19/08/2026
From the Secretary for Communications
What did you make of the partial solar eclipse last week? I’ve heard a range of opinions from the amazed to the underwhelmed. I suspect your reaction may have much to do with your own expectations about what it would be like beforehand.
Two things really stood out for me. Firstly, I enjoyed the collective moment – people standing together on cliffs, hilltops and buildings to get the best view, some with colanders in hand! It was a collective experience - all of us in it together, experiencing something celestial. Secondly, I had this sense of something taking place that was far bigger than myself. It was a reminder that I’m only a minute entity in an infinite universe and had absolutely no control over what was happening. I found it humbling – in a good way.
It is generally very easy and natural to centre ourselves in daily life, as if the whole world revolves around us. For a moment the eclipse put us in a more honest place where we realised just how teeny-tiny we are. Yet, the Bible tells us that God knows and loves every single one of us. Now that’s mind-blowing!
Every blessing,
Lieut-Colonel Nick Coke
Secretary for Communications
