Chapel Matters

With Corona Virus causing lots of disruptions and anxiety for many people, we are having to learn how to take care of ourselves with better hygiene, but also not to panic; how to still care for one another and yet be sensible; how to learn what sources of information we can trust, while having faith in the experts, as well as in God, the rock of our salvation. We are working out ways to respond to the crisis seriously and sensibly, while still having compassion for others and hope for the future.

While many things have been cancelled because of the coronavirus, love is not one of them. But one thing that did get cancelled last weekend, was the Remembrance Service in Christchurch for the Mosque shootings last year. I was in Christchurch and was planning on going to this, to remember those who lost their lives and to pray for those who are still recovering and grieving, and also - as Jacinda Adern said -  “to recommit ourselves to the values of inclusion and love demonstrated so clearly a year ago.”

You might have seen on the television news last weekend the leaders of the Muslim community at the Linwood Mosque in Christchurch being interviewed. They said that although the Remembrance Service had been cancelled, they would like to ask New Zealanders to do four things – these are the things that the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said to the people as recorded in the Koran. I thought these were an interesting mix of things, and were worth sharing with you. They asked us to:

spread peace

feed others

strengthen our ties

pray at night

I wonder what we can do to spread peace at this time of anxiety and fear? In what ways could we feed others in our community and our world at a time when people are panic-buying at the supermarket? How can we strengthen the ties we have with our loved ones as well as with those who are different to us? And I wonder what sorts of things we might like to talk to God about before we go to sleep at night?

What a great challenge to us from our Muslim brothers and sisters, especially at this time of uncertainty and anxiety.