At vicar school we often use candles in worship, especially within intercessory prayer.  So it was yesterday.  The group leading us had also chosen the hymn 'Will you come and follow me" which is set to the tune 'Kelvingrove'; this felt very appropriate given news from Glasgow in the past few days.

The fire in the Union Building (even the Union Street coincidence felt strangely resonant) not only destroyed an historic building, it stole the livelihoods of at least 40 businesses, most of them small.  The disruption to rail travel continues - and almost certainly will until the facade is either stabilised or demolished, and the steel and glass structure of the station roof has been properly checked out.

Already there is speculation and finger-pointing.  Already half truths are being peddled.  Already the myths are being written.

I am saddened by all of this... a building I passed frequently for a quarter of my life is gone... a 'taken for granted' is no more... I have bought my last bag of chips from that branch of 'Blue Lagoon' (an extensive network of chip shop across west central Scotland)... but at the end of the day no-one was killed or even significantly injured, and that is cause for gratitude... the emergency services have worked (and are working) hard ... and already there is at least one other significant fire to be tackled in Glasgow, but it barely makes the headlines.

Possibly what strike me more, though, is that whilst our eyes are focussed on the demise of a beautiful Victorian building, there is so much tragedy, sorrow and grief even in its almost literal shadow... my thoughts and prayers are with the city more widely, and with the Kelvingrove area more specifically.