All eyes will be on the USA this week, with the inauguration of the new President.

The whole of 2016 was noted for what has been described as the toxic tone of much of the political activity. The American election was even more toxic than anything else.

So, it’s not surprising that like many others, I could never have imagined writing the words “President Trump”.

Even a few months before the Presidential elections, none of the political commentators reckoned that there was the remotest possibility of Donald Trump being elected.

But elected he has been, and I cannot disguise my anxiety about what happens next. Somehow an already dangerous world seems that much more scary.

Almost every day, it seems, alarming tweets from the incoming President are released. I heard one person say that telling him to grow up was an insult to children.

The lack of trust between Donald Trump and his own security services is particularly alarming.

It’s not surprising that we worry what effect any particular event will have on our own lives as well as on the world as a whole.

But it is possible to go too far in thinking only about things in terms of, “What impact does this have on me?”

Two newspaper headlines which appeared after the Trump victory were amusing but also rather sad.

The Buchan Observer, in Scotland, proclaimed, “Aberdeenshire business owner wins Presidential election.”

The Yorkshire Star, meanwhile, said, “Trump’s becoming US president won’t affect Doncaster building firms, says boss.”

How, then, are we to respond positively to our fears at such an anxious time as this? I wish there was an easy answer to that question, but I do believe there were some really helpful words in the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day.

In a speech in which she referred explicitly to her own Christian faith, the Queen said, “I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things: volunteers, carers, community organisers or good neighbours, unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special. They are an inspiration to those who know them.”

The Queen quoted Mother Teresa: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

She then continued, “On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.”