and yet are an essential part of our everyday.

Buildings that last are the buildings that have been built well. Structures thrown together with little care, from poor materials, may serve a purpose for a season, but they, along with property that is neglected, share the same fate, pulled down to be replaced by something new.

The first thing that God declared was ‘not good’, was for Adam, the human, to be alone. We all desire the company and the presence of others. Someone to share our passions with, to be there in our quiet moments, to talk with and to listen to, to be our companion, our lover, our friend….

2020 is a year which everyone who lived through it will remember. It will be remembered as the year when, coming from China, the crown-wearing Corona virus swept normality and certainty aside. Lives, and loved-ones, and livings were lost as governments locked us down, taking away our freedom to meet, and to travel and to touch. To save lives we were required to ‘stay at home’ and to ‘stay safe’ as our churches, schools, shops and places of work were directed to close. Fear replaced freedom and isolation the warmth of gathering as community.
We differ in our response to disasters…