Distance and Deliverance

By
Ben Hawkins

This week sees the return of public worship to St. Mary the Virgin’s. After such a long period of being unable to worship together, Sunday will be a time of joy for the many of us who are able to physically participate in a Church service for the first time in several months. But as this period of being away from the physical life of the Church draws to a close, now can also be a time to reflect on what we have learnt from the lockdown, and the effect that it has had on our relationship with Christ and His Church.

I recently heard a minister at my parents’ Church recounting the following story:

A man dreamed that he was walking along the beach with the Lord, and for each period of his life, he saw two pairs of footprints, side by side. But when the man looked back, he saw that at the saddest and lowest point in his life, there was only one set of footprints. The man asked the Lord, “Why, when I needed you the most, did you leave me?” The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you… but remember, that was 2020, and so I was a little further away observing social distancing”.

Whilst this is an obvious parody of the famous poem, “Footprints”, perhaps it expresses some of the feelings that many of us have had over the past three months. We have, in many ways, been further away from the Church than we would have liked: we have missed the joy of celebrating Easter and Pentecost together in church; we have been unable receive the Body of Christ in the Eucharist; and, perhaps most pressingly for many, we have been unable to be physically present in offering support to one another, unable to console each other with a simple hug, or offer a comforting shoulder to lean on. It may have seemed to many that God has been distant at this time.

But, of course, the real poem, “Footprints”, tells us a different story.  In answer to the man’s question, the Lord replies, “during your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” When we look back, we can see the many ways in which God has carried us through this time. Through the hard work of Ana and Will we have been able to maintain contact with the community at St. Mary the Virgin’s through weekly podcasts, and through Morning and Evening Prayer via Zoom. We have witnessed the generosity of members of the Church community who have given their time to support those who have needed help with shopping and other daily tasks. We have built stronger relationships with each other through coffee mornings, poetry discussions, and Bible study groups. In fact, once we scratch beneath the surface, we can see that God has been right here among us throughout this time.

As we begin to return to a more normal way of life within the Church in the coming days, weeks, and months, it is right to be joyful that we will once again be able to meet, interact, and worship together as a Church. But as we reflect on the last few months, we should also be thankful to the Lord that He hasn’t been socially distant through this difficult period, but instead, has carried and sustained us through it.