One of the benefits of being forced to lockdown exactly where we are is that we appear to be collectively noticing what is right under our noses.
What I mean is that I keep hearing people refer to how they have discovered a new walk or lake or bike trail or whatever that they have never noticed before despite for some, having lived in their area for decades!
How easy it is to overlook or simply fail to see that which is right under our noses whilst chasing all that is further afield.
Us humans have a tendency towards seeking the next new thing which usually presents as being over there somewhere whether in time or location.
Lockdown even now that it is beginning to ease, forces us to focus on where we are right here, right now.
In doing so, we begin to notice our surroundings.
Not only do we see afresh the beauty of God’s creation but we also begin to see the people on our doorsteps, otherwise known as our neighbours! The extra time whether wanted or unwanted has allowed us to see and appreciate afresh those who have always been under our noses.
Similarly, those interests that have been squeezed out in our previously over filled lives have been resurrected, reclaimed and enjoyed, whether learning the guitar or a new language or more baking or reading or whatever your chosen interests are. They have always been there but were previously lost to the hurried pace of life.
Alongside every crisis, personal or collective, comes the question, ‘where is God in all this?’.
I might suggest that He too has always been right under our noses but just like all of the above and so much more, we may have lost sight of Him amidst the overload of pre lockdown normality.
And yet there He is in all the acts of love and generosity across the country from small town initiatives looking out for the vulnerable to various organisations joining forces to provide help where needed, to the actions of the now legendary Captain Tom, to the Churches who have put aside denominational differences to create The UK Blessing song (check it out on YouTube) and to so many other heart warming examples of collaboration.
What a shame that it took a worldwide crisis to enable us to get over our respective ego’s enough to learn to collaborate. My only hope now is that we do not lose this new spirit of collaboration as lockdown eases.
Anyway, God is love and all of these acts of generosity, caring and collaboration are active and selfless expressions of love that help to restore our faith in the goodness of humanity.
Perhaps if we had previously begun to lose sight of God or just never sought Him before, we may now seek to see Him with renewed vigour.
Now more than ever we are reminded that God is the only unchanging aspect of our lives.
This enforced slow down, stop and lockdown has enabled us to begin to see and notice so much of which we had lost sight.
Our vision has cleared.
We see once more that what really matters is faith, family, friends, neighbours, key workers, health, our ability to contribute to those around us whether through the baking of cakes, delivering of shopping, sending cards, praying or whatever else, along with a capacity to see and appreciate any silver linings.
As we begin to ease out of lockdown, I hope that I and we do not begin to lose sight of all that is right under our noses.
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