During the pandemic, and before, I’ve been working in a specialist area of a primary school. We’ve had a lot of lovely moments and perhaps another time I’ll write some more about those, but for now I’ll stick to one or two.
Children are incredibly resilient, and those I work with have been nothing but accepting of the constant changes that are put in, especially once we provide them with consistency in the areas that we can. One particular child who usually uses close physical contact to connect with adults, has taken to pressing her nose to mine with my visor in between us (which I then have to go and clean). The grin that she gives me as she does it never fails to cheer me up and make me chuckle, but lately it’s also made me think.
I know of very few people who aren’t missing physical contact or trying to replicate it in some way-I climb under my giant weighted blanket when I’m feeling short of more hugs than I feel it fair to ask my parents (whom I live with) for. It’s fair to say that our relationships with almost all of our friends and family have been forced to change over the last year, which I find has made me look forward to the day we can see them (with hugs) again.
One relationship that hasn’t been forced to change is our relationship with Jesus. Sure, we can’t sing in Churches and sometimes we’re worshipping in front of a laptop instead of in a packed Church building, but whilst I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t ever have to lead zoom worship, he said “for when two or three gather in my name, there I am with them”, not “I’ll only join you if you’re in a building, singing, with no masks with no zoom taking place”. Jesus’ Spirit has not faltered because of covid, nor has it surrounded us any less.
As we begin this time of Lent, not only are we keenly anticipating being able to be among others again, but we’re also keenly anticipating the coming of Holy Week and our annual reminder of His willingness to die for us so that our sins may be forgiven.
A prayer
Thank you, ever-present Lord, for being as close to us now as any other year. Help us to feel you near us as we begin our Lent journey and await the Good News of Holy Week. Remind us when we seek the contact of others that we are always surrounded by your love and care.
Amen