With great gladness, we see that the emergence from our lockdown is now beginning, in the first instance with regard to outdoor trades and industry and limited outdoor gatherings. We can only be grateful to our Council of Ministers, Government and Departments for the care and judgment that they exercise on our behalf in deeply complex questions. In keeping faith with one another, we are making our way through these challenging weeks. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is getting closer.
We continue to keep our Christian Faith, too. For now, I have written to parishes to confirm that public worship will not take place on Sunday 31 January. But I am very hopeful that we may resume on 07 February. This is dependent, of course, on there being no further cases of the virus appearing within the community. That in turn is contingent upon us keeping faith with what Government asks of us: for now, staying at home as much as possible, distancing when we have to go out, wearing a face-covering, and hand-washing. But we continue to keep our Christian faith through prayer, through study, through worship that is broadcast or streamed, and through the pastoral support that we provide for one another, especially for our neighbours who are the most isolated in our midst. In my previous blog, I emphasised that it is by loving one another, caring for one another, and reaching out to our neighbour that we will be growing in grace and in stature as the Lord’s disciples. I emphasise this again. It is care and compassion that will bring us through these times: keeping faith with our community, keeping faith with each other and with God, and looking forward to being with one another in Church again very soon.
In Christ,
+ Peter
