FAITH FILES

SO here we are, a year on from the first lockdown. Things have changed in ways we never could have imagined.

How has your faith changed? Has it been shaken? – “How could a loving God allow this awful virus to spread?” Or have you turned to Him? – “God I need you to get through this.”

If you used to go to church, have you still been tuning into the online broadcasts? Do you still keep in touch with friends you would normally see on Sundays? Are you still praying and reading your Bible?

I know that I have been grateful for the technology that has allowed me to keep connected – and even take part in some of the live streams and virtual meetings.

If you were previously not a church-goer, have you tuned in, given more time on your hands? The Alpha Course (www.alpha.org), a popular introduction to Christianity, has flourished online in the past 12 months. It seems people are looking for answers in these uncertain times.

In these situations, we have a choice – to run away from God or run to Him. The reasons for why we have terrible viruses and other forms of suffering are complex. To blame God is the easy way out and doesn’t take account of other things at play, including our own part in making the world the fallen place it is today.

We don’t have all the answers. The Bible gives us many pointers, but it’s not a neat explanation that you can describe in five minutes. Rather we are invited to draw into others’ experiences as they have wrestled with the issues, and accept that we don’t understand it all.

But at the same time, the invitation is to put our trust in the One who can guide us through the storm. Life is messy and hard times will come, but God will keep us through it all as we follow Him.

A famous poem from the Bible says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” The shadow of death seems to have been over us this last year. Let’s take comfort from God’s presence with us through it all, shining a light in the darkness.