It’s exciting to be welcoming the return of a ‘live’ version of the Birnam Book Festival from 20th – 22nd May after two years of Lockdown. Many thanks to the committee for putting together such a wonderful programme. It is great to see that they have also been successful in getting sponsorship to make the children’s events free. Taking down the cost barrier means any child can attend irrespective of available household income – which, let’s face it, is increasingly stretched for many families at present with the cost of living crisis.
In his thought-provoking book ‘Poverty Safari’, Darren McGarvey gives compelling reasons as to why books and libraries are so important to communities. He makes the point that where households are large, and space is limited libraries provide one of the few places of quiet in the midst of noise. They also provide free access to the wonderful world of books. We are privileged to have Birnam Library which is open on Thursday 5-7pm; Friday 12 - 5pm and Saturday 9:30 - midday. Please try and pop in whenever you can to show your support for this vital community asset.
Staying on the book theme please note that the Christian Aid book stall is back at the Duchess Anne on the 14th and 21st May. Donations of books are always required. They can be dropped off at the Duchess Anne on a Friday morning when it is open for the Meeting Place or left in the Nativity Scene Shed (in bags or boxes) and someone will take them into the hall. You can then buy more books to fill the gap on your shelves created by your donations!
Like many of you, I’ve been waiting for an announcement from the Highland Games Committee as to whether the Games will run this year and I was delighted to hear that the answer is ‘yes’. However, they do need more volunteers and they are on the lookout for a Competition Secretary and Programme Editor. Is this something you might be able to take on? If so, please drop Bob Lindsay a line.
Last, and by no means least, many thanks to Iona Lancaster for offering to find out who in our community might be interested in supporting Ukrainian refugees to find a safe and welcoming haven in our part of Highland Perthshire. Please see her message here and if you think you might be able to help in any kind of way, great or small, please get in contact with her.

Sally Robertson

Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
The voice of love.
The Easter season is upon us ‘Hallelujah’ and most of us have decided to emerge from our caves of supposed safety into the big wide world, or Birnam and Dunkeld which ever suits. I don’t know about you but I am quite blinded by the light; the light of lifted or partly lifted restrictions and rules, I want to put on spectacles that enable me to see through the blinding maze of knowledge about how to live with the presence of Covid. How to deal with war in Europe, how to listen to the world news without wanting to put ear defenders on so that I can say to people, ‘yes, I heard it, how awful’, but actually I really want the  nicer, muffled, kinder on the emotions, sort of news.
I am having a little struggle believing that I can now walk into a space without a mask, and I do a new little dance that is; hand to mask ready to remove it, and then not removing it as that particular space hasn’t got the same masks rule, so the hand comes down, and the action repeats just to make certain that I am making the correct decision I’ve called it ‘The highland fling of the mask’.
And so I need to be like Thomas for a while, that most loyal but reluctant disciple who could only take fact as proof that what he had longed for, waited for, had actually happened. It took Jesus’ voice of love and His wounds to reveal that the world Thomas inhabited had changed beyond doubt, and that change meant him and all others were free from the fear of sin, loneliness, and mortality. Life itself had taken on a voice of love, it was ‘resurrection’.
We don’t have Jesus to stand before us with proof that all will be well, that humans won’t be made extinct by a tiny virus, or that a despot won’t push the red button marked ‘World War 3’ or that we are worthy of being loved; However, what we do have are myriads of signs that life will keep going, and it is good. The bees in my wall are making their tiny pots of honey again, the birds are waking me at 4 am with their LOUD but lovely songs, the days are longer, and the flowers are once again colourfully appearing from the cold earth.
Holidays are being booked and taken, families are meeting, and tourists are back! Songs of joy and words of love are being said and sung in our faith places, chocolate eggs are being consumed, the river Tay is still flowing, the children are still laughing, parents are still tired, and work is still happening. That wonder of the changing seasons is for me the eternal voice of love and a big sign that God is love itself.
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” Julian of Norwich

Lesley-ann Craddock
Priest in Charge of St Mary’s Birnam and Dunkeld

As it is an election month, as is the tradition, The Bridge will not carry a councillors column this month.
Instead we ask everyone to please remember to vote on May 5th.
On behalf of the Community of Dunkeld and Birnam we would like to thank all of our three councillors, Anne Jarvis, Grant Laing and Ian James for all the work they have undertaken on our behalf over the past years.