Remedy for despair

It rained for most of the morning, enough to discourage me from taking a walk in the wet, without any purpose. Time seems to slip by anyway, just catching up on the overnight news. Not there's much that changes between last night's ten o'clock news programme and lunchtime today. What passes for news is padded out with politicians, industrialists, authorities, entertainers or experts giving interviews, though often the tone of an interview is more that of a hostile interrogation. Only occasionally does anything newsworthy emerge that continues to feature in the affairs of the day. Those of the receiving end are, for the most part trained in avoidance of straight answers, and interviewers often appear poorly briefed and sound more like village gossips than serious pursuers of truth. 

It seems to me 24/7 news has diminished the quality and standard of journalism. Perhaps I should spend less time following the news. Trouble is, my interest in emergent scientific developments during this crisis keeps me hooked. Thankfully BBC specialist science programmes are excellent. My favourite is Jim Al-Khalili's 'The Life Scientific', where he interviews leading experts in every scientific discipline. His warmth, interest and enthusiasm somehow encourage his interviewees to explain their research with clarity, simplicity and honesty. I feel sorry for scientists who are part of government quangos who have to be grilled by the news vultures day after day. Another Radio Four favourite of mine is Tim Harford's 'More or Less' which fact checks statistical information from government, industry, academia, and often exposes how out of date if not plain incorrect some statistics used in public life can be.

This afternoon I did the preparation for next week's graveside funeral, and was called about another funeral the week after next. With the current rise on covid related deaths funeral directors are busier than ever. Three of the four funerals I've been asked to do this year so far have been elderly pandemic victims with no local church connections, but asking for a Minister nevertheless. Covid hasn't struck close to us yet. One neighbour in the street had covid back in December didn't need hospitalising, is the nearest it's come to us. 

Then yesterday, a brief email from Richard, our GP in our Halesowen days and still a friend thirty years later to say that he's had it and suffers from 'long covid'. Glad to know he's alive and has survived thus far. I feel I have a duty to help out with funeral to relieve the pressure on regular clergy who are already hard pressed enough. A duty to accompany people suffering in grief and shock, when they ask for someone to stand with them and be the voice of their sorrow and struggle to believe in anything when overwhelmed by bereavement, and robbed of the usual consolations of close community and family support. During this long time of waiting, with a well worked out safe living routine, being on stand-by for occasional ministry helps to give my life a sliver of meaning, which stops me from feeling quite so despairing at being old, passive and powerless in the face of this immense crisis.

There was one good programme to watch on telly tonight, on Channel 5. Adrian Dunbar, the celebrated actor from Enniskillen is hosting a series of programmes about the coast of the entire island of Ireland, visiting offshore islands with ancient Christian settlements, chatting with friends old and new about the things they value most about its landscape, history, spirituality and food. A feast of conversation and culture, well worth watching.