Anthropause

Those of you who know me well, will know that I like to read.  If you have ever visited my home you will be aware that there are shelves and piles of books in every  room and on every spare surface…

Even the bathroom!! Ever since I was little it has been my dream to write books and I famously wrote my first book on sheets of that old fashioned Jeyes toilet paper. (If you are below a certain age, you will have no idea what I am talking about).  And I have been fascinated by words for as long as I can remember.  So when I found this new word “Anthropause” in an article in the Guardian newspaper I immediately looked up its meaning and felt I must write about it…. In fact I instantly had an idea about a children’s book called Anthro-paws about a dog’s eye view of the human race!! Especially during this particular season where it seems like we really don’t know what we are doing!!

Anyways in case like me you have never heard this word before, let me explain.  It is a name given by scientists to the phenomena that took place in the first lockdown particularly March and April 2020 when much of human activity ceased and  the amazing effect that had on the natural world.  I am sure you remember the goats in Wales and the deer in London…

and my personal favourite the goose in York Railway Station.  

And these phenomena were  happening all over the world So now scientists have given it a name “anthropause” and are doing research and writing papers about what effect human activity slowing down and even ceasing has had on the natural world. And it’s that whole thing of taking a “pause” and learning to “be still” that maybe that is something really good to think about this Christmas! In Storm this term we have taken as our theme “everyone’s included” and have explored that through the life of Jesus……. His actions and the way He chose to live.  As we look again as His beginning and tell again the Nativity Story maybe we could “pause” for a moment and re examine the circumstances of His birth.  He was born into a poor “working class” family in an occupied country.  His parents were forced to travel at the critical moment so that He was homeless when he was born.  The first visitors to see Him were shepherds who in those days were seen as crooks, whose word would not be trusted in a court of law.  The second group of visitors were foreigners of a different class and religion, who brought strange prophetic gifts and his life was threatened from the moment He was born such that His parents had to flee away from any family or support until the current King was dead.  Whatever our beliefs or thoughts about Jesus, that was quite a start in life. I personally want to let that story sink in afresh this Christmas 2021 (with all that it may bring) to remember that the God whose birth we celebrate at this time of year knows what it is to struggle and live in challenging circumstances and yet promises us love, joy, peace and hope if we will only “pause” a moment to embrace that truth.  HAPPY CHRISTMAS!