Monsters in the dark

Have you seen the recent news footage of flash floods sweeping through towns or villages?

Twice in the last month flooding in our little corner of suburbia has made it into the national news. The crisis response is clear. The Fire Brigade is called to pump out. The strongest and fittest carry the vulnerable to safety through the water. And then the cameras return two weeks later. As the water ebbs away, so does the jovial wartime spirit. Instead, each house fills a skip with stinking carpets, broken kitchen appliances and ruined personal treasures. The clear up is usually more painful and longer lasting than the crisis.

Back to normal?

I suspect we all know this: we are not going straight back to our old normal. Our churches are meeting again, but some chairs remain empty. Our schools pick through the regulations, but some children are still anxious. Our loved ones sit at our tables again, but they look much older. The clear up from Covid could well be more painful and longer lasting than the crisis.