The world’s number of cases gone over thirty million as of today.DIVISIONS are deeper now — on the brink of a second wave of coronavirus infections — than they were six months ago when the nation first went into lockdown, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have warned in a joint letter to all bishops on Wednesday.
The letter speaks of the inevitability of further national and local restrictions as the winter months approach, and the responsibility of the Church to “avoid mistakes” and respond in the right way to a more complex situation than before. In March, the Church was criticised for going beyond the government advice at the time and ordering church buildings to close, even to clergy (News, 24 March). “We will need to be more critical in our response to restrictions that are above and beyond government regulations,” the Archbishops write, “helping the Church at the local level, in parish and diocese, steer a course that is marked by responsible action towards each other, care for the most vulnerable, and witness for the poor and disadvantaged who are suffering disproportionately.”
The letter continues: “Our national situation is much more complicated than it was in March. The divisions are deeper. There is public and reasonable concern about hunger — especially amongst children — and homelessness, with an expected rapid rise in evictions.” Their short letter also refers to the “concealed” issue of domestic violence, cases of which have risen globally during the pandemic (News, 7 May); the impact on the national economy, on small businesses, and on unemployment; and the effects of further restrictions on the elderly and isolated, and people on low incomes. It will be for us and others to encourage the banks, who received such help in 2009, to be equally merciful to others as the nation was to them.” Finally, the Archbishops acknowledge the “growing nervousness about Christmas” as well as mental health. The Church and its Bishops, they write, have a responsibility to use its networks to meet people with “hope and stability” where there is “weariness and tiredness”. “We are called to be responsible, but we are also called to resilience and prophetic speech. We have the networks, long since mobilised, and the partnerships to serve especially the hungry and homeless. Our schools are a particular treasure.
“However, there will also be a sense of tiredness; the weariness which comes with dealing with yet another threat and difficulty. To face this, we must continue to encourage one another and bear one another’s burdens. We must in our meetings be transparent with each other, able to say difficult things in a way that avoids mistakes being made through unwilling acquiescence to the perceived view of the majority.”
About The Author
Harrison Okafor
editor
Judith is a believer, a lover of Christ and a Gospel freak person. A passionate gospel blogger and press writer. I work with GospelHitsNaija.net Media, no 1 Gospel music platform.
