February 2026 Magazine Letter
The Revd Silke Tetzlaff
Rector
The New Rectory
High Street
Staplehurst
Kent TN12 0BJ
Telephone / Fax (01580) 891258
Email: Rev. Silke Tetzlaff
Room on the Broom
Over Christmas, when life slowed down a little, I found myself watching stories, especially Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. What struck me most was that the witch is the saving grace of the story. She keeps making space for others and sharing what she has, even when it becomes risky. It is not kindness that breaks the broom, but strong egos and the struggle for power that refuse to share it. In the end, it is generosity, not dominance that saves them all.
I then revisited some early episodes of Star Trek Enterprise and was struck by the multicultural mix of the crew, people learning to live and work together while coming face to face with real danger and destructive forces. They do not always agree, but they discover that survival and hope depend on trust and cooperation.
Both these very different kinds of stories point to something faith has always known. We are made for relationship, and God keeps making space for us, inviting us into a way of living shaped by generosity rather than grasping, even when the world feels dark.
So this Lent, may we dare to loosen our grip and rediscover the freedom that comes from making room on the broom so that love can flourish.
With every blessing
Rev Silke
