Ok – so we’ve now been in lockdown for several weeks, and there is more to come. We are living in unprecedented times. 
What are we learning in all this? Of course, it will be different for each of us, depending on our circumstances: whether we are self-isolating alone or with family; whether we are slightly too many people enclosed in the same house all day; whether we have lost income or actually find ourselves better off because we are not going out and spending money; whether we are anxious about our own health or the health of someone close to us. These and many other factors will affect how we experience this bizarre episode in our lives.
But perhaps there is some universal learning. Perhaps we are all learning how much we value our loved ones, especially the family and friends we can’t visit at the moment; how much we value the freedom to go for a walk, to our favourite beauty spots, to the theatre or a concert, or even just to mooch around the shops; how much we’ve got used to being able to find exactly the kind of food we like whenever we want it. It’s good to realise what we value, and what we take for granted. I hope that we will be a more grateful society when this is all over. A habit of gratitude is an important Christian virtue. Let’s practise!
And perhaps we are all realising more fully how dependent we are on some of the least well-paid members of our society: those who work in food provision, who clean hospitals, who provide care for the most vulnerable, to name just a few. Perhaps – what a lot of “perhaps-s” – there will be a re-evaluation once the crisis has passed. In the meantime, let’s remember to show gratitude and consideration to them whenever we have the opportunity, so that they will know that they are valued and appreciated. How wonderful if these unprecedented times will result, despite the hardship and difficulty for so many, in real improvements to our community life.
God is always with us – that’s the foundation of our thankfulness. In the difficulties, and in the consolations of the times we are living through, let’s remember that his love is surrounding us, and that, as the Queen reminded us in her broadcast, “better days will return”, and, perhaps, to a better world. With every blessing,
Janet