So yesterday was the shortest day, yet for some in Glasgow, today was even shorter...
People going about their busy lives, with focus on the festivities of the next few days. Who to buy for? What gifts to give? What still needs done for Christmas? A familiar scene that we can relate to.
Yet for some this afternoon in Glasgow all of those thoughts have completely gone, to be replaced by anxiety, bedtime vigils, pain, confusion and for yet others, the tragic loss of life.
I left the office today with a colleague to head for a coffee catch up at 2pm. As we walked up Queen St, we conversed about where we ought to go for our coffee. Thankfully we turned up the lane before the Gallery of Modern Art and headed to Princess Square.
We never gave the refuse lorry a second thought as it went about its duties and we turned our attention to a conversation around our work and the challenges that faced us.
It had happened again - the scenes that gripped Glasgow less than 13 months ago had returned.
That night at the Clutha was a tragic set of circumstances that brought out the best in the people of Glasgow through the worst of experiences. Not something that anyone wished to repeat.
The stories flooded in and talk of 2 lives, 4 lives, 6 lives gone were heard as that once insignificant refuse lorry ploughed through the Christmas shoppers in a tragic set of circumstances.At time of writing, the facts are still unclear, but what is known is that life's are lost and families have changed.
It is a poignant reminder of the frailty of our lives. Which often leads us to a re-evaluation of our priorities.
Suddenly getting the right gift is no longer appropriate, but getting the right care is.
Our stress is no longer at whether they'll like it or not but whether they'll live or not.
The gift of a lifetime is replaced with the prayer for the gift of life itself.
These are the emotions and thoughts that are around us today in Glasgow.
Our heart goes out in love to those that have been touched by this tragedy and as words escape us, the words of God himself come to us;
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
The question of "Why?" will be asked and yet we cannot know or understand. At this time of year, we pray that those affected might know the comfort of God. That those that are wrestling with a difficult set of circumstances might know the Peace of God and the God of Peace.
Our prayers go out to the families and our praise to the emergency services at another tragic event that will be felt sore by the people of Glasgow.
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