6 mins
The Big Question
The Rev Cameron MacKenzie, minister at Edinburgh: Tron Kirk (Gilmerton and Moredun)
Elaine Duncan, chief executive of the Scottish Bible Society
“It’s true that Covid has an upside down(side!)
“It must be said that Covid has destroyed so much and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. There is no denying that or turning away from that, yet in the midst of the darkness there have been beams and shafts of light for me and many of us….There have been glimpses both of the divine and the very peak of humanity.
“Within hours of the lockdown I felt that my next few months were going to be a mixture of fear, boredom and searching for something to keep me from going nuts! But I could not have been more wrong!
“I have the most magnificent memories of seeing hundreds of nuclear families walking, riding their bikes, hill walking, dog walking and just basically having proper time together the way they might normally but with just so much extra time.
“I have been involved in a lot of food distribution and it was so humbling to see that the community got stuck in.
“In Moredun and Gilmerton we partnered with Goodtrees Community Centre Youth and Adults to deliver near 60,000 packed lunches and literally tonnes of bags of groceries. What a joy to see teenagers giving sterling service in such a magical way.
“At Tron and all sorts of other churches too, we sensed the need, the compulsion, to provide worship and the only way to do that was online.
“Providing live worship was so appreciated by many and most of the many were completely un-churched so I do pray that these things remain.”
“‘It was so moving, being with people who live on the other side of the world!’
“‘I felt disconnected from people locally but more connected with people globally.’
“‘It lifts my head to what is going on in the world and changes my perspective.’
“I’m usually privileged to meet face-to-face with colleagues from other Bible Societies around the world every year. There can be over 80 countries represented at these events and I have enjoyed developing deep relationships across the globe as we share and learn together.’”
“There have been no such gatherings since January, and we have no idea when we might be able to meet in that way again. But what we have done every month since April is meet via Zoom for a global time of prayer. On the first Monday of each month we have four prayer sessions in three different languages (French, Spanish and English). People choose the language and time zone that suits them best.
“The quotes above are from members of the team at the Scottish Bible Society. These prayer times have widened the opportunity for many more people to experience being part of something bigger.
“It has taken a global pandemic to get us to do this!
“Each month I am reminded that we are part of the global family of God. Each month I am inspired by the faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ, expressed by my colleagues in much more challenging circumstances than mine. I thank God for the global church!”
Paul Beautyman, Youth Worker, Dunoon Grammar School
“There are a few things I would like to hold onto that have happened because of Covid and the changes it has brought.
“During the pandemic I shared in delivering food parcels around Dunoon. Working in partnership with school stafland community agencies to help people eat was a challenging experience. On one hand I was glad to help out but on the other I was sad that so many people were struggling with their health or having enough money to eat. It was an eye opener. I worked alongside people I knew in Dunoon Grammar School and we shared more of our lives than we normally did, passing each other in busy corridors. That was a real bonus.
“Home schooling was another mixed blessing. My teenage children missed seeing their pals but we spent more time together as a family and that was great.
“We are lucky that living in Argyll it was quite easy for us to get out onto the hills and we explored more, finding hidden waterfalls and getting to the top of hills that we had wanted to climb for years.
“While on furlough I set up my own Christian youth work training and mentoring business. It’s called Youth Work Journeys, www.youthworkjourneys.com and is the culmination of several years of praying, planning and discerning God’s plan for my life.
“I have worked for the Church of Scotland enabling and doing youth work for 26 years and I’m excited to offer this help as the Covid limits continue.”
Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland.
“I would like the resurgence of empathy to remain. We have gained the capacity and willingness to understand through the lens of someone else’s experience, from their frame of reference.
“The determination I’ve seen from across Scotland to reach out to each other has been inspiring. Inequality robs us of the ability to reach out to others, but Covid-19 has, in many ways, stripped oflour blinkers and exposed vulnerability for what it is - our essential humanity. It is only in standing together with others that we ourselves are fully human.
“Here in the UK, we depend on infrastructure which only exists because of our relative wealth. Where would we be without the NHS, or daily health advice and updates? Where would individuals, families and businesses be without the furlough scheme? While we are living through the reality that no one is immune, our sisters and brothers in the global south already face multiple challenges.
“Ever-increasing climate disruption, chronic food insecurity, lack of basic healthcare and fragile infrastructures make a strong response to coronavirus more complex. Basics like clean water and soap, reliable food supplies and education about the virus are critical, but even these essentials are as scarce as hen’s teeth in too many places.
“Just as we’ve naturally turned to each other for support locally, we have also turned our attention globally. This resurgence of empathy - the willingness and capacity to be brave enough to understand someone else’s frame of reference and to respond - could be the making of us all.”
The Rev Alistair Cowper, minister at Kirknewton and East Calder
“These things for starters ….
“The reminder that church was never about buildings but always about people. The reminder that good, open and honest relationships are what matters. The reminder that we are all connected globally and locally. The reminder that God speaks even in times of distress. The reminder that it’s possible to hear the birds sing and to see fish in rivers previously without. The reminder that God’s kingdom is still coming. The reminder that death precedes life and that some things must die before we see resurrection. The reminder that God has made us in God’s image as creative beings who are made to overcome adversity and solve problems. The reminder that online communication is not only possible but an essential opportunity to help tackle climate change. The revelation that online communication can reach people the church would never have reached pre-Covid.
“Maybe now we might hold one another’s lives even more preciously and treat one another with the kindness we each deserve. Maybe now we might allow prayer to happen inside us. Maybe now we might discover greater depth to God with us. Maybe now we might become serious about tackling climate change by cutting out our dependence on fossil fuels and stop making unnecessary car journeys to meetings which could be better done online. Maybe now we might act justly, love mercy and show constant love. Maybe now we might shop more locally and trade more fairly. Maybe now we might see Christ in everything and everyone.
“Maybe … Hopefully.”
This article appears in the November 2020 Issue of Life and Work
If you would like to view other issues of Life and Work, you can see the full archive
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