It's easy to sleepwalk through life without ever really considering what we're here for.

But life presents us with continuous opportunities to wake up; to think about not just what we do with our lives, but who we become while living them.

Ultimately it is the story that we believe about ourselves, our lives and the world around us that will shape us - for better or for worse.

So where do we find a good story, a convincing narrative that makes sense of it all? Where do we find a story that isn’t fake news?

Ilford Recorder: Rev Canon Marie Segal reminds us that the virus has not gone awayRev Canon Marie Segal reminds us that the virus has not gone away (Image: Archant)

Genesis 1:27: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female, he created them.”

We are reminded that each one of us was made in God’s image.

Our challenge is to live fully human as inspired by the divine. Let us face the challenge of living our lives fully human and not being caught up in the overindulgence and greed of the world.

Let us open our eyes to see the image of God, not only in ourselves but in others.

Let us, as a community, find ways to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves and let us never forget that each beggar, homeless person, widow and single mum is made in God’s image.

Each one of us is fully human and we must respond to them as individuals loved and created by God.