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Good morning

听

I recently watched an episode of The West Wing, and one of the politicians was doing the thing where they wade through a crowd shaking hands. I鈥檝e seen the episode more than once 鈥� but never before have I felt concern for the character鈥檚 health.

听

Occasionally in this period of lockdown my mind wanders back to the normal world. The world where I can buy a brownie in a coffee shop. Where annual strategies and cashflow projections haven鈥檛 been torn up. The world where I can order soap and easily have it delivered. Where I can enjoy hugs and handshakes or visit my mother.

听

It hasn鈥檛 taken long for our mindset to change.听 A whole new societal morality has emerged, where anybody found to be in their car without legitimate purpose is now in trouble with the law. We could never have imagined that the suspension of normality would be so far-reaching.

听

But if our perception of normal has changed once, it can change again. And so we begin to speculate what 鈥渘ormal鈥� might look like when this crisis is over. Dare we hope that we can make it better than before?

听

If so, we must surely be realistic about human nature 鈥� Maybe there鈥檚 wisdom in the logic of the Psalmist who reminds us that 鈥淲e are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing 鈥� we heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You鈥�.

听

Lord, as we aspire to a new normal, where people are kinder, gentler and more thankful for the simpler things of life 鈥� help us not to forget our vulnerability and frailty. Help us to find hope听 - not in ability or fortitude - nor even in our aspirational pipe dreams of a new normal - but in the Gospel of Christ, who makes all things new. Amen.