To my embarrassment, I didn’t know the names of all my neighbours. I can give excuses: how recently people have moved into the neighbourhood, my capacity for forgetting names… but the truth of it remains.

As we settle into a more insular way of living for the coming weeks, we need to invest in new ways of having community. A phone call gives a better sense of connection that a text/message, and a video call is better still. Many of us are learning to use group video conferences for school, work and social contexts.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke, around 2600 years ago, to a group of people feeling trapped in an unfamiliar environment. He reminded them that our welfare is inextricably linked to the welfare of our community (Jeremiah 29:11).

As we develop new routines, let us remember to reach out to those around us. How, and how often, are we going to connect with people outside our household? Who might be vulnerable or isolated in this situation (perhaps scroll through your contact list)? How are we going to check on them?

The weekend before the lock down, I knocked on the doors of six of my neighbours. All were happy to exchange names and phone numbers. We are staying in touch.

May we find many such unexpected blessings as we reach out whilst hunkering down.