A Covid Christmas

Gordon Pennykid

“WHAT is a ‘normal’ Christmas?”

Gordon Pennykid DCS (Diaconate of the Church of Scotland), smiles as he considers the question.

He’s a deacon and full-time chaplain with HMP Edinburgh, a workplace many people, caught up in the busyness and fuss of Christmas Day, don’t even spare a thought for.

“HMP Edinburgh will house around 900 men and women this Christmas. We have a diverse population from a remand hall of untried prisoners all the way through to a long term convicted wing,” he says.

“During the cold dark December days prison can be a bleak place for staff and prisoners alike. You become ‘jail pale’ from the lack of time spent in any Scottish winter sunshine.

“The light of Christ shining through the child in the crib of the chapel, and the bright lights of the tree provides a glimmer of the hope we see in the Christmas story, but this year the chapel will lie for the most part empty. The symbols will be in place but few will see them in person due to the restrictions put on us all by Covid-19. 

“We will be looking to technology to help this year, more than others,” he says.

“With such a large and complex population in HMP Edinburgh, the main services are still on hold from the ever present threat of Covid-19. We will instead utilise the in-cell TV system to share the hope and warmth of Christ this year.

“We are determined that, though things might look a bit different, they will go on.

“Advent services and events will be on TV instead. For the past 50 years, we have a Christmas concert led by the Salvation Army band and singers. That’ll still be on this year – but on the TV instead.

“The Christmas Eve ecumenical service is usually well attended (I suspect for the chocolate if nothing else!) but it’ll be on TV instead as well.”

Some things, however, will be the same. “We’ll be having the Christmas menu – always subject to newspaper headlines for its supposed opulence!

“There won’t be any visits on Christmas Day or Boxing Day – that’s normal too. “And of course the chaplains will be visiting prisoners.

“The one thing that this year has done is challenge us to be more innovative and more personal. Yes, we can stand in front of a TV camera and reach into a cell – but the challenge from the gospel is that Christ wants a personal relationship with you. Christmas in prison in not commercialised. It is basic and raw. A bit like the first Christmas: cold, dark and uncomfortable.

“Christ came into this world to bring light and love; Jesus came to earth as a baby with nothing but God’s spirit. I find myself wondering what would have happened if the Shepherds, Magi and angels couldn’t have made it to Bethlehem? Jesus was still there and God would have found another way of telling the world about his son. That is our challenge!

“This year prisoners will be able to call home from the ‘comfort ‘ of their own cell, with mobile phones being issued for the first time this year.

“The chaplaincy team here have been busier than ever with pastoral visiting. Loneliness and relationship difficulties are nothing new in prison but this year they have been highlighted more than ever.

For me, Deuteronomy 31:6: ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you,’ holds very true at the moment.

“Throughout the pandemic prison chaplains and staff have continued to be strong and courageous, however if we are honest not always without fear! But knowing God is with us in our work is always on our minds and we are constantly reminded that God is here in the prison – sometimes working through us, sometimes working despite us!

“We have been blessed by being able to provide bibles, worship CDs, coloured pencils and bible notes, simple gifts which mean so much. Junction 42 (a throughcare charity) have been instrumental in providing innovative ideas such as scripture art, cross stitch crosses and prayer photo frames – homemade gifts and crafts. We may not be able to meet, to shake hands or to hug – but we are finding other ways to provide that personal touch of Jesus.”

Anne MacDonald

Another place where Christmas has a very special traditional celebration is in hospital and other health care facilities.

Anne MacDonald, DCS, is a health care chaplain at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

“As we look to Christmas 2020 we wonder what lies ahead as Covid-19 is no respecter of anyone and it seems we will have to cope with it for a while yet. As the festive season unfolds across NHS GGC the focus will continue to be on celebration and the hope and joy Christmas would usually bring during the coldest, darkest time of the year.

“But this time of year is special for many religions and faiths. People celebrate various festivals towards the end of a year, eg Diwali, the Sikh festival of light in November and those of the Jewish faith celebrate Hanukkah in December.

“Christmas, although much celebrated within Christian churches in Scotland is also a special time for people who enjoy the festivities for non-religious reasons over the public holidays. Whatever our beliefs, faith or philosophies, it is a time to enjoy with family and friends. Restrictions in travel and gathering numbers, are bound to affect that this year.

“Within generic, professional, spiritual care, NHS GGC health care chaplains at this time of global pandemic are even more mindful of people separated from family, friends and loved ones due to work commitments, Covid-19 restrictions or illness.

