My favourite place in the world is Keswick in the Lake District, a wonderful small town alongside Derwentwater, surrounded by the four highest mountains in England. One of the great things about the place is that, whichever direction you look in, there are mountains and hills. I can’t help thinking of Psalm 121 when I’m there: “I lift my eyes up to the mountains: where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” So whichever particular mountain is in view, the source of help is beyond it, with its maker.

I wonder: what are the ‘mountains’ in your life at present? What challenges are you facing? Perhaps they seem insurmountable. Maybe it’s a task at work or at home, maybe a broken relationship that needs repairing, maybe something related to the coronavirus pandemic ... the list is long. There’s no ‘magic wand’ to wave and solve all problems, but when we look beyond our ‘mountain’ to God Himself, we find the best source of help there is.

Becky and I go to Keswick most summers, for two reasons: for the beauty of this place and for the annual Keswick Convention, where Christians have gathered for the last 146 years, with breaks only for world wars and the pandemic last year. Many of you know that I used to be in the overseas aid business before I became a vicar, so I have visited many exotic places around the world, but Keswick is my favourite place of all, partly because of what it’s like and partly because of what happens here.

Wherever you find yourself, and whatever mountains you face, I hope you will find your real help in the Lord.