Wiping away the tears - Reflection by Canon Myles

When the first lockdown began last March, I had little or no experience of ‘blogging’. I had never written such a thing, and had only ever glanced at one or two I happened to come across through the Internet. Dean Sue suggested that we clergy might produce one each day on ‘Prayer for Liverpool,’ and I agreed to cover Thursdays each week. I might have shown a bit more reluctance had I realised how long all this was going to last! Thursdays started to come round all too frequently.
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We should not look for a reward, but there was one of sorts. All sorts of people got in touch, by email, text or in person, to say how much they appreciated what each of us wrote. The blogs clearly touched people quite deeply and were valued by many of those who sought out ‘Prayer for Liverpool’ at a time when many were longing to find comfort and hope, just to keep going.

Looking back, the blog I shall treasure is the very first one, entitled ‘Stones crying out.’ It came to me as I took my daily exercise along Upper Parliament Street and Hope Street and back again. There stood the Cathedral, silent and still, in a city which was also as silent as I have ever known it. There was little or no traffic, and in those earliest days of lockdown, hardly anyone on foot. Canon Neal was able to take delight in all the sight and sounds of nature as Spring unfolded. I merely felt the silence all around.

I write this on the day after the Prime Minister told us for the third time of asking that we must stay at home. While there are very good reasons for this, in order to save lives and preserve the life and work of NHS, I wondered if it might lead to the same dark depression, and for some, despair, which was felt by many last March. Thankfully, the roll-out of vaccines, delivered to us with incredible speed, points in a different direction, and, although the time scale must remain uncertain, it allows us to hope for the future, which as people of faith, we trust that God longs for people to share.

Those of us whose privilege it is to worship within the walls of our great Cathedral church will continue to pray each day that God shall  wipe away all tears from our eyes, and no longer a distant dream, that ‘there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ (Revelation 21)

Canon Myles

While you're here:
Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html.