In the past few days life has changed for all of us and so quickly! We have only just got over Brexit (which seemed to be going on forever) then there was the storms and for some the floods!
While we were going through all that, in China the corona virus was unfolding! I can remember seeing the awful pictures on the news and being shocked at the terrible suffering they were experiencing! And praying that it would not happen here- but it has and we have to deal with it and its very scary!
It’s having an impact on our daily lives. Most of us are having to come to terms with not going to work/school as well as well as isolating ourselves from family and friends. We are now in a situation where we have to rethink our idea of love!
We naturally want to be with our families and friends, share times together and hug each other – God created us this way!
We all enjoy the physical presence of those we love- but as requested by the government on Sunday the best present we could give our Mothers’ was the ‘absence of our physical presence’, but that did not diminish the love. There were some lovely scenes shown on TV of moments shared by Mothers and their families, seeing each other through windows (at a safe distance) as well as others using skype and other technologies. The important thing is the emotional connection is there, shared and enjoyed!
We have been told to carry on this distancing behaviour to protect not just ourselves and our families/friends but the rest of society to prevent the spread of this virus! Whether from an ethical point of view, ‘duty of care’, point of view or from a ‘Christian perspective’ ‘Loving your neighbour as yourself’ We are also asked to (within a safe distance) to look after the older and more vulnerable members of our society.
All this can be very worrying, stressful. Before we are overwhelmed by these feelings, we need to remind ourselves that God IS with us and we need to pray and give to God – the concern we have for our family/friends, health, finances, loneliness everything! It is through prayer and faith that our strength will comes – relying on God to see us through each day remembering that we are not alone- God IS with us, as individuals, as families, and as a Christian Family
Marion McCall
suggested readings: John 14 v1 and 27
Isaiah 41 v10