This morning, I spent almost an hour in the Arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport. My daughter was delayed waiting for the baggage to be unloaded from her flight, and in the meantime, many hundreds of other people walked past.
Many nationalities were represented, and English was not the only language to be heard. Business men and women, holiday-makers, students, families, older people - all were there; some clearly very prosperous, others less well-dressed and with scruffy, well-worn luggage.
What struck me in the midst of such diversity was the family reunions taking place. A very young couple, lingering in each others' arms; a mother with two young children, hurrying to meet the husband and father; a grandmother embracing her daughter; and many, many more. There was laughter, silent joy, excitement, and even the odd tear. I began to feel rather sorry for those - the majority - who had no-one to meet them; those who had to travel on alone to wherever their destinations lay.
Amongst those reuniting, the relationships clearly mattered more than all else - and of course that was my own experience too. Consider for yourself - who would you rather be? The business person focused on brokering a money-making deal, travelling on to an anonymous hotel in a city full of strangers? Or the one for whom cherished others were waiting, the one for whom time would stand still as greetings, hugs and kisses were exchanged?
Our close relationships really, really matter. Almost all of us would put the well-being of those we love above anything else in all the world; that's how important they are. We need to nurture them and sustain them. So here are three practical things we might like to do during Lent:
The first is simple: to thank God for our loved ones, and to pray for them each day. (Hopefully you do that already. If not, start now!)
The second is to make clear how much you appreciate them. We take so much for granted nowadays and need to guard against taking our loved ones for granted too.
The third is to do whatever lies in our power to be reconciled with any from whom we're divided. Petty family arguments can have repercussions which last for decades, as grudges, resentments and hurts are nursed. Who's going to make the first move to put things onto a better footing?
Oh, and whilst we're attending to our own special relationships...what can we offer to those who are alone in this world?
Many nationalities were represented, and English was not the only language to be heard. Business men and women, holiday-makers, students, families, older people - all were there; some clearly very prosperous, others less well-dressed and with scruffy, well-worn luggage.
What struck me in the midst of such diversity was the family reunions taking place. A very young couple, lingering in each others' arms; a mother with two young children, hurrying to meet the husband and father; a grandmother embracing her daughter; and many, many more. There was laughter, silent joy, excitement, and even the odd tear. I began to feel rather sorry for those - the majority - who had no-one to meet them; those who had to travel on alone to wherever their destinations lay.
Amongst those reuniting, the relationships clearly mattered more than all else - and of course that was my own experience too. Consider for yourself - who would you rather be? The business person focused on brokering a money-making deal, travelling on to an anonymous hotel in a city full of strangers? Or the one for whom cherished others were waiting, the one for whom time would stand still as greetings, hugs and kisses were exchanged?
Our close relationships really, really matter. Almost all of us would put the well-being of those we love above anything else in all the world; that's how important they are. We need to nurture them and sustain them. So here are three practical things we might like to do during Lent:
The first is simple: to thank God for our loved ones, and to pray for them each day. (Hopefully you do that already. If not, start now!)
The second is to make clear how much you appreciate them. We take so much for granted nowadays and need to guard against taking our loved ones for granted too.
The third is to do whatever lies in our power to be reconciled with any from whom we're divided. Petty family arguments can have repercussions which last for decades, as grudges, resentments and hurts are nursed. Who's going to make the first move to put things onto a better footing?
Oh, and whilst we're attending to our own special relationships...what can we offer to those who are alone in this world?
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