At St Mary’s, we have been working in partnership with others in the community to reach out to people in Billingsley, Glazeley, Deuxhill and neighbourhood during the Covid lockdown. We have used our webpages and facebook page to publicise our activities, as well as leaflets. The report below gives a good example of what is happening.
“About a dozen residents in Bynd Lane have been working together to help each other out with shopping. The group set up in a very simple way via a facebook Messenger group and have organically grown over the past few weeks. Two of the families involved are in complete self-isolation so for them this has been a vital support. People take it in turns to go shopping, which means that each of those who need shopping only have to ask for a few items for each shop. The group has also been linking in with services offered via the Billingsley Farm and Community facebook page, managed by Helen Leather of Billingsley. One such service is breads, cakes, pies etc home delivered to those in isolation in Billingsley every Wednesday by Catherine’s bakery. One resident said ‘the deep sense of community is immense. As a family in isolation, without this very local support we would be struggling, but it’s not just about the practical help, it’s the laughs and jokes we share to keep each other motivated and involved with each other’.”
Some words from Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 18, v37-40) spring to my mind:
“Then the righteous will [say], ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Easter is ultimately about the setting loose of God’s Kingdom here on earth; in our response to Covid, perhaps we see glimpses of what that looks like.