Jab number seven

A cold but sunny day for the most part. After breakfast, as usual Monday housework, then work on Sway, emailing next Sunday's readings, and preparing Morning Prayer text for a week Thursday, before cooking lunch. I slept quite well last night, but was tired enough to sleep for an hour after lunch. 

Before going for a walk I drafted a reflection on next Thursday's Gospel passage in which Jesus proposes an alternative to retaliation. It's so radically different from how militant Israelis and Arabs behave, time and time again in their shared history, and their voices are far louder than those on both sides who realise the fatal futility of retaliation. Over ten thousand Palestinians dead now, four thousand of them children, and fourteen hundred Israelis. Eglantine Jebb, founder of 'Save the Children' once said: "All wars, whether just or unjust, disastrous or victorious, are waged against the child." How heart-breakingly true this.

I left the house at four later than I planned. I had time for one circuit of the park before heading up to the Mass Vaccination Centre in Rookwood Hospital for my covid jab appointment at five twenty. It began to rain when got to Llandaff village and it was dark by the time I arrived at five. I didn't have to queue, I was seen straight away and on my way out by ten past. The nurse reminded me that this is covid jab number seven. Amazing! 

Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time I left, and my wet trousers dried out as I returned to the park for another circuit to reach my daily target.

After supper I watch the last of the newest series of 'Usedom Krimen', then the last chapter of Beevor's 'The Battle for Spain'. A long read, but well worth while, full of insight into the cruel fratricidal conflict between nationalists and republicans.  Reflecting on this, Beevor writes: 'Violence is often the product of a distorted expression of fear. And the more that fear is supressed out of a need to show bravery, the more explosive the result.'  Ninety years on from the Spanish Civil War, the same insight applies to the both sides in the Gaza conflict. And they have been fearful and resentful of each other for millennia.