Diary

Tonight the Church of Scotland has voted to accept gay ministers in the church.
I feel a certain thankfulness that for once a church body has made the correct decision.
I could have gone to a "pray-in" outside the Assembly Hall, but went to see friends instead.
Two extraordinary brave and loving-hearted women.
I don't know what happened, but I have come back home again with a deep sense of compassion for everyone.
A profound awareness that everyone has their story.
That generally this is a story of deep suffering.
And that everyone, however misguided or irritating or evil they might appear is doing what they can to get through that suffering.
And that none of us has the right to judge our fellow human beings.
All stumbling through this life. On the way to death.
Perhaps it's been my work on LEAVE TO REMAIN that has left me with this feeling.
We performed it on Thursday at the Byre in St Andrews: after such a happy day preparing the theatre, and rehearsing, and then performing.
A tiring day, though: by Friday I was utterly exhausted.
I was sitting in my chair, looking at the clouds passing: and quite painfully aware of the rapid beating of my heart.
On the radio they were playing Sibelius' arrangement of "Come away death" for baritone and orchestra, a beautiful work he wrote just before his death.
And I couldn't help reflecting on the coincidence that made me turn on the radio precisely as this piece was being played...
And I thought: what if it happened now?
And that awareness of life's fragility seems to make it all the sweeter...