Learning from History (2) - and some more art

Reflecting on yesterday's brief historical examples, what might we learn about today's experience?

1. This is a moment for self-examination. (Plague) examines the mind of the human race.  To think about what matters and what doesn't. How do we prioritise? How much do we appreciate one another, and the world of nature? Are we prepared to put the needs of others before ourselves? As someone has emailed me just today: I hope that when things do eventually return to some sort of normality, we have learnt from this time and are able to pace ourselves more appropriately and...  consider the important things in life. The birds are a constant reminder for me to do this... they now appear so happy and loud in this time of quietness.
2. The need to care for our sick, dying and otherwise needy people. This might seem obvious in an advanced society such as ours, but the current debate about the treatment of our elderly in residential care - and how we value (or don't) our care workers - highlights a much neglected area in our country. It is said that a mark of a healthy society is the way it cares for its weakest members. Care and compassion have always been qualities central to Christian mission: as St Cuthbert demonstrated.
3. We need to learn to accept our vulnerability - that we are not in control. This lies behind the quotations from Martin Luther, who casts himself on God's mercy.And if we have a proper estimate of ourselves, in all humility, we are more likely to be kind to others.
4. Luther also demonstrates a wonderful common sense for the common good! I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed...Social distancing in the 16th century!
5. Fearless in the face of death, courageous in the face of suffering. Someone said to me recently that the fear around at the moment is not so much fear of the virus, it's fear of death. And here particularly is the Christian contribution. Once we realise that by his death Christ has destroyed death, and by his rising he has raised us to life eternal - and once, by faith, we have received this most precious of gifts, then we can enter more fully into the darkest places. Times like these, as Spurgeon pointed out, are when churches tend to grow, and people turn to God: the mind is sensitive... when death is abroad.
6. In all the examples I quoted previously, there was a sense that those who did what they did for the sake of Christ gained many admirers. One writer attributes the growth of the Church in the 3rd century largely to the way Christians sacrificially gave themselves to care for the sick and the dying. Although we now have our wonderful NHS, with all the wonders of modern medicine and technology to help and heal the sick, we all  know that it is the character of the individual doctors and nurses which really leaves an impression. And it is the character of Christians in any walk of life which is the best commendation of our Lord, especially in times of fear and instability.

Here is another piece of artwork from Heather: an Easter 'offering'. The picture doesn't really do it justice, as there is shimmering gold thread in there!