Two Weeks in Quarantine: Day Ten

Sunday 6^th December. Day ten of our quarantine. Second Sunday in Advent.

It struck me today that this would be a good day to ponder what it is I long for. And not just the end of our quarantine, a good walk, home-cooked meals and the chance to see Lois’ family. Nor even just the liberties of being at large in a Covid-free country, no longer constrained by the social distancing, limited activities of a UK lockdown and tiered restrictions.

Advent is a time of waiting and longing. It remembers the longing – 2,000 years ago – of a captive nation waiting for a Messiah to deliver them; and the ongoing longing ever since of countless Christians, waiting for the fulfilment of that vision that was birthed so many centuries ago. Perhaps, too, it gives voice to the longings of all peoples everywhere, for a better world, and the longings of the earth itself to be set free…

So what is it I long for?

It wasn’t difficult to express what I long for an end to:

• For an end to the greed and exploitation that causes such inequities both between and within countries;
• For an end to the violence and abuse that robs children of their childhoods, that tears families and communities apart;
• For an end to the prejudice and hatred that leads to the death of an innocent black man under the knee of a police officer, or the murder of innocent worshippers in a Christchurch mosque;
• For an end to the senseless destruction of our planet…

I could go on.

The problem with that is that, if I really stop to think about it, I may not be a terrorist, a millionaire, an abuser, or a corrupt politician, but the same attitudes underlying all of these global issues are there lurking inside me. I, too, enjoy the luxuries of a privileged lifestyle which is only sustainable because of the exploitation of the poor and the planet; I, too, have ingrained attitudes of superiority and mistrust of strangers; I, too, like to have things my way and tend to assert my will over that of others.

So, if I really long for an end to those systemic problems, perhaps it has to start with me.

When I put the question to Lois over our morning coffee, she turned it round and thought about what we long for in a positive sense. What attitudes and behaviours do we really long for, that might bring about the change we want to see in this world?

So here are our suggestions:

• For a slower pace of life, all of us taking time to pause, to be present, to pay attention
• For a greater connection with nature, each of us taking opportunities to connect with the creation of which we are a part
• For hospitality and welcome – that goes beyond mere tolerance and respect, to truly welcome the wonderful mystery that is someone else
• For gratitude, appreciating the goodness, truth and beauty that surrounds us.