Sunday

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Religion & Ethics

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week

BBC Radio 4 FM

Sunday: Hope, Devotional music, Cold water swimming

27/12/2020

Hope, Devotional music, Cold water swimming

BBC Radio 4 - Sunday, Hope, Devotional music, Cold water swimming

William Crawley looks at some of the good things that happened in 2020 and gave us hope.

Is it possible to find hope in a pandemic? One thing many agree on is that a pandemic can reveal much about who we really are, individually and as a society. Pandemics can expose the cracks in our health care and the inequalities that separate us – nationally and globally.  If that’s true, pandemics also give us a chance to learn how to care for one another better.  That’s a message we often hear from those working in development charities around the world as they’ve continued to combat poverty and hunger, wave after wave of this pandemic.  William Crawley speaks with Esther Lehmann-Sow, World Vision’s partnership leader for faith and development and Shahin Ashraf, Islamic Relief's head of global advocacy.


Devotional music and religious chanting have long been a way for people to express an emotional response to the world around them –that’s even more the case, as you might imagine, during a year of pandemic.  For many British Hindus and Sikhs, the demands of this year has required them to find creative ways to come together while staying apart.  Vishva Samani has been speaking to some of them.

Coldwater swimming is not for everyone.  But there is growing evidence that taking a dip in a lake or the sea can help to alleviate stress and anxiety.  There’s certainly been a lot of that about this year, which may explain why 2020 has seen a rise in people taking to the waters to exercise.  The RNLI has even published new guidance to encourage people to stay safe while they seek out the stress-relief of a cold-water plunge.  The poet and spoken word artist Harry Baker is one of those people.  We asked him to capture his experience on paper for us.


Editor
Tim Pemberton

Producers
Carmel Lonergan
Louise Clarke-Rowbotham

Photo Credit  Worldvision

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Sunday

Hope, Devotional music, Cold water swimming

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4