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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Canon Dr Jennifer Smith, Superintendent Minister of Wesley’s Chapel and Leysian Mission

Good morning. For a while now I have subscribed to the press releases and podcasts from the Office of National Statistics. Especially during the lockdown, these have provided very interesting reading. One a few weeks ago caught my eye: one in eight British households has no access to a garden. Living as I do just at the edge of the City of London, I was initially surprised that the number was so low: in my neighbourhood I suspect far fewer than seven out of eight households have access to green space of any kind. Many people, especially those who are particularly shielded, will have been entirely indoors during the lockdown.

The statistics gave more detail, however. The Office of National Statistics found that (here I quote) ‘The percentage of homes without a garden is higher among ethnic minorities, with black people in England nearly four times as likely as white people to have no outdoor space at home.’ When I think of how good it can be for our mental health to grow things and to be outdoors, this saddens me. I’m so glad that with the appropriate distancing, our public spaces are becoming accessible again.

Even in the City of London, if you know where to look there are some lovely hidden gems of green space, open to all. My favourite is a small patch of grass bounded by a highly scented living wall along one of the pedestrian high walks between the Barbican and Moorgate. It is entirely hidden from ground view. Even in spaces dominated by concrete there are sometimes beautiful surprises.

God of the garden, give us grace today to grow well and be fruitful together. Where we have care of plants and green spaces, bring sunlight, warmth and rain.

Amen.