A serving of daily bread

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AMONG the hundred-and-one things that have been different about my year as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is that my time has been split between Edinburgh and Arbroath – my home for the last twenty-nine years.

With the various lockdowns that we’ve been faced with, it made no sense for me to be living in the Moderator’s Residence in Edinburgh when I couldn’t fulfil a single ‘in-person’ commitment, welcome visitors to the flat or engage in any travel. Being at home has meant that I’ve been part of our family bubble and, given our good broadband connection, my work – which has been 99% online – hasn’t been curtailed in any way.

During these ‘at home’ spells I’ve been able to resume my normal practice of walking the dog each morning. Apart from rare occasions, it’s the first thing I do each day; hail, rain or shine. And just as I ready myself to step out the door, having found the dog lead and put a couple of dog biscuits in my pocket, I pop my Air Pods in and turn on my ‘Bible in One Year’ app.

So I’m ticking several boxes at once; exercising the dog, exercising myself and starting the day with portions of the Psalms and Old and New Testaments. When I think back to childhood years, my understanding of ‘habits’ was that they were essentially bad in nature. Whether it was biting my fingernails or picking my nose, my mum left me in no doubt that these were ‘filthy habits’ to be discontinued forthwith! And no doubt she was right! But it took me until a little later in life to see that habits can be entirely positive. In my first year at secondary school – others of you will remember the same – members of the Gideon’s Society attended an assembly and at the end of the session, presented us each with a New Testament.

The parting shot was an encouragement that we read a part of it every day. Being a conscientious kid, I did! And so, for me, began the habit of a lifetime.

I can’t pretend it’a always been easy.

I can’t say that there weren’t days that I missed. I can’t say that there weren’t spells when I was simply going through the motions. But by and large, it’s been a habit that’s been crucial to my journey of faith.

There’s no reason to be surprised by such a conclusion. Jesus said, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Just as my body benefits from a healthy bowl of granola and fresh berries and natural yogurt, so my inner-self benefits from ‘words that come from the mouth of God – daily bread.’ Of course, there are a great many ways to engage in this timeless spiritual discipline – never more so than in these times when electronic options abound. Various Christian organisations produce daily Bible reading notes – carefully chosen passages with explanatory paragraphs and short prayers. And as I indicated earlier, in terms of my own preference at this juncture on my journey, there are loads of apps that offer Bible readings, reflective music, prayers, illustrations etc. While walking the dog, I’m listening to the passages rather than reading them and though it amounts to the same thing, I personally enjoy the experience of hearing the words being read.

So much for me. I trust that you’ll have, or will find, a pattern that suits you and ensures a healthy serving of daily bread.

The Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair is Moderator of the General Assembly in 2020/2021 and minister at Arbroath: St Andrew’s.

This article appears in the March 2021 Issue of Life and Work

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