I don’t need to tell you that Lockdown 6 is hard and seems to be extracting the last drops of hope and stamina from many of us.
As part of my lockdown reading and surviving, I’ve dipped into a book by Julie Perrin, [Julie wrote the lyrics of the song deep Stillness’ that we sing].
Julies latest book is a collection of short stories and prayers some of which were written during the earlier covid lockdowns in Melbourne.
Let me share one of her prayers/poems with you.
Great God who calls us to belonging,
who delights in curiosity, invention, ingenuity.
Praise be for minds that bend and flex despite restriction,
for bodies that signal love by staying apart.
Praise be for neighbors talking across fences,
calling from balconies, waving through windows,
for greetings that cross the space between us.
Praise be for strangers, careful on footpaths,
for children asking their questions,
for truth-tellers who earn our trust and speak to our fear.
Praise be for friends who warn and chide and encourage,
for human warmth in a time of distance.
Praise be.
A prayer, a plea, a bird
By Julie Perrin
Lyn