Not going out? The hidden cost.

I received an email from an old friend who just happens to be a retired consultant psychiatrist. He shared his concern about an impending 'avalanche of mental illness' following this period of lockdown. I share his concern and pray often for those who are closed in with issues of the mind that are being intensified and increased by this enforced isolation.

One factor of this is the absence of the grace of touch for many millions. I recognise that I am greatly blessed in this regard because I am at home with my loving wife, but for so many, it may be weeks since they touched anyone, or were touched in return. I learned the value of human touch in Intensive Care. I had been there for two or three weeks on that occasion, hooked up to the many machines that were keeping me alive. Every now and then a nurse would have to come and take my pulse the old way, holding my wrist gently between thumb and fingers. I relished those moments of simple kindness, physical contact with a fellow human being. Touch brings reassurance, the sharing of life, closeness, and science tells us, can even increase our store of the well-being hormone Serotonin.

If you have a pet, you will know how much they mean in this regard. If not, then the absence of being touched is just one of the pressures you are facing. Can I just point you to the One who reached out and touched so many while He was on Earth? Jesus was criticised for His willingness to embrace those who were untouchable in society, such as lepers and people of low moral reputation. Some years ago we used to sing; "When I feel the touch of Your hand upon my life, it causes me to sing a song, that I love You Lord". It may seem a bit sentimental but it is real to many millions of believers in Christ who are finding that He is there with them in their isolation at this time.

I am also grateful for the technology that can help us all keep in touch at this time. Our church is using Live-streaming via YouTube to broadcast hope-giving services each Sunday morning at 10.45am which can then be viewed later if you wish. Just search for Vazon Church on YouTube or go to the church website www.vazonelim.org.gg. We are also part of #stayconnect Guernsey which is making wifi and tablets available to those who are unable to keep in touch with loved ones, and if you know anyone who could benefit from a free loan or gift of such things, please contact me at throughthestorms750@gmail.com and we will try to help.

Shielding as a Means of Defence

I had been prepared for the letter. My GP had phoned to say she was sending it to me and that I should not be alarmed when I opened it. I was and I wasn't. Alarmed I mean, but I was sobered by it, and did become a bit alarmed in the night when I thought about it too deeply. But there were no surprises there. Based on my medical records I had been identified as someone at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and that I should be 'shielding'. There followed a long list of stringent advice and directions all designed for my safety, which was to be in place for 12 weeks from the receipt of the letter.

As you can imagine, this had led to a lot of conversations in our home, much thought and prayer. I am so grateful that Diane is with me, and my heart goes out to you if you are alone through this crisis. We know that we are not alone, and that God is with us, but it's so hard to be without that flesh and blood embrace that comforts when things get tough.

For the Christian, however, shielding is nothing new. Right back in the Genesis God spoke to the first man of faith, and told him; ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’ He was going to need that protective shield a lot in the trials that lay ahead of him. In Psalm 3:3 'But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high'. And in Psalm 18:30 'he shields all who take refuge in him'.

Now that doesn't mean that those who trust in God will be immune to the problems of life. My experience has revealed the emptiness of that idea, but it does mean that we have a higher power who loves us and is watching out for us. We have someone to turn to in the night when we are afraid. There is one who loves us and waits up with us, listening to our every cry in distress.

In Ephesians 6 St Paul speaks about lifting up the shield of faith with which we will be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one. And in this period of shielding I am going to have to take that advice on board. Choosing faith and not fear is a big one. Each day, and especially at night, we need to be using that shield of faith. There are plenty of fiery arrows around at the moment, some of them invisible to the naked eye, so our shield of faith is a vital piece of lockdown kit.

A tsunami of kindness and a wave of hope? Where did that come from?

There is a strange stirring in my heart this Good Friday in the 2020 Corona lock-down. Beneath the sadness and frustration that we cannot be out in the sunshine there is a glimmer of something hopeful. A dawn of different thinking, maybe of new attitudes and actions too. What could this be?

• Hope? What for - the end of the pandemic? A vaccine? Not just those glorious things, though I feel sure that they will come. My hope is in God, his faithfulness, his promises, his unchanging grace. After all, it's Friday, but thank God Sunday's coming! Jesus who died rose again on the third day and is alive today. 
• Kindness? It is happening. I am seeing the green shoots of a tsunami of kindness. A million volunteers offering to brave the front-line of the virus to assist the NHS and care services around Britain. Doctors and nurses putting themselves in danger to save others - the spirit of Calvary in action - in some cases dying because of their service. Others unable to go home due to a vulnerable person in their household.
• Community? Crowds of people last evening in my road standing outside together (2 metres apart!) to applaud all who are serving on the front-line against this scourge. And as we exercise, isn't there a new sense of closeness to those we pass? Not so much averting their gaze now - more of a sense of 'we're all in this together'.  And after all the dreadful division of Brexit at last the political language has moderated. A new unity? Well, maybe that's a bit soon to say, but we do feel that we are striving against a common enemy, and not demonising others for their differing viewpoints.
• Faith? Come on - be honest. There is a small fire burning in hearts that have been cold and faith-dead or years. Of course the questions come - 'why?' 'where is God in all this?' - and that's right, but folk are feeling spiritually peckish again. There is food to be had. Our own church at Vazon Elim in Guernsey is seeing 5 times the number of people tuning in to our Livestream services than would normally be in the building. Worship and witness have taken to the airwaves and burst into new life!

So, on the Easter weekend, let's thank God for the seeds of hope, kindness, community and faith, and then water them with our prayers. As Her Majesty the Queen said; 'We will meet again'. May it be soon, Lord!

A new stillness brings the chance for our souls to breathe

A blanket of silence has descended on our roads and lanes in my home island of Guernsey. Where once walkers were dodging endless lines of busy traffic, now they can wander quite freely except for the occasional passing car. In this period of quietness, we are hearing new sounds. Birdsong and the hum of bees is replacing clunky diesels and screeching scooters. We can hear the waves lapping on the beach. Building sites are silent and once busy offices deserted. We have entered a season when we can at last hear our own heartbeat. And, at least for most of us, it is beating fast with fear.

‘When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Lord)’. These are the words of King David in Psalm 56. He knew lots of fear in his life too and decided that he needed to choose faith not fear in order to cope with his many deadly challenges.

If there is any silver lining to our current dark cloud of Corona virus lockdown, it is in the stillness that surrounds us. Just as it allows us to hear nature, so a place of quietness each day will enable us to hear from heaven. When I was a young Christian, we were encouraged to plan to have a quiet time each day when we would read a portion of the Bible and pray. God can speak to us in the stillness. It is still of infinite value to Diane and myself today, especially at a time like this. Maybe this season of isolation gives you a good opportunity to reinstate that habit.

Once when the prophet Elijah was facing the threat of imminent death, following a national period of crisis, he went up a mountain to be alone with God. There he saw a vision of an earthquake, a raging storm of wind and a blazing fire. He discovered that God was not in those things. Then he heard a gentle whisper and realised that the Lord was speaking to him. That gentle whisper became his lifeline.

As we have time to be still in these difficult days, let’s listen for that gentle whisper again, and in our fearful hearts choose to trust in God.