PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

David Copp, Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm’s

Igave up making New Year’s resolutions some time ago and replaced them with hopes and prayers. My special hopes and prayers for this year are for an end to the Russian war against Ukraine which will allow people on both sides to rebuild their lives as good neighbours rather than enemies.

I should mention that I have a lifelong interest in Russia because one of my mother’s closest friends was Russian and I grew up liking Russian people, listening to their music and reading their literature.

As marketing manager for a brand of vodka distilled in Warrington, I delighted in ‘taking the mickey’ out of the Russian communist leadership in the 1970s, but when the chance came to entertain a group of thirty ordinary Russians at our vodka distillery in Warrington, I recommended to our MD that we take it with both hands.

At our encouragement, our guests overstayed their visit by some three hours as we tried to teach them English pub games such as darts and shove ha’penny. They invited us back to Moscow and thirty of our younger people from all branches of the business made the trip which they described to me as ‘unforgettable.’

As we pause for thought let us pray that Mr Putin will have a change of heart and recognise that probably the majority of people on both sides would prefer to be at peace. It is not untimely to recall that God is merciful to those of us who may have made errors of judgment but have seen the error of our ways and made an effort to put things right.