‘ my peace I leave you’ John 14

Spiritual peace seems to be a rare commodity these days. All around I see boredom,loneliness , anger and depression as a seemingly endless series of lock downs take their toll.Like an alcoholic deprived of booze when the constant barrage of stimuli,which is the modern world, vanishes and instead of finding peace for many people there seems to be only emptiness.Like putting a plaster over an infected wound take the plaster off and the wound remains. Many seem to run from themselves only to find no where to hide, we shout to keep the silence at bay. I have a particularly close friend who is a high flier in the world of finance in normal times confident optimistic and self assured.But now a shadow of his former self like the parable of the sower and the seeds things that have no roots are easily blown away when the wind blows. I think for many who search every day for good news by way of a vaccine or any development that returns the world to normal the message is look within because Covid has demonstrated once again that we are creations of spirit which makes  faith the only sure anchor in life.

God rarely intervenes in the world or our lives except by way of events.Maybe Covid is a timely divine reminder of two things which I believe are very precious to God.First Is that his creation is sacred over which we are placed as stewards not owners. Abuse creation and we abuse ‘ the joy of God’ with predictable consequences.Secondly by removing our access to so much of our world that is artificial and ultimately meaningless he has reminded us that we are creatures of spirit an essence that cannot be replaced by the things of the world and a blessing we cannot do without.

‘ for this peoples hearts have been calloused they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes hear with their ears understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them’. Matthew 13