“It has often been said during 2020, referring to the virus, ‘We are all in this together’. As we look to Christmas and other festivals and celebrations this year within NHS GGC, chaplains and others in our hospital communities will all seek to help, support and encourage each another, especially as we move into 2021 and face a very different festive season due to the uncertainty and impact of the global pandemic.”

Jim Meighan

Children in hospital hold a special place for many of us. We all know that the staff try their best to make a Christmas in hospital a happy time for the wee ones who can’t go home for one reason or another, and visits from parents and family would be a normal part of Christmas Day for many.

Jim Meighan is health care chaplain at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow. He explained this Christmas is liable to be very different.

“The idea of a virtual Christmas meal and celebration is something everyone is dreading,” he says. “The helpless heartache of separation is experienced daily in our hospitals and that heavy weight of weariness and inevitability rests upon the very people who need to know they are not alone. The beautiful reality and result of the painful moments that led us here, is that we evolved to see beyond our own worldview.

Covid-19 could have crushed us but through the tears and hell of loss, something precious developed. We found strength in each other, realised we were not alone, and resolved to be the best we could be for those who need us most.

“Covid-19 could have crushed us but through the tears and hell of loss, something precious developed. We found strength in each other, realised we were not alone, and resolved to be the best we could be for those who need us most.

“Staff now talk about compassion, care and dignity in terms that make me feel proud of the NHS.

“Christmas this year may not be what we hope for but in a hospital that strives for person centred care, ‘the gift’ that Covid-19 will provide is ‘selfless compassion’.

“I see that care and concern in the domestic staff (first responders) and the consultancy and management teams who guide us through every stage. We may not believe the same truths but I can assure you that I have seen enough to know that our patients and families are in good and safe hands. Whatever happens this Christmas I am convinced that love will triumph.”

Alistair Macindoe 

“Leverndale Hospital is a psychiatric facility situated on the south side of Glasgow,” says Alistair Macindoe, mental health chaplain at Leverndale Hospital.

“It is easier to think of Leverndale more as a village than a hospital: a series of single storied buildings set amongst quiet roads, wide pathways, flowering shrubs, trees and raised flower beds.

“Those with mental health illness find life hard enough without the isolation imposed by the pandemic. The hardest hit have been the elderly; contact with family being limited to waving, smiling and gesticulating through windows. The restrictions have also affected the spiritual care service whose supportive function is most effective in person.

“Christmas is not necessarily a joyful time for individuals with mental illness, often adding to pressures rooted in home, family and early life struggles. Leverndale’s traditional Christmas carol service allows for both quiet reflection and joyful singing, and this year, with the expert support of some staff, we will be broadcasting a virtual service. The exact nature of the event will be determined by restrictions in place at the beginning of December. However, I earnestly anticipate that whatever we do, it will bring opportunity for reflection and celebration, bringing much needed hope to everyone, staff and patients alike.”

The Rev Dr Robert Calvert

City centre minister, the Rev Dr Robert Calvert, minister at Dundee: Steeple, works with local businesses and is part time chaplain at the University of Abertay.

“The Christmas season is celebrated weeks before Advent in most of our cities to promote retail outlets,” he explained.

“To be frank, the caution and fear of the business community is very obvious and a happy Christmas for them would involve being open for custom!

“Normally, up to 15,000 people gather in Dundee, buzzing with live music, artists and light shows. Families gather on a Friday night in mid-November for the turning on of the lights. There are lots of students, especially from overseas. Dundee’s population soars by about 20% every year as students come to our two universities or St Andrews.

“Some years ago, the City Council proposed that this festive weekend be called ‘Winter (rather than Christmas) Lights’. The protest of the churches was heard in the corridors of the City Council. Then a respected imam from the central mosque intervened to say how all of faith communities in Dundee respected the culture of the Christmas season. From then on, it has been ‘Christmas’!

“It has been my privilege to join the city’s Provost and a prominent councillor walking with Santa Claus with lighted wax torches. A procession walks from the High School to the City Square where Santa appears alongside the Provost and minister on a central podium or the balcony at the City Hall. It is always challenging to follow Santa with a Christmas message for two to three minutes! The Provost then speaks to the crowd and ceremonially turns on the lights.

“Over the past ten years, a key part of the Christmas Light Night weekend has been the production of a live city-wide nativity play using local actors and musicians, amateur and professional. The group was set up as a joint project by the churches with the aim of keeping the true meaning of Christmas when the festive illuminations are turned on. In partnership with Dundee City Council and with local churches, schools, choirs and university groups, we have staged live performances – both outdoor and indoor.

