The emergence of the humble garden shed as a peaceful place for contemplation was the theme of the Rev Diana Hall’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Scotland this morning.
Noting the rise in profile of the shed, as demonstrated by this week’s nationwide ‘Shed of the Year’ competition, the Rector of St Anne’s in Dunbar said: “The need to get away from it all has long been recognised as important for our emotional and spiritual well-being.
“In the gospels, Jesus regularly took himself off to be alone, to pray and recharge his batteries, and he taught his disciples to follow his example.
“Different ways of taking time out, to be quiet and to reflect, will work for different people at different times. For some folk, a shed is perfect. Others just don’t have that resource, or find something else works better for them.
“My time-out space at the moment is just a chair next to a window in my attic, where I can hear the birds and the wind outside. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s where I go when I need to stop, refocus and pray.
“We may not all be able to have a luxury shed, but hopefully we can all cultivate restorative practices that help us to find rest, peace and a new perspective.”
Ms Hall’s full broadcast on Good Morning Scotland can be heard here at the 1hr22min mark.
