Today is a day of smoke.

And the smoke matters.

Today is the 8th of May.

There was nearly smoke in the vicarage kitchen this evening when some of the bolognese sauce I was cooking spilled on the hob. But that’s not the smoke I’m thinking of.

Today I drove all over the parishes and as I did my car belched out its unseen smoky fumes.

Today there was a trail of (admittedly) unseen smoke in the air as a formation of WWII RAF planes flew over the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in commemoration of the 8oth anniversary of VE Day.

Today was a day when black smoke poured out of a particular chimney in Europe, but hours later sighs were replaced with jubilant cheers as white smoke poured out of the same chimney in the Vatican at the news that a new pope had been selected, Pope Leo XIV. As well as white smoke, there was hope and anticipation in the air.

In the last day fresh smoke began to rise from various attacked sites in India and Pakistan as the tensions between the two nations grew and became increasingly worrying.

Meanwhile smoke from bombed out buildings and the fumes from tanks and vehicles of war continued to rise upwards from Gaza and Israel.

While in Ukraine a 3 day cease-fire is believed to have been violated up to 734 times... and so in a time when the skies should be clear, the smoke continues to rise.

Tonight, as hundreds of beacons will light up the skies of our nation, I will light a candle and pause for a moment. Following the ancient tradition of burning incense in church and watching the dancing smoke ascend, as if prayers going up to heaven…

And I’m reminded of that verse from Job 5:7 (King James) - Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward

In this world, we see the smoke ascend. Some might bring good news, some might come as a reminder of difficult times and so much of that smoke speaks of human suffering. In these days, may our prayers rise up to heaven like sparks and like black and white smoke. Amen.

Blessings

Rev Tim