The year is one week old, and already in Britain we’ve had most of the country put into another lockdown, there’s been concern about the ability of the NHS to cope with the rising number of Covid cases, the programme for rolling out the vaccines, the impact of new Brexit customs arrangements, and education/ schools and universities/ home learning/ exams; as well as trouble in Washington DC and Hong Kong. It’s easy to get to the stage of thinking ‘I can’t take any more news!’ Sometimes it is better for us not to listen to news bulletins 24/7, but simply watch/ listen/ read a couple of times a day. But for those ‘on the front line’ the problems do not go away. They have to live with them 24/7. Whether we clapped for them last night or nor, our thoughts are with all ‘key workers’ and with those who have to take the decisions affecting everyone’s lives during the pandemic. We urge those in government and those they govern to ‘think out of the box’ to create a fairer and more sustainable world when we come out of the pandemic
Lord, at this difficult start to the year, we ask your blessing on all key workers, all struggling with the new restrictions, and all decision-makers. As well as helping us to come through the pandemic, inspire us all to have a vision for the post-pandemic world, and the will to achieve it