Messages from the Churches

WE are now in the stage of trying to manage the virus instead of total ‘lockdown’ which is something to be thankful for after a period when all our lives have been put on hold, although there may well be local restrictions. Like many problems the virus has different aspects and will be far reaching, going beyond the period in lockdown, changing the way we live for some time to come yet. I have been noticing the effect that lockdown has had on us and the way we think and behave. Without doubt it has had a detrimental effect on some people and situations and as I write, this is particularly true in the poorer communities at home and around the world. Also, there are those who have suffered because of the loss of structure and routine and due to greater isolation and loneliness. But on the positive side, perhaps what I sense is a what I would call a ‘greater appreciation’ of people and things. For me personally, having arrived last October and still getting to know the Parish and the Town I have had to accept that getting to know the people and the place will take place not only in a different way but in some respects has to develop more slowly than usual. But I have been able to appreciate Arundel and the Cathedral Parish in this different slower way.

You will have noticed that during lockdown the streets were much quieter. I was hearing the birds sing, the wind blow (as it does round the cathedral) and the silence. Yes, the silence, I heard the silence. When all is silent, or nearly all, I sense that I can hear something. It is like being able to hear life itself. Not the busyness of life, but the sense of being alive and being part of something bigger that does not name itself yet is present. There is someone present in the silence, and I would call that presence God. On a good day, the silence is a love that can enfold you. I appreciate that not all feel this way and for many who are alone, silence can become oppressive. It is a personal thing and, I admit, dependent on mood as there are some days when I need company and during the lockdown the radio became a great companion. But the re- discovery of ‘listening to the silence’ could become a way into prayer. Sometimes the silence in prayer can be difficult, especially if our minds are full of distractions and worries. But it is often in silence and stillness, that God approaches us in ways that suit our own characters. I came, across this line in a prayer from Cardinal Basil Hume the other day: The best of all loves comes silently.