‘Please pray that she will go home to be with the Lord soon.’
This unusual prayer request struck me: this was a prayer request for a young mother who would be leaving her grieving husband and three small children behind. Praying for death seemed particularly shocking after spending the last year in a country reeling from the impact of Covid-19.
Death is present and lurking
Death has been very present. The number of people who have died has been broadcast daily. The phrase ‘passed over’ has taken a back seat in the middle of the stark reality of ‘deaths from Covid’. The government press conferences have warned us that careless behaviour could lead to more deaths. Our limited excursions to the supermarket with our masks and hand sanitiser reinforce the threat of a deadly disease ready to strike at any moment.
A mental health tsunami?
Dave Burke Is it really true that the pandemic is causing a tsunami of mental-health problems?