#Blessed

Some reflections on how Christians and churches are responding to the ongoing Pandemic, inspired by this article: https://faithroot.com/2022/01/22/who-are-our-covid-decisions-for/

Is God blessing us if we follow the rules and remain COVID free? Or is this a sign of our privilege to travel by car, live in socially distanced houses or flats, access to gardens to hang out in, afford disposable masks and hand sanitiser, have access to WIFI and gadgets, space and the kind of jobs to work from home, of not having underlying health problems, to access supplies of lateral flow tests. Is our privilege enabling us to follow the rules, access vaccinations and stay healthy? Can privilege be considered blessing?

Does this mean conversely that God is not blessing churches who get COVID in their congregations, amongst their people?

In all honesty, I’m alarmed by the propensity of some of my fellow believers to tweet and Insta Boris or other leaders when they mention God or the Bible, and at the same time, when Boris says ‘go’, to throw off social distancing, masks etc and to use the language of persecution when we can’t meet in a building in person, sing or have to wear a mask (over nose and mouth) for a time.

For some churches, where life is already hard, online meetings aren’t easy or affordable, and meeting in person is a necessity even if it takes place outdoors or on doorsteps. People are experiencing incredible isolation due to age, health issues, public transport cuts, job losses and limited access to resources like WIFI and gadgets.

Equally of concern is the looking away by many at the ‘have’ and ‘have not’ societies that Pandemic has excruciatingly highlighted. Those who couldn’t stay home (due to work, child care or personal safety); those who didn’t have adequate access to food (until a footballer made a fuss about it); those who lost their jobs; the appalling treatment of the Windrush generation and now others from the EU; those who couldn’t study or work easily due to cramped conditions, poor WIFI, costs of utilities or lack of access to gadgets. Soon those who won’t have working utilities due to rising living costs; those who lost their jobs or were furloughed, those whose businesses wobbled or crashed; those who lost loved ones (for whom those numbers are people); our exhausted and heroic frontline workers.

Many of us seem to want a return to ‘normal’ more than we want to actively care and love others; to assert our ‘right’ to holiday, travel when and where we want and play more than we care for others. As soon as the rules relax we act like Pandemic is over — well for many locally and nationally, and globally, it isn’t. Some countries haven’t even had their first vaccine, let alone third or fourth.

It’s also thinking about how we do things. At a time when alcohol addiction is rife in the UK, alcohol is often used as a social thing in many churches. During one of the Lockdowns I saw pictures made of pasta proudly displayed as an example of what church people were ‘up to’ at home — at a time when some people were struggling to get the basics, and yet we had food to waste? But we weren’t thinking like that, we chose not be aware of those in less resourced areas (whether green space or pasta/toilet paper stockpiles); it was just a bit of fun to pass the time. Why weren’t we fussing more and rallying to raise funds for the NHS who didn’t have effective PPE? (rather than doing a themed dress up and playing every week?) Whilst I struggle to understand the need to distract and find some normal during this time, I don’t want to be a gnostic. For me, this is the bigger problem — we weren’t seeing and thinking of others, (of people not like us — those who don’t come to our courses and events and evenings; of those who felt compelled to shoplift to feed their families or were struggling to put a meal before their families; of those who needed to use foodbanks).

In reflecting I don’t want to judge or criticise, but more to suggest that, surely, at a time like this, we should seek (more than ever) to love and care for others, before we rush back to ‘normal’ (whatever that looks like). And to be honest, there’s a lot of normal I don’t want a return to! Because of my work, travel and propensity to pick up colds, I will be continuing to wear a mask — to love others and protect myself. Whilst I hope the 72% train service and big gaps between trains will end and return to 100%, the gap reflects ill and missing staff. Therefore (as the impact of Pandemic continues), we can’t ignore the changes like they haven’t happened or just not care because they happened to others not us.

Please, fellow Christians, could we be more considered about how we act as well as what we say? For me personally it’s a challenge too — do we really want to live in a nice little group where we are alright and ‘blessed’ whilst we bystand, give some money occasionally and watch others suffer and struggle because they, apparently, are ‘not blessed as we are’? What are we saying about our brothers and sisters in the faith if to get COVID is a sign of not being favoured by God, (while we who are healthy are)? Do we also not care about our wider society apart from getting ‘them’ to come into our courses, buildings, classes, events, services?

Let’s be more Jesus.