The old farmer walked into his bank and said to the manager: “I've got good news and bad news to tell you. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Tell me the bad news first," the banker replied.

"Okay," said the farmer. "With the inflation and all that, I won't be able to pay anything on my mortgage this year."

"Well, that is bad," said the banker.

"It’s worse," said the farmer. "I won't be able to pay back anything on the loan for all that machinery I bought."

"Well, that's bad as well," the banker admitted.

"It's worse than that," the farmer continued. "I also borrowed something to buy seed and fertiliser. Well, I can't even pay that."

"That's awful," said the banker. "But what's the good news?"

"The good news," said the farmer with a smile, "is that I'm going to keep doing business with you."

Good news and bad news...it seems to me there is a lot of uncertainty around.

There has been a loss of faith in politicians and government, as well as suspicion of our religious leaders and the church.

It seems there is even a loss of faith in such iconic institutions as the NHS – formed to look after the health of the nation, irrespective of whether the patient was a pauper or a prince of the realm.

Thankfully, some do still adhere to the notion of selfless public service but it would seem they are a dwindling breed at both Holyrood and Westminster – and that is before we look across the pond to the USA or to the sadness of Ukraine that has me wondering why no-one has the grace or intelligence to seek a compromise that will arrest this human tragedy.

As always, it’s the ordinary people who suffer and the women who weep for lost husbands and sons.

Many years ago, W.B. Yeats wrote a poem in which he said: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

Maybe this can also be summed up by Anthony Newley, who wrote the music 'Stop the World – I Want to Get Off.'

Spring and Easter speak of hope. My goodness, we need hope. Hope that somehow the inequalities that exist in our society will be addressed. Hope that the world will eventually beat their swords into plough shares.

Or as W.B. Yeats concludes: “Surely some revelation is at hand."

Let us hope so.