I hope you are all staying safe and looking after and encouraging each other. I found this poem rather poignant.
And the people stayed at home
And read books and listened
And rested and exercised
And made art and played
And learned of new ways of being
And stopped and listened more deeply
Someone meditated, someone prayed
Someone met their shadow
And the people began to think differently
And people healed
And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways
Dangerous, meaningless and heartless, even the earth began to heal
And when the danger ended and people found themselves
They grieved for the dead
And made new choices
And dreamed new visions
And created new ways of living
And healed the earth completely
Just as they were healed themselves
I shared it with my pupils at school after the first lockdown. Many of which found it challenging. I`d like to look at a few verses
And when the danger ended and people found each other: We are all looking forward to the day we can return properly to church and enjoy communion and fellowship with each other, singing God`s praise and celebrating fully so many of our Christian festivals.
They grieved their dead: We still need space and time to be able to grieve those people lost. Some of them gifted medics and faithful servants of the NHS as well as our friends and family members who have not been able to have proper funeral services.
They made new choices: All of us will have the opportunity of living differently. Many of our values hopefully will have been renewed for the good and the better. Our lifestyles maybe simplified. Our appreciation of the environment encouraged. Our understanding of green matters enthused.
They dreamed of a new vision: Things that perhaps we overvalued before will have changed. Does a foreign holiday mater, perhaps wild camping and walking the two moors way will be just as fun! Maybe it`s just as good to give to someone in need as buy something for myself? Maybe my vision of thinking of others rather than myself has been renewed.
Created new ways of life: Maybe we will have to socially distance for longer than we think. Maybe numbers will be restricted in our churches and it will be long term difficult for some people to come. Remember the early church met together in their homes. Maybe we will think in time more like that. Communion on the green in Lanreath worked so well a few weeks back. I`m sure many of us have been renewed in our value of family. Others have realised the blessing of still having a job. Of course, in time their will be recession and more unemployment. We will have to have potentially less. We have been bombarded with and in commercialism. Perhaps what we actually need will be redefined!
I reminded the students at school of Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival and the change that came over Wales during the revival. Certainly, people made new choices, they dreamed new visions and they created new ways of life; Godly living, God fearing lives. There was a bursting chapel in every village and town almost on every street corner of the Valleys. Sadly, they are a testament to the past and few now exist. The people have returned to their old ways of living with the same problems existing now as then. Its up to us to learn the many lessons Corona Virus has taught us and continue to change for the good and better.
Richard Allen