Like the Romans in 1^st century Palestine, the Covid virus is nasty, cruel, all-pervading, and has killed a lot of people. Our hearts go out to those who have lost friends or relatives, to those sick with the virus, and to many more feeling vulnerable and frightened. This post is not in any way intended to be insensitive or superficial, but a discussion earlier today made me begin to wonder what grains of comfort we might find in the midst of this crisis. It’s an ill wind blows nobody any good, they say. So might there be some positives for those with a mind to look for them? The more I think about it, I can see the potential for appreciation of the more positive side-effects of these disastrous times.

I can become thankful. I know that for extraverts this is a highly difficult time, but I’m actually quite enjoying it as a introvert. I’m thankful that, courtesy of the C of E, I have a lovely roomy house in which to be locked up, with a lovely garden in a tree-lined street. I give thanks for the technology which can allow me to communicate with others, but then put them on mute, and for a freezer full of food which needs eating up. Little things which I have always taken for granted now become opportunities to give thanks to God.

I can become prayerful. The other side of all this, of course, is that so many people don’t have any of those things for which to be thankful. I know that I am pretty privileged, but that fact can encourage my prayers for those who aren’t, like that bit we often tag on the end of our grace at meals about God making us mindful of the needs of others. So my heart goes out to those in accommodation they hate, or none; with people they don’t get on with, or even those who might harm them; those struggling without income and worried about food. Such people have always been there, but today I am much more aware of them.

I can read and study. Christians often have the mindset of going to church once a week ‘to be fed’. Whilst church leaders are working with technology to make virtual worship and teaching available, and climbing an almost vertical learning curve, what a glorious opportunity for Christians to get their Bibles off their shelves and just spend time reading and praying. Biblical literacy is at an all-time low in our nation, and a weekly dose of ‘a thought I had while I was reading the gospel for today’ will never breed biblically confident disciples. There are all kinds of resources out there for individual Bible Study, and all kinds of blogs and podcasts like this one which can help us engage with Scripture on our own or in small virtual groups.

I can be a good neighbour. I can remember a speaker once asking what was the next stop on from discipleship. The expected answer came, of course – Leadership. But the speaker disagreed: the next step for good disciples is to become good citizens. Citizenship is a much neglected subject in our preaching, yet a vital ingredient in NT discipleship. This current crisis is a wonderful opportunity to be even better neighbours, even better members of our local communities, even if we have to do it down the phone. Roman Emperor Julian wrote in the 4^th century complaining that ‘it is a disgrace that . . . the impious Galilaeans [Christians] support not only their own poor but ours as well.’ Elsewhere he urged that the Roman Empire should copy what the Christians were doing in terms of social services. Now’s our chance!

I can work better. Whilst I have plenty to do, it is interesting to notice how my working life is changing. I’m actually stopping for lunch, rather than eating a sandwich at my desk in the office while keeping going. I’m spending time each day on that cross-trainer which I had previously used for hanging towels on. I’m being forced to become a learner as well as a teacher, and I’m being encouraged to rethink all I thought I knew about how to teach. Paradoxically I’m finding myself less likely to pop into my study during the evening just to do something or other for 10 minutes: when my working day ends, the study door closes.

I can imagine a different future. When our world is rocked our natural desire is to get things back to normal as soon as possible, and the broadcasting of virtual services is a manifestation of this: how can we keep the show on the road as near as possible to the way we used to do it? That is all good, and we need to do that, but I’m really hoping that in some ways Church won’t return to normal. Perhaps Covid can challenge our idolatry of our buildings, our passive and unthinking going-through-the-motions services, our dependence on the paid professionals, and our desire to be fed rather than to feed ourselves. Perhaps we are learning to be church instead of going to church.

I’m finding myself praying about Covid a lot, of course – aren’t we all? But I tend not to pray ‘Lord, take this away and help us all to resume normal services as soon as possible’. Instead I’m praying that we will learn quickly whatever it is that God is wanting to teach us through this time of the shaking of the foundations.

So what has Covid done for you?