22nd January 2021

Good to get out for the first time after self-isolating and just walk down the river to the Parish Church. I never before thought that so small a walk would feel so good. I sort of had the feeling that others should be saying, ‘Good to see you out, or welcome back’ as I walked along but I must have looked pretty normal as no-one noticed anything in particular. Although not completely sorted yet, you can’t help thinking about those who have had and are having a really terrible time or even died, and keep them in our prayers. I was impressed that Biden stopped to pray for the dead during his speech on Wednesday. It is a little concerning when the figures for those who have died have got to such a level that we almost expect it now. I try to go back a year sometimes and think to myself, ‘What would I have thought if someone had said to me that by this time next year a 100,000 people would be dead of a disease.’ Yet now I just wonder how much further the figure will go. It’s important I think to do two things. To keep those who have died very much in our thoughts and prayers and not to forget, while at the same time being filled with hope, to believe, that we will get to a point where we can gather with each other once more without fear of contagion. Also, even if we are doing well with the vaccination outreach here, for the common good and remembering that until every country if reached we are all at risk, we need to share what we have with far less advanced countries and help make the vaccine affordable to them and help them distribute it.