It's strange how, when you expect something bad to happen, it still comes as a shock. On Thursday, I learned that a good friend in our town had been admitted to hospital with Coronavirus (Cv). He is still very unwell. I must confess, it rather shook me. In my head, I knew Cv was likely to strike, but when it's someone you know well...So much of the past two days has been spent thinking about and praying for him and his wife. It is scary.
At the same time, I have been preparing and recording a talk for tomorrow morning's broadcast from our Cockermouth churches. As it happens, the Gospel reading is about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and - for me - the interesting subtext of how Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha deal with their grief, and respond to Jesus. It is a 'Tale of Two Sisters'. What can we learn from them?
The technology has been challenging for me! Both learning how to record a video well (the easy bit!), and then how to upload to where it needs to be, in order to become part of the whole. That's my struggle: but I will learn!
I did manage to take a break yesterday, though. Mowed the lawn, at last. And read some poetry: a selection of children's poetry, put together by Liverpool poet, Roger McGough. Very diverting and enjoyable.
On Thursday, I had one of my regular Skype conversations with a long-standing friend in Liverpool. She put me onto a website about communal experience of trauma, which of course this is all becoming. Rather than me write any more today, you may like to read this letter from a priest to her congregation, which is deeply reassuring and wise:
https://tragedyandcongregations.org.uk/2020/03/24/a-letter-from-carla-grosch-miller-to-a-congregation/
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