On Monday I encountered a different kind of 'bourach'. As many of you will know, 'bourach’ is an old Scots word, meaning a ‘muddle or mess’, but seemingly it was also used to describe a ‘small, humble house’.
Davy's Bourach can be found on Jock's road from Glen Doll to Braemar. Accessed by a red metal door (which even I would have to bend down to go through), the bothy consists of a single room with hard earth floor. It was built by Davy Glen, a frequent walker in the area, following an infamous mountain tragedy: the deaths of five men – all experienced hillwalkers and members of Glasgow’s Universal Hiking Club – as they attempted a winter traverse of the Tolmounth at the beginning of 1959. It may be basic but it provides a vital refuge for those caught out on high ground by deteriorating weather conditions or misfortune.
When I saw it I couldn't help but think of how often the Psalmist refers to God as their refuge and sometimes even as their rock. A safe place. A haven in the midst of life's storms.
We are traversing a challenging route as a national Church, with many people expending much energy to keep going when the destination is not easily discerned. And it may well feel like we are being buffeted by all kinds of storms - in our families, in our communities and in the world around us. As we read the reports and prepare for the General Assembly, we get a sense of how serious a situation we find ourselves in.
How vital then it is to remember that God remains our shelter - the One to whom we can always turn for help, for comfort and for strength, and the One who dwells within us by the power of His Holy Spirit. We don't have far to turn! He is our constant companion and as the Good Shepherd, when we wander off track, He comes looking for us.
As we get ready and pray for the gathering in Edinburgh, which will shape the coming years for us, let us also remember in prayer our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church waiting to hear about the election of a new Pope.
Rev Stella
