We're delighted to see that one of the contributors to our BRF Bible Reflections for Older People, Ann Lewin, has just won a lockdown poetry competition.
Ann Lewin was congratulated by the Dean of Winchester Cathedral, the Very Revd Catherine Ogle, in the Dean's latest message for Christmas week, saying:
'One of the special activities to bring comfort and joy this year has been the Cathedral Lockdown Poetry Burst Competition, and the winners have now been announced. Thank you to the 250 people who entered and congratulations to everyone who has won their category or been highly commended (details are on the website). Here in full, is the winning poem from the Open category by Ann Lewin. This lovely poem gives us a message of faith, hope and love. The poet uses an acrostic (from the Great O Antiphons), ERO CRAS, meaning ‘Tomorrow I will be with you’.
This Christmas
IN this bleak midwinter
He will come:
Embracing us in love,
Re-ordering our priorities,
Opening our hearts to hope;
Comforting us in sorrow,
Rescuing us from despair,
Accepting us in weakness,
Surprising us with joy.
Nothing can cancel Christmas
He will come:
The dawn of light
No darkness can destroy.
Ann Lewin, 2020
Dean Catherine's message (which also contained an amusing story about the Hollywood actor who played Tarzan originally, Johnny Weissmuller incidentally!) concluded: 'I do hope that, whatever your circumstances, the light of Christ will banish darkness and that you will have a very Happy Christmas. I hope that the New Year will bring health, healing and new hope.'
We all say Amen to that...
A Merry Christmas to you from me, Debbie Thrower, all from all the BRF Anna Chaplaincy team, and we look forward to 2021 with great hope and expectation!
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