There was a phone-in on the wireless the other day. The theme was: ‘Is there anything about the lockdown you miss?’ One wag texted: ‘Social distancing! People washing their hands! Suits me.’ At least I think he had his tongue in his cheek. But there is no doubt that there is a stream of lockdown yearning flowing through the land at present. People recalling the quietness, the purity of the air, the lack of social pressure. Of course that has to be set beside lives lost to the virus, personal finances stretched to the limit, anxiety over future employment, carers having to cope with relatives suffering from Alzheimer’s and mental health disorders. I’m sure you could add more to that list. It’s good that we can take positives out of challenging circumstances but we shouldn’t get too carried away. Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on many lives and communities and the way forward will be hard.
One of the worst legacies of Covid-19 is the lingering effect of social distancing. At a time when community rebuilding will be of greatest importance we still give people a body-swerve when out walking and are anxious about gathering together under once familiar roofs. When shielding was eased for me and I was able to step out beyond the garden gate one of the heart-lightening moments was when people would give me a cheerful ‘Good morning!’ Perhaps. it wasn't much but in that there was a sense of being in this together and getting through. Maybe it’s my imagination but I think that has diminished to some extent. People walking, jogging, cycling seem more interested in the middle-distance or their iPods than anyone coming towards them.
That sense of reaching out to one another even in a limited way is one lockdown experience that we can carry forward. These last eight months have left a mark on our lives as individuals but it is as a people with shared experience that we can face the challenge of rebuilding communities and nations. From the beginning it was emphasised to Christians that they were not to see themselves as individuals satisfying themselves from some deep spiritual source. They were part of a community which God was seeking to build as a foretaste of the renewed community which was His ultimate plan for humankind. When the apostle John was given a vision of this renewed humanity it was contained within ‘the Holy City, the New Jerusalem’ in which there would be no more suffering or death. All things would be made new. (Revelation 21: 1-4) It is the image of the city that is striking. A place where there is community, wisdom, healing, comfort. The apostles grasped this image and challenged the Church to make known the city of God now.
