I was grateful for a mild fever last weekend. It was the day after my second vaccination against Covid-19 and although it meant a few hours with a headache or feeling a bit out of sorts, this was a good sign. My immune system was working away, identifying, and reacting to, the vaccine, and it quickly passed. I am so thankful for the huge crowd of folk who have made this possible, from the scientists who rose to the challenge of producing this great weapon against the virus, to the doctors, nurses and front-line vaccinators who are offering it in Guernsey today.
Yet, it was my choice to respond to the phonecall telling me that, due to my medical history, I was being offered this injection now. I have friends who have misgivings about it. I respect them but hope that in time they will come to see that this is God’s gift to our communities. It is something to be grateful for and not to be afraid of. But it will still be for them to choose. I cannot bare their arms for them. Scientists have developed vaccines against a variety of diseases, but even in countries where these vaccinations are readily available, often free of charge, the diseases have not always been eradicated. The reason? People must choose inoculation to enjoy immunity. This vaccination campaign in Guernsey, as elsewhere, is not mandatory. The science has provided the gift, but we must each choose to receive it. I hope that when your turn comes, you will feel able to do so.
There is another virus at work in our society today. The Bible calls it ‘the power of sin’ and it leads to all kinds of social and personal distress and disaster. God’s solution is ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29). He has provided for us a way to be forgiven and to learn how to forgive. Through Jesus he offers us an intervention against both the power and the penalty of sin. But just as with Covid-19, everyone must make their own choice, baring not their arms this time, but their hearts. Without that moment of willing surrender, the process of healing and internal change cannot begin. But with it, a new life opens ahead of us, and God’s ‘new normal’ starts to appear.
