dancing, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to search and a time to give up. It speaks of a time to heal. Ecclesiastes doesn’t shy away from the hard and challenging messages either, it controversially perhaps speaks of a time to tear up, a time to die and a time for war. More and more I am convinced as I listen to different people about their experiences of the last year, I am sure that as a world, as a country and as this small community of Fishponds, as a church that we need that time of healing more than ever. And yet what does that look like? What does healing look like? It may well as we emerge to less restrictions look like being able to see people who we haven’t for over a year. It may mean a gentle walk to the shops for the first time in months. It may mean emerging slowly and taking our time to see how the world has changed and who we are now as a people. It may mean time to look back and reflect and remember, to pray and to contemplate what God needs of us now in this time? –Does that look like it used to? Do we want it to? Does it need to? To seek healing can mean making peace with friends and family and neighbours, where perhaps fractious encounters and conversations (online and off!) due to heightened anxiety and stress has led to broken relationships. It might look like making time for conversations that are more in depth and less fleeting than before. Checking in and saying not just “How are you?” – but - “How has it been for you”. A time of healing will no doubt involve a lot of listening. A lot of grieving. A lot of catch up and a lot of time to reflect on who now we might be. 5
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