大象传媒

From comedian & writer Paul Kerensa:

I know it鈥檚 not my place to 鈥榳elcome鈥� you to your new home 鈥� I鈥檓 just visiting, and you鈥檝e lived elsewhere on Radio 2 Street before. But welcome anyway鈥� and if this is like moving house, I suppose it鈥檚 time for some light unpacking.

We all know day one in a new place 鈥� find the kettle and your favourite mug and you鈥檙e underway, maybe with a neighbour offering a well-timed carton of milk.

And you鈥檝e got some lovely neighbours. Vanessa on one side; on the other there鈥檚 a lovely man called Ken 鈥� he鈥檒l wave over the fence shortly. Jeremy at no. 12 talks about politics quite a lot, but he鈥檚 got a lovely allotment. Then next to Steve鈥檚 big house, there鈥檚 another new neighbour: Sara moves in today too. What a charming neighbourhood!

But of course our neighbours aren鈥檛 just those geographically near. When Jesus was asked 鈥淲ho is my neighbour?鈥�, he gave the famous Good Samaritan story 鈥� famous, but one look at the world I think shows we could still learn from it. The story tells of a poor man beaten, lying in the street 鈥� and his most neighbourly passerby turns out to be the Samaritan, who society had said was his enemy. Only he extended a helping hand.

From MPs we disagree with, to the homeless enduring freezing weather, I reckon we could all up our welcoming game.

So I鈥檒l start here. Radio 2 brekkie being your new home, means you鈥檙e welcomed into other homes across the land too. There鈥檚 a traditional Irish blessing for new homes, spoken as a new resident moves in...

"Bless the four corners of this house聽
and be the lintel blest,
and bless the hearth,聽
and bless the board,聽
and bless each place of rest...."

So perhaps we adapt it:

鈥淏less the corners of this studio,

And be the faders blessed,

And bless those buttons,

The engineers,

And bless each brilliant guest.

And as your neighbour, I鈥檝e brought you a carton of milk... chocolate. Welcome Zoe to your new home, and to ours.