“A university student who took part a few years ago in our rehearsals in a church hall, and who had no faith background, told our director: ‘I always thought churches would be scary places, but now that I’ve been coming here, this isn’t scary at all.’

“Last year after the Friday evening performance at the Steeple Church, Mae, our angel, was about to return her microphone to the sound desk. Then a lady from the audience approached her with tears in her eyes. ‘That’s the most moving thing I’ve ever seen,’ the lady said. ‘I lost my faith a number of years ago,’ she confided, ‘but after seeing this tonight, I’ve got my faith back.’

“This year though, there is no official switching on ceremony for the Christmas lights because of the Covid restrictions.

“Since live performances are discouraged for the same reason, a professionally filmed version of the Dundee Nativity is being produced for a city-wide online launch in December when churches, care homes, charities and other groups can show the film.”

Pauline Robertson

Pauline Robertson DCS is Sailors’ Society Port Chaplain.

“Loneliness at work and a sense of longing for home are often the the main issues shared by seafarers at Christmas,” she said. “They share their feelings and anxieties of being away from home and family for long periods of time, which is often up to nine months, and these feelings are exacerbated at Christmas.

“This year, of course, the length of time separated from family and loved ones has most probably increased. Contracts have sometimes doubled to eighteen months as Covid restrictions and border closures have meant crew cannot return home, which they dearly long for. It is also possible seafarers could be facing their second Christmas separated from family.

“Traditionally Christmas for a Port Chaplain lasts nearly three months, from November till mid January. I’ve often sat in a ship’s mess in autumn surrounded by Christmas decorations. Why so early in the year? “The vessels which come into our Scottish ports have international crew and the various Christmas traditions of the crew often merge to create a ‘ship tradition’ which usually involves putting the decorations up as soon as summer is over. It’s important for them to acknowledge Christmas early in the year as for many of the crew it is an opportunity to look forward as when working – each day is a repetition of the last – for months on end. These decorations help them to call to mind happy times of family, their faith, home churches and community celebrations.

“This year I won’t hear as many stories of family and traditions or see the decorations because I won’t be permitted on many accommodation decks due to company Covid restriction policies.

“Christmas Day is a very different experience for working seafarers. It’s a regular working day.

“However, if Christmas is celebrated, it is almost always focused on loved ones. That’s why phone calls and video chat with family – thousands of miles away – are central to the crews’ well-being.

“Although they’re away from their loved ones they can share with them virtually, connecting with those gathered at home, if they can get a phone signal. This aspect of Christmas will not change.

“If a vessel is fortunate enough to be in port over Christmas, the crew may get a half day off or normally, have the opportunity to attend a local watchnight service or midnight mass with a local congregation.

“But this year’s opportunities to worship will not happen, as crew will be restricted to their vessel. On board Christmas worship and carol services will not take place either, so there will be no way to worship with them as before.

“Christmas gifts will still be distributed this year but they will be left at the bottom of the gangway to be picked up and stored until Christmas Day. There will be no opportunity this year to go on board the vessels in port on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with Christmas gift bags donated by the local churches.

“There will be little time together to share and celebrate the joy of Christmas. The face to face conversations which naturally occur as gifts are given will be limited to the main deck and one or two socially distanced crew. The sharing of memories of Christmas and loved ones will be reduced. For many crew being away from home at Christmas is part of the normal rhythm of life but it’s still difficult.”

This year will differ dramatically as not only will there be the usual longing to be home with family. There will be the added anxiety of extended work contracts, mental and physical fatigue and loneliness.

“This year will differ dramatically as not only will there be the usual longing to be home with family. There will be the added anxiety of extended work contracts, mental and physical fatigue and loneliness. Over arching all these anxieties and worries will be Covid.

“For seafarers that have been unable to work due to Covid restrictions, they will probably have been unemployed for almost a year with no means of income. Christmas will be very difficult for them too. As an online Crisis Response Chaplain, this will lead to very different conversations with seafarers. The conversations will be anxious men and women seeking support and guidance in desperate situations.

“As Port Chaplain these challenging times are when we’re needed the most, to walk alongside crew, respond to their needs, be that listening ear, able to provide a safe space where they can share their thoughts and feelings.

“But always, to bring a sense of hope and the strength to journey through the difficult times, knowing they are loved by God.” ¤